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　　Unit 101 Easter Day Traditions Easter Day is commonly observed on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs between March 22 and April 25. It is a religious holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death by crucifixion some 2,000 years ago. For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of family. In many churches Easter is preceded by a season of prayer, abstinence, and fasting. This is observed in memory of the 40 days' fast of Christ in the desert. The Easter Bunny, a popular image of the holiday, originated with the hare, an ancient symbol for the moon. According to legend, the bunny was originally a large, handsome bird belonging to Eostre, the Goddess of Spring. She changed the bird into a rabbit, which explains why the Easter bunny builds a nest and fills it with colored eggs. The egg is another popular symbol of Easter. Eggs were dyed and eaten during sprig festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome. colored eggs were not associated with Easter until the 15th century. The Easter Sunrise Service custom can be traced back to the ancient Pagan custom of welcoming the sun God when daytime is about to exceed the length of the nighttime. It was a time to "celebrate the return of life and reproduction to animal and plant life as well." At the feast of Eostre, an ox was sacrificed. The ox's horns became a symbol for the feast. They were carved into the ritual bread. Thus originated the "hot cross buns." The word "buns" is derived from the Saxon word "boun" which means "sacred ox". Many superstitions grew out of this custom -- a cross bun kept from one Good Friday to the next was thought to bring luck, the buns were supposed to serve as a charm against shipwreck, and hanging a bun over the chimneypiece ensured that all bread baked there would be perfect. Another belief was that eating hot cross buns on Good Friday served to protect the home from fire. Today, the symbol of a symmetrical cross, marked with white icing is used to decorate the buns; the cross represents the moon, the heavenly body associated with the Goddess. The white lily, the symbol of the resurrection, is the typical Easter flower. The white lily stands for purity. Artists for centuries have pictured the angel Gabriel coming to the Virgin Mary with a spray of lilies in his hand, to announce that she is to be the mother of the Christ child. The lily is also the sign of the Resurrection. The white Madonna lily was used for years as the Easter lily. It often failed to bloom in time for Easter, however, and so Bermuda lilies were substituted. Easter Candles are sometimes lit in churches on the eve of Easter Sunday. Some believe that these can be directly linked to the Pagan customs of lighting bonfires at this time of year to welcome the rebirth of the sun God.