GIF MOMENT: Easter 2014

In the United Kingdom, the days from the 18th to the 21st April are the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. I have booked a day off work so that means an impressive five-day long rest, which honestly I badly need. Easter is one of the most important Christian festivals celebrated here, and over much of the world. Children and parents look forward to munching their way through tonnes of chocolate Easter eggs and for many churchgoers it is a time to reflect on the lifetime of their religion’s founder Jesus Christ and his dying and resurrection for mankind’s sins. For the less religious or people of other faiths it is also a time to celebrate the arrival of spring and a chance to welcome longer, sunnier days.

Easter eggs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some Easter facts…..

1. Although Easter is a well-known festival in Christianity, its origins predate the religion. In fact the word ‘Easter’ as used in Anglophone countries is said to come from the name of the Saxon/Germanic fertility goddess Eostre, whose spring festival was celebrated at about the same time as our current Easter.

2. Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after his death. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year.

3. Eggs are popular during Easter due to their significance among Christians as symbols of joy, celebration, new life and resurrection.

4. In Ukraine, people paint real eggs with different colours and patterns based on traditional art after hard-boiling them first. In many parts of the world, people even dye chicks with non-permanent colours.

5. The Easter bunny is an integral part of the festival’s celebrations, but the rabbit that brings tasty eggy delights to good little boys and girls did not make its first appearance until the 1500s. Its first story was not published until 1680.

6. Hot cross buns, which are another staple of Easter in the UK, were originally baked by monks who would distribute them to the poor. The cross on each bun has a religious significance and lends the food its name.

7. Every year before Easter, 90 million chocolate eggs are sold and bought in the U.K.

8. The U.K.’s first chocolate egg was made by Fry’s of Bristol in 1873. The company still exists as a subsidiary and brand-name of manufacturer Cadbury’s.

9.  The tallest chocolate Easter egg ever was made in Italy in 2011. At 10.39 metres in height and 7,200 kg in weight, it was taller than a giraffe and heavier than an elephant.

10. On Easter Sunday in Scotland and north-east England, some people have great fun rolling painted eggs down steep hills. This is also popular in parts of America, but people there push the egg along with a spoon. The White House, the official residence of the US president, organises its own ‘Easter Egg Run’.

The Half-Eaten Mind brings a special GIF celebration of the Easter week with these cool animated images that can be used for greetings or family websites and blogs. Many of them revolve around the theme of eggs and bunny rabbits, which make them especially endearing to the little ones.

The Half-Eaten Mind would like to wish everyone a very HAPPY EASTER in advance!!

(c) Stacy/LoveThisPic

(c) dreamer/profilecomments.com via LoveThisPic

(c) dreamer/GlitterBell.com via LoveThisPic

(c) 9TO5GIFS

(c) RUGU

(c) Candy Shaffer via Super Funny Images

(c) kewlgraphics.com via Pics & Photos

(c) Too Late…

(c) 9TO5GIFS

(c) eclectech.co.uk via Il Divo

SOURCES:

“11 Facts About Easter” – DoSomething.org LINK

“What Is The Meaning Of Easter? 8 Fun Facts You May Not Have Known About Religious Holiday” – Susmita Baral, Latin Times/IBT Media (11 April 2014) LINK

“Pocket Money’s top 10 Easter egg facts!” – Pocket Money, NatWest LINK

IMAGE CREDITS:

“File:Vajicka1.jpg” – Karakal, Wikimedia Commons (16 April 2006) LINK

“Happy Easter” – Stacy, LoveThisPic LINK

“Happy Easter” – dreamer, LoveThisPic LINK

“Happy Easter” – dreamer, LoveThisPic (different picture) LINK

“2014 Easter Gifs” – 9TO5GIFS LINK

“Happy Easter Gifs” – RUGU (4 April 2014) LINK

“IM BUSY DOING CRAFTING” – PICS & PHOTOS LINK

“Happy Easter animation 2014” – Candy Shaffer, Super Funny Images LINK

“Un Paste Fericit!” (A happy Easter) – Theo, TOO LATE… (24 April 2011) LINK

“Easter Animations Free Gifs” – 9TO5GIFS LINK

“IL Divo – A Musical Affair: The Greatest Songs of Broadway Live , on Thursday Feb 27, 2014 – Tokyo, JP – Budokan” – Kinx (comment), IL DIVO – Forums (4 November 2013) LINK

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