Greek Easter or the American Easter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Greek Easter or the American Easter - Essay Example Easter primarily is the celebration of Jesus' triumph over death and mankind's hope for eternal life. Some of the main features behind the original Easter story are Jesus' execution, his burial and most significantly his rising from death. Christians believe that according to the Scripture, Jesus came back to life three days after his death on the cross, which is observed through the Good Friday, always the Friday before Easter. Through his death, burial and resurrection it is believed that Jesus paid the penalty for his sins and obtained eternal life for all who believe in him. Although it is the celebration of the same truth in history, the methods of celebration differ quiet a bit. In USA the name of this Holy Day is Easter. It is derived from the pagan goddess of dawn, "Eostre". Since Eostre was a pagan goddess, in some churches it is considered inappropriate to refer to this Holy Day with the name of a pagan goddess. However, the word Easter is simply used to refer to this holiday only, with no connotation what so ever with the pagan goddess bared in mind. In most other languages including Greek, Easter is called Pascha, related to the Hebrew word Pesach, for Passover. This is because the early Christians linked this celebration to Passover. Along Along with differences in names there are also differences in the ways this holiday is celebrated. If the holiday is being celebrated in the US, one can expect to see the famous Easter parades. Another famous tradition is of egg hunting for hidden eggs. This became known as the Easter Egg Roll, gaining popularity in the late 1800s. Children rolled eggs on the grounds of the US capitol the congress was not happy about this and outlawed the practice. In 1878, President Hayes and his wife Lucy invited children to roll eggs on the lawn of the White House itself, starting a tradition which still continues today. Another US tradition is the Easter Bunny, in many cultures it is viewed as the bunny as symbol of fertility. The reason behind accepting this view was that centuries ago, Pope Gregory I allowed people to keep pagan symbols such as eggs and bunny as long as they can be recast in Christian terms. In Greece the celebrations truly begin two months before Easter. They start with the festival called Apokria, in which a huge paper mache effigy of Judas is set on fire. The next Monday is called Clean or Ash Monday it is one of the most festive days of the year for the Greeks. Children and parents gather on the hills of Athens and the Greek countryside to fly kites and enjoy picnics and than Lent begins. Holy Thursday is the day when all Greek families prepare dyed red eggs. Tradition says that the Virgin Mother dyed eggs red to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and to celebrate life. This is a big part of the Easter Sunday. On Good Friday flags at homes and government buildings are set at half mast to mark the sorrowful day. Holy Saturday is filled with anticipation of Easter. People gather at town squares and churches and by 11 P.M. the Easter Services start. Large white candles are lit and are carried by everyone. At midnight the church bells ring and the priests announce Christos Anesti (Christ has risen) and fireworks are set off. The celebration contin ues on the Sunday with great Easter feasts. This is brings us

The Calabasas Smoking Ban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Calabasas Smoking Ban - Essay Example their residence) and therefore would greatly reduce their smoking habit. It is such a good move by the city making the ordinance as the reason for smokers to eventually quit smoking. As a result of this, it would no doubt lessen their risks from diseases brought about by smoking. Moreover, I believe that the ordinance has been thoroughly justified through statistics and findings on the effects of the secondhand exposure to smoke. The numbers of death outcome due to the effect of secondhand (or side stream) smoke greatly supports the ordinance which also, I suppose, provides a solid foundation. The figures give explanation for it all and have constructed reasonable argument in defending the ordinance. In my own point of view, this is one of the good reasons that the City Council does not have any opposition to the ordinance. The City of Calabasas is in one way preserving the community. Through the no-smoking ordinance, residents and the public will greatly benefit from it thus making the city a healthy place to live in. The city may be just a small place to be the starting point and the example of a smoke-free place but what the city council has come up with is just and reasonable although to some people think it sounds ridiculous. Well for me, it is not ridiculous.