Origin and History of Easter in Australia
Easter is the oldest Christian festival that celebrates the re-birth of Jesus Christ. The old churches celebrated Easter on different days. Around 190 AD the first African Pope, Pope Victor predestined that Easter should be celebrated on Sunday. Finally it came to power in 325 AD when the Council of Nicea decided to celebrate Easter on Sunday. During 672-735 AD, a Christian scholar, Venerable Bede, first declared that the word Easter was named after Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess. According to history the Pagan religions in the Mediterranean region celebrated the seasonal day after the spring equinox in order to welcome the new season. It is believed this Pagan festive traditions and some new added Christian customs forms the present day Easter belief.
Local name: Easter Sunday
Ways to celeberate Easter Sunday in Australia
Australia is a wonderful country with the people belonging to different religions and countries. Easter is celebrated in different ways as the citizens follow different traditions. The Easter celebration lasts for four days, the festive mood commences with Good Friday and ends with Easter Monday. Easter Sunday is the chief day for celebration. On this date people attend church services and eat sweet fruit buns for breakfast. Children’s exchange Easter eggs made of chocolate, sugar candies etc. Beside the eggs, Bilby is also considered as a major symbol associated with Easter. On this festive day many families arrange for an Easter egg hunt and the winner gets a present. After the games, people organize a traditional meal for family and friends. The menu consists of roasted lamb, beef, chicken, cakes, eggs, chocolates, roasted vegetables and the list goes on. In Australia the specialty of Easter lies in a unique agriculture show in Sydney know as “the Royal Easter Show”. The country’s best agricultural produce and farm animals are displayed during this event. Other highlights of the festival include fun activities, fireworks, parades etc.
