Easter 2011 - Good Friday Holiday in Canada

Good Friday marks the death of Jesus Christ according to the Christian religion. It is a fundamental part of Christianity along with the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Monday. Many agree that this is a more important holiday than Christmas because it is the ultimate proof that Jesus is the son of God beacuse he came back from death.

In provinces where Family Day, Islander Day and Louis Riel Day are not observed Good Friday is the first stat holiday after New Years Day.

Easter is a highly commercialized holiday when tons of chocholate is sold in the form of easter eggs and easter bunnies. The Easter Bunny brings a basket full of goodies to children for Easter. Sometimes the gifts are hidden so children have to look for them (egghunt).

Rabbits and eggs are symbols of fertility and were first mentioned in German literature as early as the 1600s.

Yes, this site is about Canadian Statutory Holidays but the owner happens to be from Hungary (me) and I wanted to share an interesting Easter tradition with my readers:

A unique Easter tradition celebrated in Hungary is the sprinkling of women with parfume or cologne on Easter Sunday.

Men and young boys get up very early in the morning and visit women in their families (they are supposed to arrive when women are still sleeping) and sometimes even walk from house to house to visit strangers as well and sprinkle scented water (parfume) on their heads. According to the tradition this keeps the women beautiful until next Easter. First, however, they must recite a "sprikling poem" and ask for permission to sprikle the ladies.

Originally they used buckets of ice cold water and got hand painted eggs and home made cakes in return. Nowdays parfume is used and they get a shot of hard liquor even money.

This was sent to us by Lawrence - thank you!

THE ORIGINS OF EASTER

The month of April was dedicated to Eastre the Anglo-Saxon goddess of offspring and fertility, her symbol being the rabbit. Eggs and rabbits symbolize birth and fertility in many cultures, with eggs decorated in bright colors and given away as gifts. In 325 A.D., at the Council of Nicaea, Emperor Constantine issued the Easter Rule stating that Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25. Nowadays, many Christians, in place of Easter, they celebrate Resurrection Sunday to commemorate that Christ is risen from the dead and He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.

Share your thoughts about Easter with us.

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