Religious Festivals Of Passover And Easter example essay topic

Passover & Easter Christianity and Judaism are the few examples of religions that are originated from Western Traditions. These religions take different approaches to representational art and iconography which is found in their religious festivals. The Christian celebration of Easter and the Jewish Passover differentiate in their approaches to these icons in the history, the celebration and the symbols used during the commemoration of these holidays. Passover and Easter have many hidden representational art and iconography that are reflected in the historical stories behind Judaism and Christianity. For Jewish people, the Exodus story narrated the Israelite's liberation from slavery in Egypt which dates back to the 13th century BC. The story begins with a Shepard named Moses who hears God calling his name in the form of a burning bush.

God tells Moses to return to Egypt and demand Pharaoh to let his people go. Many Jews believed that the burning bush represented the Israelite people in bondage, and the fire symbolized the forces of persecution that the Egyptians exercised on their Jewish ancestors (Holiday Celebrations). Just like the bush being burnt, but not consumed, the Israelites were being tormented but refused to perish from Egyptian's oppression. Due to the Pharaoh's unwillingness to free the Israelites, God delivered upon the Egyptians ten plagues; water turning into blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locust, darkness, and death of the first born (Exod.

7-14). In a sense, these plagues represented God's almighty power over the Egyptian gods. Each plague was an attack on a particular Egyptian god. Moreover, not only was God's purpose to reduce Pharaoh's resistance and free the Israelites with the plagues, it also displayed God's power conquering over the Egyptian gods; proving He is the one true God (Holiday Celebrations). Because of the plagues, Pharaoh finally surrendered and freed the Israelites from slavery. For Christians, the story of Jesus' resurrection is celebrated on a holiday known as Easter.

The narration begins with Jesus being arrested for exclaiming that He was the Son of God. He was taken to the Roman governor, Pilate, who delivered Him to be crucified. The soldiers took Jesus away and cast a crown of thorns on His head and a reed on His right hand (Matt. 27: 28-30). To Christians, the crown of thorns and the reed symbolizes Jesus' Passion and reminds them of the soldier's mockery to Him (Curtis). When Jesus arrived to Golgotha, He was nailed to the cross and soon after dies.

The symbol of Jesus' crucifixion is what Christians live by. It represents Jesus sacrificing his life to save humanity from their evil sins. When He died, He was taken down from the cross and was buried in a tomb, where He resurrected into Heaven and was seated at the right Hand of God. Jesus' resurrection symbolizes two things. First, it proves to Christians that Jesus is the Son of God (Curtis).

In the Bible, Paul affirmed that Christ is declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1: 4). Second, Jesus' resurrection represented an assurance that all of humanity is saved and forgiven for their sins (Curtis). Passover and Easter also have representational art and iconography that are displayed in how the religious festivals are celebrated by Jewish people and Christians. Jewish people celebrate Passover with a ritual dinner called Seder, which represents the meal that the Israelites ate before fleeing Egypt (Oxtoby 123). In a Passover Seder, the head of the family begins the ceremony by sanctifying the holiday with a Qiddush, or benediction, over a cup of wine (Tobias 88).

While reciting a prayer, raw vegetables dipped in vinegar, a shank bone and a hard-boiled egg are presented to the family members. Then, a second cup of wine is poured and at this time, the Passover liturgy, or Haggadah, begins (Oxtoby 124). The Haggadah starts with the youngest child asking four questions. One by one, family members answers these questions to give a spiritual interpretation of the Exodus story and to keep the sacred Jewish tradition alive (Tobias 88). When all have eaten, a third cup of wine is poured to express their thanks to God. When the dinner comes to a conclusion, a fourth cup of wine is poured to end the Seder and to acknowledge God's loving Providence (Tobias 89).

Similarly, Easter is a Christian holiday that commemorates the disciples' experience on the morning after the Sabbath when Jesus resurrected (Oxtoby 221). The six week period that comes before Easter is called Lent. During Lent, abstinence from eating meat or giving up other pleasures is practiced. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent starts. It is a time of wild partying - the last opportunity for merrymaking and excessive indulgence in food and drink before fasting begins (Oxtoby 220). For Roman Catholics, some celebrate Shrove Tuesday by holding carnivals and eating pancakes.

The day when Lent begins is known as Ash Wednesday. Christians' foreheads are marked with the ashes of palm leaves to begin their journey into Lent (Oxtoby 220). The last Sunday of Lent is known as Palm Sunday. Christians remember this day because it recalls the foliage that decorated Jesus' route into Jerusalem as He began the last week of His life (Oxtoby 221). The Thursday of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday because it was the day that Jesus had His "Last Supper" with his disciples (Oxtoby 221). Good Friday was a solemn day when Jesus dies on the cross for all of humanity's sins.

Today, church services on Good Friday mimic the approximation time of Jesus death and give thanks to his time on earth and his resurrection (Oxtoby 221). The religious festivals of Passover and Easter each have their own traditional symbols used. These iconographies and representational art is what makes these holidays unique and special. For Jews, the food that they eat during the Passover Seder has many representations.

The unleavened bread symbolizes the departure of Moses and the Israelites from Egypt and the Hebrew's suffering while in bondage (Oxtoby 124). The shank bone symbolizes the Paschal lambs and the hard-boiled egg that is roasted in a flame symbolizes the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem (Tobias 88). Another representation in the Seder is the bitter herbs that are dipped in crushed fruits and wine. This symbolizes that freedom and spiritual progress are the reward of suffering and sacrifice (Tobias 88). The vinegar that is used to dip the raw vegetables symbolizes the tears of the slaves (Tobias 88). Finally, the four wines that are poured throughout the Seder remind us of the four promises God made to Moses (Tobias 89).

For Christians, two of the most famous iconographies of Easter are the egg and the hare. Eggs, which were formerly forbidden to eat during Lent symbolizes new life and resurrection. The hare, on the other hand, symbolizes fertility in Ancient Egypt (Tobias 210). Later in North America, the concept of the Easter rabbit and children seeking decorated eggs were developed.

This notion symbolizes fertility and periodicity of both human and lunar (Tobias 211). Both religious festivals, Passover and Easter, have different approaches to representational art and iconography that is found in Western religions such as Judaism and Christianity. These art and icons are vital resources in portraying each religion apart from one another. Without these important elements, the diversity of different religions that make up the spectrum of the religious world would cease to exist and all appreciation for individuality would be lost.

Bibliography

Curtis, Barbara. "Celebrating Jesus' Resurrection". The Plain Truth Online. 1999.
Far stad, Arthur. The New King James Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1979.
Holiday Celebrations. "Passover on the Net". Studio Melizo. 2004.
Tobias, R.C. "Easter". The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 4,210-211. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1768. Tobias, R.C. "Passover". The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 9, 88-89. Oxtoby, G. Willard. World Religions: Western Religions. Canada: Oxford University Press, 2002.