Fun Facts
Good Friday occurs two days before Easter. What is the name for the day before Good Friday?
Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday
Gregory the Great sent Augustine of Rome on a mission to convert the English in 595 A.D. He told Augustin, "wherever possible superimpose Christian teaching on heathen festivals." Most changed their names eventually, e.g. Winter Solstice became "Christ Mass". Which one did not change its name?
Easter!
What Christian leader first suggested the idea of Lent?
Pope Gregory the Great
What are some rules about Lent and eating?
In the Catholic tradition, followers should not eat meat from any warm-blooded animal during Lent. This rule has been relaxed to “You can’t eat meat on Fridays.” Christians CAN eat fish or other cold-blooded animals. This is why we see fast-food restaurants have sales for their fish sandwiches during Lent.
What percentage of Americans celebrate Easter in some way? 40%, 60%, 80%?
80%
Did coloring Easter eggs begin as a church tradition, or is it a much older pagan practice?
Pagan
What event in the Gospels was Lent supposed to honor?
Jesus 40 days of temptation in the wilderness
When does Lent end?
Not Easter but Holy Thursday
For Americans who celebrate Easter, how much will they spend per person on the holiday? $50? $100? $150?
$150
In the 7th century, the Venerable Bede, an English monk, wrote of where the name Easter came from in De Temporum Ratione (AD 725) . Where did he say it originated?
Eostre, a pagan goddess of the spring
How long is Lent?
It consists of the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Sundays are not counted as part of Lent. Therefore, there are 46 days of Lent. Lent was originally 36 days - making the whole Lentin period 40 days long.
According to Medieval church tradition, and common Catholic practice - how much can you eat when fasting?
One regular meal and two small meals
When was the first record of a rabbit hiding Easter eggs recorded? 480? 1680? 1880?
1680 in Germany
Beginning in 1885, Russian Czars began commissioning enameled eggs to give to their family at Easter. What is the name of the eggs?
Faberge
Why are Christians focused on the 40 day count for Lent?
40 is a significant number for Christians. Jesus spent 40 days in a desert. Noah had to wait 40 days for his ark to float. And Moses, along with his followers, traveled through the wilderness for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land.
What is the number one vice Christians in America abstain from every year during Lent?
Chocolate
In English speaking countries, the celebration holiday for Christ's resurrection is called Easter. Lesser known today, but a historically common name for Easter is what? Hint: it is related to Passover
Pascha
In the fourth century, Christians named Good Friday a holy day. But around 100 AD Christians began to do this to honor Christ on Good Friday. What is it?
Fasting
Where does the word Lent come from?
Lente is a middle English word mean 'springtime'
How do we know when Easter is every year?
Based on the traditional Jewish calendar - the Pashal, or Passover, full moon. Easter will fall between March 22 and April 25. There are mathematical formulas you can use to determine when Easter will fall in any year.