Easter is a time of springtime festivals. The Easter we celebrate today is a combination of different traditions. Partly, it comes from old festivals to celebrate Spring. And partly it comes from the Christian celebration of the rebirth of Jesus Christ. Most people agree that the word "Easter" comes from the Anglo-Saxon Goddess Eastre, a symbol of Spring. It is easy to see how" Eastre time" became "Easter time".

As a chief Christian festival, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the 1st day of Spring. It can be as early as March 22, or as late as April 25! Many dates of the Christian calendar are dependent on Easter. The celebrations of Easter have many customs and legends that have nothing to do with Christianity.

Of all the symbols associated with Easter, the egg, the symbol of richness and new life, is the most important. The customs and traditions of using eggs have been associated with Easter for centuries. Originally，Easter eggs were painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring and were used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts. After they were colored and printed with various designs, the eggs were exchanged by lovers and romantic admirers. In the Middle Ages, eggs were traditionally given at Easter to the servants. In Germany, eggs were given to children along with other Easter gifts.

參考中文譯文

復(fù)活節(jié)是春季的節(jié)日。當(dāng)今世人所慶祝的復(fù)活節(jié)實際上融合了多種古老的傳統(tǒng)。它一部分來自古老的迎春佳節(jié)，一部分源于基督教徒紀(jì)念耶穌基督復(fù)活的儀式。多數(shù)人認(rèn)為“復(fù)活節(jié)”一詞源于盎格魯撒克遜人所信奉的女神EASTRE，她是春天的象征。這樣，就不難理解“女神EASTRE的節(jié)日”如何演變?yōu)楝F(xiàn)今“EASTER”一詞了。??

復(fù)活節(jié)是重要的基督教節(jié)日，每年春分((3月21日)過后，第一次月圓后的第一個星期日就是復(fù)活節(jié)。它的具體時間可早在3月22日，亦可晚至4月25日?；浇探虤v的許多重要日子都與復(fù)活節(jié)的具體日期有關(guān)。復(fù)活節(jié)節(jié)慶活動的許多習(xí)俗與傳說都與基督教無關(guān)。

在所有與復(fù)活節(jié)有關(guān)的象征性事物中，復(fù)活節(jié)彩蛋最為重要，它象征著富饒與新生。涉及彩蛋的習(xí)俗與傳統(tǒng)成為復(fù)活節(jié)節(jié)慶活動的組成部分，已有數(shù)百年的歷史。起初，復(fù)活節(jié)彩蛋被涂上鮮艷的色彩，象征春天的陽光，并被用于滾彩蛋比賽或作為饋贈的禮物。戀人們和迷戀浪漫的人們將彩蛋涂上色彩并繪成各式圖案后相互交換。中世紀(jì)，主人習(xí)慣在復(fù)活節(jié)將彩蛋賜予仆人。在德國，大人們將彩蛋連同其他復(fù)活節(jié)禮物一起送給孩子們。

?