At some point today, it’s likely that you’ve either asked or been asked about how you enjoyed Easter.
The ultimate triumphal event on the Christian calendar, when Easter falls is based on a calculation known as the “Computus Paschalis.” Basically, the date each year when we celebrate Jesus’ miraculous Resurrection from the dead is always the first Sunday after the first full moon that lands on or after the first day of spring.
It’s a glorious day punctuated by the singing of wonderful music, reflection on the promise of life after death, and then for many, all the fun traditions ranging from egg coloring and hunting to lunches and brunches and extended family gatherings.
It’s widely accepted and settled that Easter is a day – but it’s really a 50-day celebration otherwise known as Eastertide or the Paschal season.
The 50-day span is based upon the 40 days Jesus spent after the Resurrection appearing and teaching, followed by Him sending the Holy Spirit after His ascension into Heaven (Acts 2). Many churches celebrate that monumental occasion known as the feast of Pentecost, which is a Greek word for “fiftieth.”
In a transactional and commercial world, a neat and tidy holiday celebration of a single day is convenient and even streamlined. But is there anything more monumental or consequential than Jesus coming back from the dead?
The extended Easter celebration provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the miracle of Christ’s Resurrection for weeks, not simply a weekend.
It encourages us to ponder His sacrifice and His victory over death.
It reminds us, to quote the Pope John Paul II, that “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!”
Eastertide calls for a posture of reflection and thanksgiving. It invites us to slow down, look up, and consider how the arc of Jesus’ extraordinary life can speak to us two-thousand years later.
The lilies may soon wilt, the candy eaten, the eggs turned to egg salad, the ham soon on sandwiches for the children’s lunches.
But Easter? It continues. Don’t be so quick to move on. Linger. Savor it. Enjoy it. After all, that’s why we worship and celebrate on Sunday every week of the year.
As the hymnwriter Charles Wesley so poignantly wrote:
Rejoice, the Lord is King;
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Instead of asking, “How was your Easter?” perhaps we should ask, “How is your Easter?”\
Image from Getty.