Greetings On-Line Family from Susan Mangatal and all of us at Arious Entertainment - susan@ariousentertainment.us

Happy Easter To all of you and may you and your family enjoy this special and holy season.  This blessed time is for the faithful to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of the Savior.  It is  also a magical time for children as they enjoy chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks and jelly bean-filled Easter Eggs.

This joyful Easter holiday season fills us with hope, joy, warmth and new birth.  It is a time for a second chance and to make things right...to repent.  A time to cleanse our heart, our mind, our spirit and our soul and begin new again with new hope, new meaning and new dreams!   

Easter is a time of springtime festivals. However, traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter Rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored Easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring and used in Easter Egg hunts and rolling contests or actually, given as gifts.  

Today, Easter is not only a Christian holiday, but a holiday for many with deep liturgical and traditional significance.  Indeed, Christians celebrate Easter as the religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ - the son of God.  However, the celebrations of Easter have many customs and legends that are pagan in origin and have nothing to do with Christianity. Scholars, accepting the derivation proposed by the 8th-century English scholar St. Bede, believe the name Easter is thought to come from the Scandinavian "Ostra" and the Teutonic "Ostern" or "Eastre," both Goddesses of mythology signifying spring and fertility whose festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox.

"The story of Easter is one of persecution and rebirth, making it the central experience of the Christian belief system. On the Friday before Easter, Christians believe that Jesus was executed by crucifixion. His body is believed to have been removed from the cross and buried in a guarded cave, with a large boulder blocking the entrance.

Tradition continues that the Sunday after Jesus was crucified his gravesite was visited by faithful women (Jesus' mother the Virgin Mary may have been among them) who discovered that the cave was empty. Later that day and for several days after, Jesus' followers sighted him and came to believe that Jesus had been risen from the dead by God.

Jesus' resurrection him being "raised" holds central importance in Christian liturgy, as the pinnacle expression of sin and redemption.  Additionally, Jesus' resurrection is understood as evidence that he, through his righteousness, can redeem not only himself in death, but also the entire Christian community in life."

Ever since I can remember Easter has been extra special for me because my younger brother who I respect and adore came into this world.  I will never forget my father explaining to me why he was cleaning our home so thoroughly "the baby has come and you now have a baby brother...I have to clean up and leave shortly to bring your baby brother and your mom home."  I so fondly recall the joy and excitement I felt that I was skipping all around the house and getting in my father's way while he tried to do the cleaning.  

As I grew up and learned everything about Easter, my understanding for the season was significantly momentous.  Actually this holiday always seemed to be a time to start fresh and new.  

The holy celebrations were intriguing beginning with Palm Sunday and the actual meaning of it.  Our entire family would take our small palm branches home after attending church and hang them over our door and around the house.  

Good Friday the smell of the "hot cross buns" were awesome (sweet, soft buns that have a cross on the top symbolizing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ), and mom would cook up a storm with ground provisions (foods such as potato, dasheen, plantain, cassava and green banana) and some type of fish either salted cod, fried or stewed fish, and top it off by cooking a special dish in my country (Trinidad) called Coo-Coo.  I also marveled when my mom would break an egg and place the white of it into a glass of water which she would set in the sun.  She always explained it would form into what will take place in the future...for the balance of the year.  Even though I did not participate in the beating of the babaloo, I help stuffed the old clothes in the form of the babaloo, so at noon my brothers and male cousins would beat it (which symbolized the beating of the disciple that betrayed Jesus).  

On Easter Sunday it was all about attending church, my brothers and mom all dressed in our new Easter outfits attended and enjoyed the somber and meaningful service. (Daddy was not a church goer).  Followed by a scrumptious lunch Mom would prepare.  

I must say as I grew up in Trinidad Easter was not commercialize there at all.  The religiousness of the entire Easter season was always prominent.   It was not until I moved to America did I realize how commercialized Easter was; with the chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, marshmallow chicks and chocolate Easter Eggs.  It is funny when my husband Todd and I share all we remember about Easter during our childhood, how different our memories are.  He remembers all the great candy and painting Easter Eggs, and attending Easter Rolls and hunts.  For me it was always about attending Church.  Now, for both of us watching the movie "The Ten Commandments" is a major highlight of Easter.

Nonetheless...regardless of how commercialize Easter may be, it is certainly a very special time of the year, and one with lots of meaning.  

As Sunday approaches please share in the blessings of Easter and may you and your family have a joyous Easter Holiday!

"The benefits [of the resurrection] and innumerable.  To list a few: Our illnesses don't seem nearly so final; Our fears fade and lose their grip; Our grief over those who have gone on is diminished; Our desires to press on in spite of the obstacles is rejuvenated...Our identity as Christians is strengthened as we stand in the lengthening shadows of saints down through the centuries, who have always answered back in antiphonal voice" He is risen, indeed".  Quote by Charles Swindoll , Author, Educator Radio Preacher 

         

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FEATURED EVENTS To Enter The "Events" Page Check out our "Featured Events" listed below.   Also, there are several events taking place, so to view all the Events please log on to our "Events" Page above!   April 10-17, 2009 - Maryland HELP HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY Join Read Across Jamaica Foundation in the campaign to increase literacy awareness in the Caribbean communities across the US and in Jamaica.  MARCH MADNESS BOOK DRIVE (Extended to April 17th) Drop off new or gently used children’s to any of these supporting locations.  We are kicking off our annual MARCH MADNESS Book Drive and need your help.  Collected materials will be distributed to students during the Read Across Jamaica island-wide tour, May 1-9, 2009 in the Parishes of St. Elizabeth, St. James, St. Ann’s, St. Thomas, Manchester, Montego Bay, Trelawney and Clarendon.  Over 6,000 students will be recipients of donated materials while being introduced to the “edutainment” of the Read Across Jamaica Literacy Project.  Help us by contributing materials or making donation.  Label all boxes “RAJ”  Click Here to enter our "Events" Page to see the location to drop of your books.   April 12, 2009 - Maryland Click on the flyer for a larger view and more details.  Additionally, you can log on to www.crossroadsrestaurantmd.com  Easter Brunch at the Crossroads   (Click on the flyers for the larger version for all the details!      April 18, 2009 - California Click on the flyer for the larger view, or Click Here to enter our "Events" Page for the Larger View for All The Details!

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