Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days after his crucifixion, and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day, or Easter Sunday, two days after Good Friday. The year of his death and resurrection is variously estimated between the years 26 and 36 AD. Easter signifies new hope and fresh starts. For Christians, Easter signifies the divinity of Jesus when he rose from the dead. For others, Easter is also special as it signifies the end of the cold winter and opens to the new life of spring. This is why Easter rituals consist of worship and afterwards, celebration. One common ritual followed during Easter is the Easter mass. This is followed by egg hunts, luncheon and fun programs for the family. Parents, girls and boys wear their best dresses and suits during the festive holiday. With the arrival of spring comes the celebration of the Easter holiday - a time of significant religious remembrance and seasonal celebration. As part of Easter - whether you celebrate it religiously or not - children are visited by the Easter bunny, a mythical figure that delivers baskets of chocolates and treats to be found on Easter morning. The Easter basket, therefore, is an object that is integral to celebrating Easter with children - a symbol of the holiday that has endured for generations. Easter as a holiday is the result of many different cultures and religions combined. The history of the Easter basket has a similar lineage. Some of the origins are from ancient pagan customs, some stem from a Judeo Christian background. Easter Gift baskets make great gifts because of their versatility. They can be personalized to each recipient's particular tastes, can be designed around particular themes, and their presentation makes them a delight to receive. Easter baskets grew out of the more out of modern traditions and symbology of Christianity. To Christians, Easter represents the resurrection of Christ. Lent is the season that proceeds Easter and lasts for forty six days prior to Easter Sunday. This season of Lent is begun on Fat Tuesday. This is the last time to party before the season of lent. During the Lent season, Christians believe you must give up something and fast until after Easter. The fast can include giving up meat, eggs, and dairy. The custom of having a large Easter supper represents the end of the Lenten fast. In more ancient times, this large feast was brought to the church in large baskets, hence the connection to treats in Easter Fruit baskets today. This basket was blessed by the clergy much like the ancient Hebrews brought their first seedlings to the temple to be blessed. The Easter basket is a symbol of the holiday it celebrates. Many children receive a new basket each Easter - filled with the treats popular at the time. Other children have a special Easter basket that they use year to year - bringing it out each Easter to be filled by the Easter bunny. Surely, the Easter basket will be enjoyed by the children when they see how prettily decorated it is, and the colorful Fruits inside!
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