Easter is the principal feast (holy day) of the ecclesiastical year (year pertaining to the Christian church). It is the festival that commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    Easter is a movable feast, that is, it is not always held on the same date. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Vernal Equinox full moon. The Vernal Equinox signifies the astronomical arrival of spring and was considered an appropriate time to celebrate the resurrection and rebirth as nature 'renews' itself from the 'death' it suffers in winter.

    In AD 325 the church council decided that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Vernal Equinox of March 21. Hence, Easter can fall on as early as March 22 or as late as April 25. It marks the end of the Lenten season.

Events leading to the Resurrection
    For accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, see Gospels of the Bible in the books of Matthew 27-28; Mark 15- 16; Luke 23-24 and John 19- 20.

    After Jesus breathed His last on Good Friday, He was taken down from the cross. Then Joseph, a good and upright man who was a member of the council, asked Pontius Pilot (the Roman Empire's representative) for permission to take Jesus' body to perform the necessary burial rituals. Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus' body in linen and spices and laid him in a new rock tomb. As it had been prophesized that Jesus Christ would be raised from the dead on the third day after His death, the chief priest along with Pontius Pilot stationed a guard at the tomb and further secured the tomb by sealing the stone that covered it.

The Resurrection
    Three days after Jesus' death, at dawn on the Sunday following Good Friday, two lady followers of Christ took spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. On approaching the tomb, to their surprise, they found that the stone had been rolled away and the body was missing. They immediately ran to tell the disciples of what they had just witnessed. The disciples then ran to see the tomb for themselves and saw strips of linen, which had been used to wrap Jesus' body, lying around. The disciples later returned home while Mary Magdalene, a devout follower of Jesus, stood outside the tomb weeping for Him. At that moment she saw two angels, who asked her why she was crying. As she answered them, she turned around and saw Jesus. She was overjoyed to see Him. Jesus told her to tell His disciples that she had seen Him and that He was now returning to His Father.

    That evening when the disciples had gathered together, Jesus appeared and stood among them, saying the words, 'Peace be with you'. He went on to say that just as The Lord had sent Him to teach Spirituality to the world, He was now bestowing His grace upon them to teach. According to Luke 24:50 and Acts 2:2, Jesus Christ then ascended (was lifted) into heaven to be with The Lord.

Significance
    The return of spring is nature's proof, as the Resurrection is divine proof, that there is no death for the soul, that the Guru principle is eternal. A seed has to lose its outer form ("die") to grow into a tree ("be resurrected or attain life"). Through countless examples like these nature reiterates the importance of conquering (death of) the lower Self to realize (resurrection of) the higher Self. But today there is a general lack of understanding of the spiritual concept of "death" and "rebirth", the method and purpose of "the Mysteries" of which Jesus spoke as a spiritual guide (Guru), for seekers, who courageously undertake spiritual practice for the Resurrection of the Christ (God Principle) within.

    Easter should hence be celebrated to commemorate the spiritual significance of Jesus Christ's Resurrection in the spiritual sense, motivating one to commence spiritual practice. Further, the contemplation on the significance of the Resurrection or one's divine Self need not be limited to only this Sunday, but should be done regularly, 'every Sunday' to gain constant motivation in following the spiritual path.

Celebration
    Many churches conduct sunrise services on Easter Sunday to symbolize the return of light to the world after Jesus' Resurrection. Sunrise service on Easter symbolizes the rising sun as an awakening of the inner Self. The white lily is another symbol of the Resurrection and hence, is the special Easter flower.

    Many Easter customs stem from non-Christian traditions. For example, Easter rabbits and colored eggs have come about as symbols of new life. Easter eggs were first decorated in the late 13th century. The Easter rabbit is a symbol of fertility while colored Easter eggs, consistent with their use in the spring festival of rebirth, symbolize cosmic creation. Christianity adapted these customs to symbolize the rebirth of humanity.

    In the current era of strife (Kaliyuga), the need for understanding and following the spiritual significance of holy days like Easter, by doing daily spiritual practice, is evident. In the Bible, John 3:3, it is stated that 'Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom.' It implies 'being reborn' by attaining dissolution of the individual body, mind, intellect and ego consciousness through spiritual practice to 'enter the kingdom' that is, attain Bliss or realize God, just as Jesus Christ did and merged with God.

    [For further reading, refer to  The Science of Spirituality as in the Holy Bible, compiled by H. H. Dr. Jayant B. Athavale and Mrs. Sharon Clarke Sequeira, published by the Sanatan.]