Easter is an important Christian holiday that celebrates Jesus Christ’s return to life following his crucifixion. On this day, Christians dress up to attend church services and then return home for a big family meal.

Easter is not a fixed date, but rather falls on the Sunday immediately following the first full moon of spring, sometime between March 22 and April 25. Thus, Easter is known as a “movable feast.” There is some debate about the origins of the name, but one explanation is that it comes from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring and fertility. Indeed, Easter celebrates not only the return of Christ, but also the rebirth of nature in the spring.

Similar to Christmas, Easter has become a popular holiday among non-Christians, and has its own special symbols. Among these, the Easter egg, representing fertility, is the most prevalent. Children dye hard-boiled eggs different colors, and adults then hide them around the house or yard for an exciting Easter egg hunt. Another favorite activity is an Easter egg roll, in which children use spoons to roll Easter eggs through the grass. Each year, the South Lawn of the White House is the setting for the most famous Easter egg roll of all. And no Easter morning would be complete without an Easter basket filled with jellybeans, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks, personally delivered by the friendly Easter Bunny, of course. He always ensures that everyone has a very “hoppy” Easter！

復活節是重要的基督教節日，慶祝耶穌基督在被釘死於十字架後重獲生命。在這一天，基督徒會盛裝打扮參加教堂禮拜，然後回家享用家庭大餐。復活節沒有固定日期，而是落在春天第一次滿月後那個星期天，三月二十二日至四月二十五日之間。因此，復活節也被稱為「移動的盛宴」。Easter 一名的起源有些爭議，其中一種說法是它衍生自日耳曼掌管春天及繁殖的女神 Eostre。的確，復活節不只是慶祝耶穌重生，也歡慶大自然在春天重生。

一如耶誕節，復活節也逐漸受到非基督徒歡迎，且有自己獨特的象徵。其中，代表繁殖的 「復活節彩蛋」最為風行。孩子們會把煮熟的白煮蛋染成不同顏色，而後大人會把蛋藏在房屋或院子四周，讓孩子進行刺激的「復活節尋彩蛋」。另一項備受喜愛的活動是復活節滾蛋，孩子們拿湯匙把復活節彩蛋滾過草地。每一年，白宮的南草坪是最知名的復活節滾蛋賽場。而沒有裝滿豆豆糖、巧克力小兔和棉花糖小雞的復活節籃子，復活節早晨就不完整-那當然是親切的復活節兔子親自送來的。有了他，人人保證都能有個「歡躍」的復活節！

關於『復活節』....

• 復活節是哪一天

春分後初次月圓的第一個星期日

基督教分為許多派別，各派對復活節的計算方式不盡相同，但一般都會落在三月二十二日至四月二十五日間。

• 復活節的由來

慶祝耶穌復活

相傳耶穌被釘上十字架時(這一天是星期五)，預言自己將於第三天復活。三天後耶穌復活(這一天是星期日，星期日因此被稱做「主日」)，這個特別的主日就是復活節，而之前的那個星期五則被稱做 Good Friday。

• 復活節的彩蛋

蛋是新生命的象徵

遠在古希臘、羅馬時代，人們就開始相互送蛋來慶祝春天萬物復甦，而基督徒則延續了這項傳統，拿蛋當作復活節的象徵。至於裝飾復活節彩蛋 (Easter egg)，則是到了中世紀才開始的習俗。

• 復活節兔

兔子的繁殖力旺盛，是春天生命力的絕佳代表

時至今日，每逢復活節，大人除了會為小孩準備復活節彩蛋，還會買巧克力蛋、藏有糖果的塑膠蛋藏在花叢或草地裡，讓小孩玩找彩蛋 (Easter egg hunt) 的遊戲。文中提到的PAAS Easter Egg Color 是美國彩蛋顏料、工具知名品牌，它的網站上提供許多繪製彩蛋的方法及找彩蛋遊戲的點子。

相傳從前有一位貧窮的德國婦人把復活節彩蛋籃 (Easter basket) 藏在草叢裡，當小朋友找到那個籃子時，一隻小兔子從裡面跳出來，小朋友都以為彩蛋是兔子帶來的，故事傳開之後，復活節兔 (Easter Bunny) 就成為復活節的象徵之一了。每到復活節，美國到處都聽得到一首名為 Peter Cottontail 的歌曲，歌詞就是一隻叫做彼得的野兔帶糖果和彩蛋給小孩的故事。