Easter, one of Christianity's most important days, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion. After Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, his body was taken from the cross and buried in a cave. The tomb was heavily guarded, and a large stone was put in front of the cave's entrance to prevent anyone from disturbing or stealing his body. However, the following Sunday, a group of women worshippers visiting the cave found the tomb empty. Claims of Jesus sightings followed, resulting in the Christian belief that Jesus was resurrected by God.
The earliest recorded observance of an Easter celebration comes from the 2nd century, but the commemoration of Jesus' Resurrection probably occurred earlier. Easter's date is determined each year by the Paschal Full Moon. In 325 AD, the Council of Nice declared "Easter was to fall upon the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Vernal Equinox; and if said full moon fell on a Sunday, the Easter should be the Sunday after." Just like the bunny rabbit, Easter's date hops about over time!
Though today's Easter traditions can be traced back to Christian customs (eggs are a symbol of the Resurrection), they also have roots in pre-Christian festivals celebrating Spring, fertility, rebirth and renewal. Today, Easter is widely celebrated in the United States with hunts for painted eggs supposedly hidden by the Easter Bunny. The painted eggs, Easter Bunny and other symbols of Easter (chicks and ducklings) may be more related to the celebration of Spring than the Christian holiday itself.