by Veronica Bergschneider

Created on: April 17, 2009

Resurrection, or Easter Sunday, represents the holiest day on the Christian calendar. On this day, the faithful believers celebrate Jesus Christ's rising from the dead after having been crucified for the sins of the world. The methods of rejoicing in Christ's triumphant resurrection vary as widely as the families and cultures if the believers.

Many families, especially in the Protestant faiths, rise early and head off to a Sunrise Service at their churches. Those who choose to start the day this way often claim that it really recalls the arrival of Mary Magdalene and the other women at the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning when the angels proclaimed His rising. Many churches hold these services outdoors so the people gathered there can appreciate the full beauty of nature as the sun's rising symbolizes for them the resurrection of Christ.

Other families choose instead to arise for a special breakfast before attending traditional Easter services inside the church. No matter which type of worship people like, there is always special music at Easter time, including anthems by the church choir. This music generally has a much more upbeat feel than the hymns sung during the preceding Lenten season since the faithful now can cast off their reflection and repentance as they show full joy in the Resurrection. After the solemnity of Lent, the word "Alleluia," and its original form, "Hallelujah," rise along with Jesus to help us praise the glory of God our Father who caused it all to happen.

Many celebrations of Resurrection Sunday center around food. Some churches host a special breakfast between the Sunrise and regular services of worship. Families, especially those who attend church later in the morning, often gather for special lunches or suppers. Traditionally, after the Lenten discipline of fasting, and for some, eating seafood at least on Fridays to commemorate some of the Apostles having been fishermen, these Easter meals involve meats such as ham or turkey, Larger families generally have a potluck supper where each person brings his or her special side dish or dessert to the house of the host, who provides the meat. Other people may even gather during the day with a group of friends who had given up the same food item for Lent as part of their discipline to collectively break the fast.

Quite often, celebrations of Easter focus on the children, who go hunting for either a basket full of goodies or some eggs. Traditionally, families dyed eggs on Good Friday

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