When Is Easter 2017? Dates For Good Friday, Easter Sunday ... - Metro

It will soon be time for us all to tuck in to chocolate eggs, as Easter is just around the corner.

The date is set to fall in the middle of April this year, rather than late March as it was last year.

The Christian festival symbolises new beginnings, and many animals begin mating rituals to bring new life to the countryside.

Of course, it is also a public holiday – making it the perfect time for family to spend quality time together.

Here is everything you need to know about the chocolate-filled celebration.

When is Easter 2017?

Easter falls on Sunday 16 April this year, meaning Good Friday will fall on April 14 and Easter Monday will be on April 17.

As with every year, both the Friday and the Monday are public holidays.

What is Easter all about?

Although Easter egg hunts and eating your weight in chocolate might be what most people do around Easter time, the public holiday is actually the day Jesus is said to have risen from the dead.

This is a huge celebration for Christians, not only because Jesus came back to them, but also because his return demonstrated that there must be an afterlife.

On Easter Sunday itself, the bible tells how Mary Magdalene visited Jesus’s tomb and discovered that the stone entrance had been removed – as he had come back to life.

Why is the day called Easter?

There isn’t actually a reference to Easter in the bible – neither is there a reference to Christmas – so the origins of the word are thought to have come much later.

Some believe that the name ‘Easter’ comes from Pagan times when the goddess of fertility and spring – ‘Eastra’ – was worshipped.

Others believe the word dates back to the Frankish church who celebrated the ‘alba’ (sunrise) when honouring Christ’s resurrection, a word that translates as ‘Ostern’ in German.

Some have suggested that this word then evolved into ‘Easter’.

How is Easter celebrated?

Christians celebrating Easter are likely to attend an Easter sermon, enjoy a meal with family and receive chocolate eggs.

Eggs symbolise new life and are eaten during Easter to symbolise the life given to Jesus after his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The shape of the egg also looks like a tomb – and the cracked egg symbolises Jesus’ empty tomb.

Eating eggs was forbidden during the Holy Week, and instead they were saved, decorated and gifted to children.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that the first chocolate eggs appeared in France and Germany, and this tradition has now carried on.

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How can I get involved?

You can visit your local church for their Easter sermon.

Easter Egg hunts are also a popular activity – some of the best ones can be found here.

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