Brian Kilmeade spends day with Cardinal Dolan ahead of Easter
Brian Kilmeade spends the day with Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Easter, also called Resurrection Sunday, is a holiday observed in the United States and around the world.
Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as recorded in the Bible, the third day after his crucifixion.
It is considered one of the most important days for believers as the culmination of Holy Week.
It is the end of the 40-day period called Lent.
- When is Easter?
- Why do we observe the holiday?
- How to celebrate?
Easter marks the day that Jesus Christ resurrected after his death, according to the Bible. (Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)
1. When is Easter?
The day Easter falls on each year is not the same. It can actually fall on a fairly wide range of days. The earliest the holiday can occur is March 22, while the latest is April 25, according to earthsky.org.
Even though the day can fall anywhere in that time frame, it does always fall on a Sunday.
The way that it is determined is actually revolved around the moon.
The date of the religious celebration is determined by the spring equinox. Each year, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon, according to Fox News Digital. The full moon happens either on or following the spring equinox each year.
The spring equinox, or vernal equinox, happens in March and marks the start of spring. The phenomenon can occur on March 19, 20 or 21.
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During Easter, many attend sunrise service, engage in prayer and get together with their families for a holiday meal. (iStock)
2. Why do we observe the holiday?
Easter is a religious holiday for Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Based on the Bible, Jesus Christ was arrested, crucified and died on the cross on Good Friday and then came back to life on the Sunday following. This religious celebration is part of Holy Week.
EASTER BY THE NUMBERS: FACTS ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY AND SECULAR ACTIVITIES
3. How to celebrate
There are numerous traditions Christians and Catholics use to celebrate Easter. Typically, many will attend sunrise services and participate in a family dinner on the day or attend an Easter vigil mass on Saturday evening before the holiday.
Other traditions include painting Easter eggs with family and friends, participating in Easter egg hunts and consuming lots of Easter candy, like jelly beans and Peeps marshmallows.
Candy, Easter egg decorating and hunting, as well as visits from the Easter Bunny, have all become Easter traditions. (Anjelika Gretskaia/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Easter bunny is a big part of the holiday traditions as well. The mystical bunny is believed to come with Easter baskets filled with treats for children.
What is the significance of the Easter bunny?
The Easter Bunny has been a tradition for adults and children in the United States for centuries.
The exact origins of the mythical rabbit are unclear but are believed to have some European pagan origins.
The arrival of the Easter Bunny came during the 18th century when German immigrants settled across Pennsylvania and started practicing the egg-laying tradition known as "Oschter Haws."
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The idea was that children would make colored eggs and that the magical creature would deliver them baskets full of candy and other gifts.
Caleb Parke contributed reporting.
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