By: Delaney Chase

People all over the world have celebrated Easter since A.D. 30. Easter is a Christian tradition that was first celebrated when Jesus Christ was resurrected on the third day of his death, where he was crucified by the Romans for his beliefs. This makes Easter a very important holiday for Christians, as it is the foundation of their religion. Easter falls on a different date each year, but this year it is on Sunday, April 21.

There are many different Easter traditions celebrated around the world, so The Squire interviewed sophomore Lilee Renninger to learn more about her Easter traditions. She said that her family likes to color Easter eggs. The tradition of decorating colorful eggs came from the celebration of spring. Rebirth and new life are meant to be symbolized after a long winter. This idea also shows a connection to the Easter holiday, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Lilee said this is a tradition that her family has done for a long time that they received from her grandma.

Lilee also included that her family likes to eat ham and mac and cheese for Easter dinner. Many families have special Easter meals for the holiday, with the most popular including ham, deviled eggs, mac and cheese and scalloped potatoes. Some celebrations have each person or family attending bring a dish to share with the rest of the guests, leading to a wide variety of different options.

Lilee also told The Squire that she celebrates the holiday “on Easter Sunday at my house with my family. We always wake up early and look for baskets hidden by the Easter Bunny.” The tradition of the Easter Bunny is somewhat of a mystery, but it is said that it came from German immigrants in the 1700s. Children would make nests for the rabbit to put colored eggs in. The tradition quickly spread across the US and the gifts for the children began to grow to now include candy, chocolate and other gifts. The nests were later replaced with baskets.  Lilee said that her favorite part about Easter was that she gets to spend time with her family. Easter is a great time to have fun with your family and friends.