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For Christians this is the Holiest Week of the year. It is the week in which they memorialized the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The week begins on Palm Sunday, in which readings from the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John are reflected upon. Palm Leaves are given and many processions are enacted which carry out the arrival of Christ to the city of Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. The Bible reveals that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds greeted him with waving palm branches, and by covering his path with palm branches
The next day of the week for reflection is Thursday. It is known by the following names Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries. It is the holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. It is the fifth Day of Holy week. During services on this day the institution of Communion is reflected upon, along with the beginnings of the priesthood and call to service. At the end of this service many people institute a practice called Tenebrae. It is the practice of extinguishing lights and candles and covering of statues and paintings. This is the reflection of mourning the capture of Christ in the Garden.
The Sixth day of Holy Week brings us to Good Friday. Good Friday is often called by the names Holy Friday, Black Friday, and Great Friday. It is based on the scriptural details of the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, and the sentencing to death by Crucifixion by Pontius Pilate.
There are many different ways in which this day is noted during the week. It should be noted that for the Roman Catholic the churches are stripped bare as to note the death of Christ and the place where they keep their communion is left open and bare. Some Baptist, Pentecostal, many Sabbatarian and non-denominational churches oppose the observance of Good Friday, instead observing the Crucifixion on Wednesday to coincide with the Jewish sacrifice of the Passover Lamb (which Christians believe is an Old Testament pointer to Jesus Christ). A Wednesday Crucifixion of Jesus Christ allows for Christ to be in the tomb (”heart of the earth”) for three days and three nights as he told the Pharisees he would be (Matthew 12:40), rather than two nights and a day if he had died on a Friday.
The final day of Holy Week culminates on the most important. It is Easter Sunday. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Some Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday two days after Good Friday and three days after Maundy Thursday.
There are many traditions tied into the tradition of Easter Sunday. Easter eggs or spring eggs are special eggs given to celebrate the Easter holiday or springtime. The egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. The Easter Bunny was created much later as simple childhood entertainment and is not claimed by any religious reasoning. It is often a time in which new clothes are worn. This is symbolic of welcoming in the new season of life.
