Easter is known to be the Sunday that marks the end of the Holy Week, an event that commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is greatly influenced by the Christian faith as it reminds believers to remember the last sacrifice of the Son of God. Others think of it as a time of celebration with Easter eggs, bunnies and peeps. So to celebrate Easter here are some funny, curious and interesting facts about it you may not know.
* Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after his death. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year.
* The UK’s first chocolate egg was produced in 1873 by Fry’s of Bristol.
* In 2007, an egg covered in diamonds was sold for almost 9 million pounds ($F23 million). The egg is very special because, every hour, a cockerel made of jewels pops up from the top of the egg, flaps its wings four times, nods its head three times and makes a crowing noise!
* The tallest chocolate Easter egg ever was made in Italy in 2011. At 10.39 metres in height and 7200 kg in weight, it was taller than a giraffe and heavier than an elephant.
* The Easter Bunny tradition made its way to the United States of America in the 18th century. It is believed to have originated in Europe where it was actually the Easter Hare. Other Easter traditions include wearing Easter bonnets, making Easter baskets and having Easter egg hunts.
* Easter is celebrated at different times by Eastern and Western Christians. That’s because the dates for Easter in Eastern Christianity are based on the Julian calendar.
* The white lily, the symbol of the resurrection, is the special Easter flower.
* The traditional act of painting eggs is called Pysanka.
* The date of Passover is variable as it is dependent on the phases of the moon, and thus Easter is a movable feast.
* In medieval times, a festival of ‘egg-throwing’ was held in church. The priest would throw a hard-boiled egg to one of the choir boys, and then tossed from one choir boy to the next. When the clock struck 12, whoever held the egg, was the winner and got to keep the egg.
* The White House hosts an Easter Egg Roll on the front lawn each year. This tradition was started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878.
* After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday. 120 million pounds of candy are bought each year.
