Kevin Rack washes the feet of a congregation member at the Catholic Campus Ministry, Newman Center, located on 19th Avenue and Emerald Street on Thursday evening.
With Easter quickly approaching, different people are celebrating in different ways. Depending on a person’s religion, family upbringing or personal views, Sunday may mean chocolate bunnies and Easter egg hunts or a time to celebrate the importance of Christ’s salvation.
“I re-read scriptures in the Bible to remind myself of the significance of the death and resurrection of Christ,” University junior Katie McCleary said.
While it is regarded one of the holiest Christian holidays, the word Easter is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. According to the Christian Web site www.wonderfulworldtomorrow.org, the word comes from Estere, the name of an ancient Teutonic goddess of fertility. Feasts and celebrations took place during the spring, and Estere demanded sacrifices from those who followed her. The Easter symbols of rabbits and eggs are derived from pagan fertility celebrations, which have been traced back to ancient Mesopotamia.
Junior Jin Sook, an international student from Korea, said she thinks Easter is both a secular and religious holiday in the United States.
“In Korea, it is strictly a religious observation,” she said. She said she’s noticed in America that Easter bunnies and springtime often symbolize the Easter holiday, and its religious connotation does not seem to hold as much weight as it does in Korea.
Still, it’s a very symbolic time for many religious denominations in the United States. Lent, a 40-day commitment of sacrifice and fasting, ends on Easter. Holy Week concludes Lent, and according to the Greek Orthodox Church, the week is a day-by-day dedication to observe the teachings of Christ during his final week on earth.
During this week, Catholic Campus Ministry Father Mike Fones said Catholics also observe the Triduum, which began Thursday. He said they chant ancient prayers in Psalms every morning for three days at the University’s Newman Center.
“This is a consecration of time to God,” Fones said. He said in the Catholic tradition, an Easter Vigil takes place outside on Saturday night, as opposed to Sunday morning, when mass takes place. At the Catholic Campus Ministry, there will be a bonfire, singing of the “exsultent,” an ancient hymn, and baptisms of students and non-students.
Fones said Lent is a time to realize the dependency humans have on physical needs. He said its intent is to make people discover what changes should be made in an individual’s life through God.
“It’s important to slow down in life and be more reflective, which is hard for students,” Fones said.
For most Christians, Easter is commonly observed on Sunday morning, either by attending church or getting together as a family. “I’m the only one in my family who wants to go to church on Easter morning, so I usually have to convince them to go with me a month and a half to two months in advance,” sophomore Melissa Collier said.
Kelsi Johns is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.