WSET.com - ABC13Easter by Matt Ferguson

Spring always brings warmer weather and new beginnings, as well as the opportunity to celebrate Easter Sunday. As many of you know, Easter is one of the most sacred Christian holidays. This is when fellow Christians and I rejoice in the return of Jesus Christ to life after he was crucified. I'm often asked. When is sunrise on Easter Sunday morning? This year's sunrise is exactly at 6:30 a.m. in Central Virginia.

Each year Easter falls at different times in either March or April. So here is how you figure out the date. It is observed on the first Sunday following the occurrence of the full moon after the first day of spring. Therefore, Easter Sunday will always occur between March 22nd and April 25th. This year the full moon occurs Sunday, April 17th, as a result Easter Sunday is April 24th. 

Easter Sunday is decorated using the White Lily. These beautiful flowers bloom around Easter Sunday and are a symbol of the resurrection. When recently researching Easter it was fascinating to learn how bunnies and eggs are linked to the holiday. The word Easter was the name of an Anglo-Saxon goddess who represented hare and egg, hence Easter bunnies and eggs. We've all gotten an Easter basket at one time in our life filled with goodies or for egg hunts, but they originated from Catholic custom. Catholics traditionally made baskets each year to carry Easter dinner to mass to be blessed.

Have a Happy Easter everyone!