Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus' resurrection. Along with
Christmas, Easter is considered one of the oldest and most
joyous days on the Christian calendar. Religious services and
other Easter celebrations vary throughout the regions of the
world and even from country to country. In the United States,
many "sunrise services" are held outside on Easter morning.
These early services are symbolic of the empty tomb that was
found early that Sunday morning and of Jesus' arrival in
Jerusalem before sunrise on the Sunday of his resurrection: "Do
not be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the
Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See
the place where they laid him." (Mark 16:6, NIV) It is important
to understand that Easter was not celebrated or mentioned in the
Bible. Rather, the three-day period from Good Friday through
Easter Sunday has become a traditional observance of when
Christians believe that the crucifixion, burial and resurrection
of Christ occurred.