Celebrating Easter

Continuamos ampliando el blog de recursos para el aula de inglés, esta vez nos toca preparar unas actividades para celebrar "Easter" y que mejor manera de empezar que leyendo un texto para conocer el significado de esta fiesta.

What is Easter?

Easter is the most important Christian holiday. At Easter, Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His return to life three days later. Christians believe that Jesus Christ died so that the wrong things people think and do could be forgiven by God. They believe that those who accept God's forgiveness can stop doing wrong things and live pure, clean lives. They also believe that those who accept God's forgiveness will someday live forever with God.
The early Christian church celebrated Easter at different times. Then, in 325 A.D. the Council of Nicaea fixed the holiday as the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21. This always places Easter sometime between March 22 and April 25. This year Easter Sunday will be April 12.
Today many people use lillies to decorate their homes and churches at Easter time. The large white blossoms make them think of the clean new life they can have because of Jesus Christ's death and return to life.
Churches celebrate Easter with Saturday evening and Sunday morning services. In the United States, many churches have outdoor Easter services at sunrise. The light of the rising sun reminds them of the light that comes back to the world with the newly risen Jesus.
Easter eggs are not a part of the Easter story. These were first a part of non-Christian celebrations of spring. Spring is a time of new life. Trees put on their leaves in spring. Grass begins to grow, and flowers appear. Many baby animals are also born in spring.
Eggs made people think of new life because many animals hatch from eggs. People would celebrate spring by decorating eggs and giving them as gifts. Since Easter is celebrated soon after spring begins, the two celebrations began to mix. Today, Easter eggs, like lillies, remind many people of the new life Jesus Christ offers them.

¿Sabeis cuando se celebra "Easter" este año 2009?

Se celebra este año el 12 de abril.