The Easter Holiday season. I still remember my grandmother’s voice: “You are NOT wearing last year’s dress to Easter service.” Every spring, my three cousins — stairstep close in age — went through the same ritual. New dresses, sometimes stitched by my grandmother herself, sometimes made by a seamstress my Godmother Frankie hired special, just like she did every Christmas for me. And don’t even get me started on finding the right pair of white patent shoes to go with it. Weeks of planning for one Sunday morning.
My parents were florists, and Easter was one of their busiest seasons — they’d work late into the night delivering flowers to homes and churches all around town, right up until the last minute before service. Looking back, I think they always wished we could’ve just packed up and taken a family vacation instead. But that’s the thing about Easter — somewhere between the new outfits, the church pews, and the family lunch after, it becomes less about any one tradition and more about all of it stitched together.
What Easter Is Really About
For most of us, Easter is a holiday we’ve known since childhood — whether through faith, family tradition, or just growing up around it. For those with a Christian background, the story is a familiar one: Jesus’s trial, crucifixion, burial, and — on the third day — his resurrection from the dead.
According to the King James Bible, that story is told a little differently by each of the four Gospel writers — Matthew (27:1-54), Mark (15:1-40), Luke (23:1-48), and John (19:1-30), who is said to have been especially close to Jesus. Each version carries its own details, but together they tell of a man who knew what was coming — betrayal, death, and resurrection — and who taught and told parables all the way through it
Religious-The Easter Story
The Story, Simply Told
Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples, Judas, for thirty pieces of silver — a kiss was the signal that told the guards which man to arrest. He was tried and convicted, though Pilate, the governor, said he could find no fault in him. Jesus was made to wear a crown of thorns, forced to carry his cross to the hill of his crucifixion, and nailed to it by his hands and feet. After his death, he was laid in a borrowed tomb, with guards posted outside for fear that someone might try to steal the body.
On the third day, several women came to the tomb to properly prepare his body — there was no embalming in those days. They found the guards asleep, and the stone rolled away. An angel was there and asked them, “Why seek the living among the dead? He is not here — he has risen.” And so the story goes: on the third day, Jesus rose from the grave, which is the very foundation of the Christian faith. I’ve given you the actual verses so you can read the full account for yourself if you’d like.
On the third day, three ladies came to wash the body of Jesus. There was no embalming during those days. Arriving, the guards were asleep, and the boulder rolled away from the entrance. An angel was there. The angel asked, “Why seek the living among the dead ?” “Jesus is no longer here. He has risen to be with the Father. “Go tell everyone.” And on the third day Jesus arose, defeating death, Hell, and the grave to be on the right hand of the Father in Heaven! I have given you the verses so that you can read them for yourself.
What About the Bunny, the Eggs, and the Candy?
Here’s a fun one — none of that has anything to do with the Easter story itself.
That side of the holiday traces back to older pagan spring celebrations centered around the goddess Eostre, honoring renewal, rebirth, and new growth. Her symbols were the hare and the egg. As Christianity spread, it’s believed some of these older spring traditions blended in alongside the Crucifixion celebration — though historians will tell you that’s more educated guess than documented fact.
The colored eggs specifically come from German tradition, tied to a figure called the “Oschter Haws,” or Easter hare, who was said to lay a nest of colored eggs as a reward for good children. Again — nothing to do with the resurrection story itself, just two traditions that ended up sharing a calendar date, likely brought over to the U.S. by German immigrants and blended into one big spring holiday over time. The answer is no it has nothing to do with the Easter story.
The history says that a pagan belief centered around spring and the goddess Eostre. Celebrated for renewal, rebirth, fertility, and growth. Eostre’s symbols were often the hare and the egg. Possibly, as Christianity came into popularity, and missionaries mixed the pagan celebration with the Crucifixion. But there is no proof of this, just speculation.
The colored eggs are from the German culture. They have something called “Oschter Haws” or Easter hare. As the story goes, the hare lays a nest of colored eggs and delivers them to children a reward for their goodness. But again, having nothing to do with the Crucifixion or Easter Story. This just seems to happen around the same time, and they somehow got mixed up. Probably in the USA by the German immigrants bringing their traditions to us, and they celebrated as one holiday.
A Little Trivia
Ever wonder why Easter lands on a different Sunday every year? It’s tied to the lunar calendar — specifically, the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. That’s why the date can shift by weeks from one year to the next.
Wrapping Up From The Front Porch
However you celebrate — church pews and new shoes, egg hunts and chocolate bunnies, or a quiet family dinner — I hope this Easter brings your family a little of what it always brought mine: a reason to slow down and be together.
If you’re planning an Easter meal this year, take a look at our recipes with wine pairings for a few ideas to round out the table. And if your family’s dreaming of a getaway this spring, check out Traveling for Less for some budget-friendly ways to make it happen.
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