Easter is a major Christian holiday celebrating the belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion. For Christians, this resurrection represents victory over death and is the most important event in their faith. Easter falls on a Sunday in spring, though the exact date changes each year based on a traditional calendar formula.

The holiday has accumulated many traditions over centuries. People attend special church services, sometimes at sunrise. Families gather for meals, and children hunt for colored eggs that have been hidden around houses or yards. The Easter Bunny, a folklore character who supposedly delivers baskets of candy and treats, has become part of how many families celebrate. These traditions blend Christian observance with older springtime customs about new life and renewal.

The timing of Easter, always in spring when flowers bloom and animals have babies, connects the holiday's themes of resurrection and new beginnings to the natural world's annual renewal.

Many countries have unique Easter traditions: in Greece, people crack red-dyed eggs together; in Sweden, children dress in costumes; in the Philippines, some reenact the story of Jesus' final days. Whether observed religiously, culturally, or both, Easter marks an important moment in the calendar for billions of people worldwide.