Spring Break is upon us, meaning ILS students will be spending time traveling or at home with family and friends commemorating Jesus’ Paschal Mystery. As a Catholic school, the ordinary practices and comprehension of the celebration are vital to ILS students’ education.

“Even though we will be skiing in Breckinridge, Colorado, we will also attend Mass at a local church as a family,” said senior Delfina Pellegrini.

There are many practices commonly held today accompanied with the holiday that resemble the significant moments in the Christian religion. For example, dyeing eggs.

“The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolized new life emerging from the eggshell. In the Orthodox tradition, eggs are painted red to symbolize the blood that Jesus shed on the cross,” according to Britannia.com.

Additionally, it is typical of a Christian family to attend church services on Easter Sunday in recollection of the day’s events.

“Overall, 62% of U.S. Christians say they normally attend religious services on Easter Sunday,” reported pewresearch.org.

“We will attend Easter Mass at the Church of the Little Flower followed by a family brunch where we will also celebrate my dad’s birthday,” said Mr. Anthony Vuono, Physical Education Department Chair.

As it is also customary for families to unite in a meal, the joint meal resembles Jesus’ Last Supper as family gathers similarly to the Apostles in the name of the Lord.

Some dishes in this meal also carry significance for the celebration, such as ham.

Initially, lamb held this weight although due to newly affordable choices for American dinners, ham rose in popularity as its alternative.

“Lamb is actually the more traditional meat offering at Easter, stemming from the sacrificial lamb within Abrahamic religions. In the early years of Christianity, Christians continued many Jewish traditions, which would include the Passover lamb. Ham became popular much later, perhaps as late as the final quarter of the 19th century,” as evidenced in bhg.com.

Lastly, the Easter Vigil services that occur on Holy Saturday are notable practices resembling an important transition between Lent and Easter.

“The Easter Vigil, also known as the Paschal Vigil, is the primordial Christian liturgical rite and celebrates the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion,” as explained in study.com.

Throughout the service there are liturgical readings, Eucharistic celebration, and a service of light.

Taken together it is visible there are many ways Christians honor the sacrifices and triumphs of Jesus’ last days.