Easter is historically a religious holiday. On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection (or rebirth) of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that after Jesus was crucified and died, he came back to life again on Easter Sunday, the third day after his death, and that is what is celebrated.

Eggs, bunny rabbits and lamb are symbols of rebirth. Children believe that the Easter Rabbit hides eggs in the garden. On Easter Sunday people exchange chocolate eggs and children traditionally decorate eggs in bright colours and also hunt for hidden eggs.

Easter is always on a Sunday, but the date changes every year because it is the Sunday after the first full moon following Spring Equinox.

Although, like Christmas, Easter is a religious holiday, for many people today it is often a time for eating chocolate and enjoying a family get-together.

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• Ash Wednesday
  • Ash Wednesday, which falls 40 days before Easter Sunday, is so called because of the practice of rubbing ashes on one's forehead to remind people that they started out as ashes and will become ashes again.
    
    
• Crucifixion
  • If a person is crucified, he or she is hung on a cross and left to die.
    
    
• Easter bunny / Easter rabbit
  • An imaginery rabbit said to bring gifts (chocolate eggs) to children at Easter.
    
    
• Easter egg
  • - A hard-boiled egg that is coloured and decorated at Easter.
  • - A chocolate egg given at Easter, especially to children.
    
    
• Easter egg hunt
  • A game played by children on Easter Sunday where they try to find eggs hidden (usually by the parents) in the garden on in the house.
    
    
• Easter Sunday
  • A Christian holiday to celebrate Jesus Christ’s return to life.
    
    
• Good Friday
  • The Friday before Easter. It commemorates the day that Jesus was crucified (about 2000 years ago).
    
    
• Holy Week
  • The week right before Easter Sunday.
    
    
• Last Supper
  • According to Christian belief, the Last Supper is the last meal that Jesus Christ shared with the twelve apostles* before his crucifixion.
    (*The apostles were the 12 disciples chosen by Jesus to be his closest followers and spread his message.)
    
    
• Lent
  • Lent is a period of fasting and repentance during the 40 days before Easter. Traditionally Christians often give up (stop eating) specific foods during this period, foods such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods.
    
    
• Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Day
  • Shrove Tuesday (also called Mardi Gras meaning 'fat Tuesday') is the last day before Lent and the last chance to use up the foods that Christians would give up during Lent. Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday because all the eggs, fats and milk in the house could be used up with just the addition of flour.
    
    
• Resurrection
  • In Christian belief, the Resurrection is Jesus Christ's return to life on the third day after his death.