Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Christianity, was a Jew living in 1st Century Palestine. Jesus taught many things that challenged the religious and political power of the day. Eventually he was captured and executed. Good Friday commemorates the Crucifixion, the horrific method of execution used by the Romans, who hung him on a cross until he was dead.
The followers of Jesus believed that he rose again on the following Sunday. The believers began to share their faith throughout the Roman world. Easter, like many pagan festivals of the Romans, became a Christian holiday celebrating the Resurrection.
While Christmas is a much bigger holiday in terms of secular, commercial and cultural impact, many Christians feel that Good Friday and Easter Sunday are more integral to their faith.
Find out more:
- BBC: Good Friday
- BBC: Holy Week
- History.Com: Easter
- PBS: From Jesus to Christ
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 10 Fascinating Easter Traditions from Around the World
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