Major festival of the Christian church year, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion.

It falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25, depending on the date of the first full moon after the spring equinox. This date fixed after the Council of Nicaea (AD 325).

A joyful festival and a time of redemption, Easter brings an end to the long period of penance that constitutes Lent. The word is sometimes said to have been derived from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring, but other origins of the term more closely associated with Christian traditions have been proposed.

Easter has acquired a number of religious and popular customs. The Easter worship service is one of the high points of the Christian calendar, and since the late 2nd century Easter has also been a time for baptism.

The painting of eggs and tales of a rabbit who decorates and hides eggs are among the folk customs associated with the holiday.