ABSTRACT
EASTER is a major Christian holiday held on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox. For many believers, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox churches, Easter is the most important holiday because it celebrates the central narrative of Christianity in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus (in the Christian Bible said to have occurred after the Jewish Passover holiday in the spring). Easter is observed in different years on a given Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Because Eastern Orthodox churches use a different liturgical calendar and insist that Easter occurs after Passover, following the biblical account, their observance falls after that of Western churches. Religiously, Easter Sunday is viewed as the culmination of Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday and extending into Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the vigil of Holy Saturday.
