Easter, the principal festival of the Christian church,  celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion. This year, Easter falls on April 1, 2018.

But what exactly is the history behind Easter Sunday?

According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested by the Roman authorities, essentially because he claimed to be the “Son of God.” The Romans saw this as a threat to their kingdom.

According to ancientorigins.net, Jesus was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate, in the province of Judea from 26 to 36 A.D. Jesus’ death by crucifixion is marked by the Christian holiday Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), and his resurrection proved that he was the living son of God. The New Testament states that those who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection are given “the gift of eternal life,” meaning that those of faith will be welcomed into the “Kingdom of Heaven” upon their earthly death.

Usually Easter begins with Lent (a 40 day period of fasting). The last week of Great Lent is referred to as Palm Week, and it ends with Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, which ends on Easter.

Easter is associated with the Jewish holiday, Passover. Passover commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection occurred around the time of the Jewish Passover

Nowadays, Easter has become commercialized and mixed with non-christian traditions like the Easter Bunny, Easter parades and hunting for Easter eggs, but for Christian’s, Easter is a significant holiday.

According to senior Samantha Michael, her “family always goes to her churchs’ Easter service at 6am.” It is something that she has always done since she was little. Sophomore Kelly Igwe, said that although she isn’t “religious,” she loves participating in her “family easter egg hunt.” Sophomore Kaitlyn Smith says that she “gave up meat for lent” and that “she is really excited for Easter Sunday.”