Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday or Easter Day is the most important day of the year for Christians. It is when they celebrate that three days after being killed, Jesus rose from the dead, sometimes called 'the Resurrection' and defeated evil forever. You can read more about Jesus coming alive again in the Story Section.

A lot of Churches start the Easter Sunday celebrations at Midnight on Easter Eve. Candles are used in churches all over the world to start the Easter Day Midnight celebrations. Candles help Christians to remember that Jesus is the light of the world and that when he rose to life on Easter Day he got rid of the darkness of evil.

In some churches, the service starts in darkness. Then twelve candles are lit and these are taken round the rest of the church lighting the other candles. When a candle is lit the Priest says 'Christ is Risen!' and the congregation respond 'He is Risen Indeed!'. In Greece, fireworks are sometimes used to start the service.

Churches are filled with flowers on Easter Day. These represent new life. Priests wear their best, brightest robes in celebration. If a Church has a model of a tomb in it from Good Friday, it will be empty with the stone rolled away, as it was on the first Easter Day.

Easter Day is the end of Lent and means the end of some people's fasting.

In Italy, the Pope holds a very large Mass or Communion service in St Peter's Square in the Vatican City. Thousands of people from all over the world go to it to celebrate Easter Day.

Lots of Christians also go to Sunrise services held early in the morning to celebrate the start of Easter Day.

Easter Eggs are normally given out on Easter Day. I like the little solid chocolate ones!