Easter: meaning, definitions and examples

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Easter

[ ˈiːstər ]

Noun

^{Context #1 | Noun}

holiday

Easter is the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Synonyms

Pascha, Resurrection Sunday.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
Easter	Commonly used in everyday conversation, marketing, and popular culture to refer to the Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Can also refer to the general festive period including egg hunts and other secular activities. Are you coming over for Easter dinner? The Easter egg hunt will start at 10 AM.
Resurrection Sunday	Formally used within Christian religious settings, sermons, or by individuals wanting to emphasize the religious aspect of the holiday over the secular customs. It is a term that highlights the focus on Jesus' resurrection. During Resurrection Sunday, we reflect on Jesus' sacrifice and victory over death. The church has special services planned for Resurrection Sunday.
Pascha	Used mainly within Orthodox Christian communities and in theological contexts to specifically refer to the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. It carries a more traditional and religious tone. The Orthodox church will be celebrating Pascha next Sunday. Pascha is a significant event in the liturgical calendar.

Word

Description / Examples

Easter

Commonly used in everyday conversation, marketing, and popular culture to refer to the Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Can also refer to the general festive period including egg hunts and other secular activities.

Are you coming over for Easter dinner?
The Easter egg hunt will start at 10 AM.

Resurrection Sunday

Formally used within Christian religious settings, sermons, or by individuals wanting to emphasize the religious aspect of the holiday over the secular customs. It is a term that highlights the focus on Jesus' resurrection.

During Resurrection Sunday, we reflect on Jesus' sacrifice and victory over death.
The church has special services planned for Resurrection Sunday.

Pascha

Used mainly within Orthodox Christian communities and in theological contexts to specifically refer to the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. It carries a more traditional and religious tone.

The Orthodox church will be celebrating Pascha next Sunday.
Pascha is a significant event in the liturgical calendar.

Examples of usage

We celebrate Easter with family and friends.
The Easter bunny is a popular symbol of the holiday.

Translations

Translations of the word "Easter" in other languages:

🇵🇹 Páscoa

🇮🇳 ईस्टर

🇩🇪 Ostern

🇮🇩 Paskah

🇺🇦 Великдень

🇵🇱 Wielkanoc

🇯🇵 イースター

🇫🇷 Pâques

🇪🇸 Pascua

🇹🇷 Paskalya

🇰🇷 부활절

🇸🇦 عيد الفصح

🇨🇿 Velikonoce

🇸🇰 Veľká noc

🇨🇳 复活节

🇸🇮 Velika noč

🇮🇸 Páskar

🇰🇿 Пасха

🇬🇪 აღდგომა

🇦🇿 Pasxa

🇲🇽 Pascua

Etymology

The word 'Easter' has its roots in Old English 'Ēastre' or 'Ēostre', a pagan festival celebrating spring and fertility. The Christian holiday of Easter likely adopted its name from this pre-Christian celebration, integrating it into the religious observance of Jesus' resurrection. Over time, Easter has become a significant cultural and religious holiday worldwide, marked by various traditions and symbols.

See also: east, easterly, eastern, eastward, eastwards.