Easter is next month. What to know about the religious holiday

The Lenten season is in full swing for practicing Christians, which means Easter is coming up. Through prayer, almsgiving and repentance, believers are preparing for the Easter season, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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When is 2024 Easter?

Easter 2024 will be celebrated on Sunday, March 31, for most Christians, predominantly Catholics and Protestants. However, for Orthodox Christians, it falls on Sunday, May 5, according to Greek City Times.

The dates differ because most Christians use the Gregorian calendar, originally introduced in 1582, while the Eastern Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, introduced in 45 BC. On the Gregorian calendar, Easter typically falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

What is Easter?

According to the World History Encyclopedia, Easter is a religious, Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death. Jesus of Nazareth died from crucifixion under the orders of Roman magistrate Pontius Pilate on Good Friday.

As recorded in all four Gospel accounts, when some of the women who’d followed Jesus to Calvary arrived at the tomb on Sunday morning, now recognized as Easter Sunday, to prepare the body for proper burial, the rock had been rolled away and the tomb was empty, according to Harvard University.

What is Holy Thursday? When is Holy Thursday?

Holy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper, will be celebrated on March 28, 2024, according to Catholic Culture. Also known as “Maundy Thursday,” it kicks off the sacred triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The word “maundy” comes from the Latin phrase “mandatum,” meaning commandment, which was spoken at the Last Supper.

The Last Supper refers to the last meal Jesus ate with his disciples prior to his trial and crucifixion, around the time of the Hebrew Passover. During the meal, he used wine and bread to represent his body and blood, blessing it and giving it to his disciples, laying the foundation of what would become the Eucharist, according to Alimentarium. Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples and shared a foreshadowing of Judas’ betrayal at the Garden of Gethsemane.

What is Good Friday? When is Good Friday?

According to Christianity.com, Good Friday is on March 29, 2024. It’s the Friday before Easter, dedicated to commemorating the death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Considered the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus died for the sins of others by crucifixion and was later laid to rest at a nearby tomb.

Scripture says Jesus hung on the cross from noon to 3 p.m., drawing his last breath. A day of mourning, prayer and fasting, Christians often use the three hours of Christ’s death, as well as the day, to reflect and remember God’s love and promise of eternal life. Furthermore, representing hope and new beginnings, even in the darkest moments.

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What is Lent?

Lent is a time of preparation and self-recognition prior to Easter. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the 40-day season is centered around prayer, fasting, almsgiving and reconciliation, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Holy Thursday.

The season emulates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and avoiding the temptations of evil in the desert, as mentioned in the Bible. During Lent, many Christians abstain from meat on Fridays, as well as Ash Wednesday. It is also common for Christians to fast and practice self-discipline in other ways, by abstaining from certain things during the Lenten season or adding additional prayer or acts of service.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Lent is here, and Easter is approaching. What to know about the holiday.