Easter is coming up and here is everything you need to know.

What is Easter?

This holiday has become one for giving chocolate and the Easter bunny but it is also one of the most important dates on the Christian calendar. The festival celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion.

When is Easter this year?

This year Easter begins on Good Friday (March 30) and last until Easter Monday (April 2), making Easter Sunday the same day as April Fools Day (April 1).

Why does the date change every year?

The date of Easter changes yearly because it all depends on the first full moon after Spring Equinox.

But as the date of full moons varies depending on time zone, the church uses the 14th day of the lunar month instead and hosts Easter Day the following Sunday.

Why do we celebrate the most on Easter Sunday?

Because Jesus is said to have risen from the dead on a Sunday following being crucified on a Friday.

Do we get time off work?

Yes Good Friday and Easter Monday are both bank holidays so we all get a lovely long Easter weekend.

How can I celebrate?

Christians will go to church on Easter Sunday. Other ways of celebrating including giving chocolate Easter eggs, having Easter egg hunts and having family meals.

When are the school holidays?

Most schools will have their Easter break between March 30 and April 13, although some may have a longer break depending on whether they have inset or teacher training days.

Where did the tradition of giving Easter eggs come from?

Eggs at Easter comes from a pagan tradition, as they symbolise new life at the start of spring.

With the rise of Christianity, the church adapted many pagan customs and the egg, as a symbol of new life, came to represent the resurrection of Jesus.

Some Christians also regarded the egg as a symbol for the stone being rolled from the sepulchre behind which Jesus was laid to rest.