Easter egg hunts and more
Family friendly events around town
April 22 - 24
L.A. Zoo’s Big Bunny Spring Fling
The Los Angeles Zoo celebrates Spring with three days of pettable rabbits, funny bunny ears, crafts, and special entertainment for the whole family from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, 5333 Zoo Dr., Los Angeles. Cost: Free with Zoo admission, $14 Adults, $9 Children (2-12). Info: (323) 644-4200 or www.lazoo.org
Saturday April 23
Easter Festival at the Orange County Marketplace
A treasure hunt, a puppet show, free face painting and free photos at this annual event. From 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m at the Orange County Market Place, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa. Cost: Free. Info: www.ocmarketplace.com or (949) 723-6616.
EarthfestLA 2011
EarthFest Los Angeles is a family oriented environmental awareness event. Originally named SouthLA EarthFest is now into its 6th year featuring top concert performances, green kids’ workshop, eco film festival, green jobs & health symposium. EarthFestLA promotes environmental consciousness for children and adults alike with exhibits and discussion on conservation. Starts at 10 a.m. at Kenneth Hahn State Park, 4100 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles. Info: www.earthfestla.org or (323) 298-3660.
Easter Weekend at Pacific Amphitheatre
ROCKHARBOR church hosts a special worship and prayer event for Southern California churchs on Saturday. Francis Chan is scheduled to speak at all the services. Orange County Fair and Exposition Center, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa. Free. Info: http://ns.ocfair.com/ocf/Calendar/ViewEvent.asp?EventId=1797 or (714) 384-0914.
Los Encinos Living History Day and Easter Egg Hunt
Traditional children’s games, music, a blacksmith, an egg hunt, docents in 1870s attire and tours of the historic buildings. Free. From 1-3 p.m. at Los Encinos State Historic Park, 16756 Moorpark St., Encino. Info: http://los-encinos.org/egghunt/press.html
Easter Hoppening
Bring your own basket and search for eggs. Easter Bunny, bounce house (for $1) and arts and crafts. From 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Malibu Bluffs Park, 24250 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. Free. Info: http://www.malibucity.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/detail/navid/329/cid/11792/ or (310) 317-1364.
5th Annual Easter Festival and Treasure Hunt
America’s most unique swap meet celebrates food, fun, value and the entrepreneurial spirit. From 9.30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa. Adults: $2, Children: Free. Info: http://ns.ocfair.com/ocf/Calendar/ViewEvent.asp?EventId=1834
Sunday April 24
Easter at the Hollywood Bowl
Join over 10,000 other Angelinos for the largest Easter celebration in Los Angeles. Experience the majestic sounds of the Easter Choir, Modern Worship Band, and professional orchestra in the open air of the Hollywood Bowl. Dr. Mark Brewer, Senior Pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian Church, will share a timeless message about the greatest gift ever. Bring your friends, family, and neighbors for a free celebration of the life and resurrection of Jesus. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90068. Info: www.hollywoodbowleaster.com.
Easter Weekend at Pacific Amphitheatre
ROCKHARBOR church hosts a special worship and prayer event for Southern California churchs on Sunday. Francis Chan is scheduled to speak at all the services. Orange County Fair and Exposition Center, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa. Free. Info: http://ns.ocfair.com/ocf/Calendar/ViewEvent.asp?EventId=1797 or (714) 384-0914.
St. Sophia Greek Easter Picnic
The Greek Easter celebration is a family event with Greek food, drinks and desserts, live Greek Music and dancing and activities for the kids. From 11:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Brookside Park, next to the Rose Bowl, Pasadena. Cost: $10, Children (6-12) $3, free for kids under 6. Info: www.stsophia.org or (323) 737-2424.
3rd Annual Downtown Easter Fest 2011
There will be picnic lunch, drinks, Easter egg hunt, bounce house, face painting, bubbles, arts and crafts, sack race, popcorns, free haircuts, and much, much more. From 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. at the Grand Hope Park at W. 9th and Hope Streets in downtown LA. Info: (213) 471-2415. Free.
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday (also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday). The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to be between AD 26 and 36, traditionally 33.
Easter marks the end of Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. The last week of the Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Easter is followed by fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday.
Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the calendar. In most European languages the feast called Easter in English is termed by the words for passover in those languages and in the older English versions of the Bible the term Easter was the term used to translate passover.
Easter customs vary across the Christian world, but decorating Easter eggs is a common motif. In the Western world, customs such as egg hunting and Easter bunny extend from the domain of church, and often have a secular character.
It’s Sunday morning and you normally sleep in, but this morning is special. Like a bear coming out of early hibernation, you rise uncharacteristically because you want to attend Easter services at your local church. In fact, many others all over the nation have the same idea. There’s something about the Easter holiday—or what many call Resurrection Day—that draws out the non-church-goer. It’s the day that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the head of the Christian church.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Passover, which celebrates what the Old Testament describes as God's deliverance of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, begins at sundown today with observant Jews in the Southland and around the world gathering for a feast called a Seder.
Seders feature six symbolic foods, including matzo, a cracker-like unleavened bread symbolizing the Exodus from the land of pharaoh, when there was not enough time to let the bread rise. Jews are not supposed to eat anything leavened during the holiday period.
African Americans are a colorful people, who claim some of the most phenomenal talents, elaborate philosophies, and eccentric belief systems. One thing about Black religion and spirituality is that we know how to have us some church.
From the dancing and singing to the worshiping and preaching, when we get down, we get down. It would almost be appropriate to say that in church, temple, mass, mosque and whatever other service you can think of, we always seem to welcome in the spirit of the Higher Being, the ancestors, or respective spirits.
Christians will mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter by donning their Sunday best, attending church and going on egg hunts. But what’s the history of the holiday? And how much will we actually spend on those yummy chocolate rabbits? Read some fast facts about Easter below.
77 — Percent of Americans who identify themselves as Christian, as of December 2012.
58 — Percent of Americans who plan to attend church on Easter Sunday this year.
Church is a wonderful place for Christians, where people are healed, delivered from their past excesses, meet their mates, learn the scriptures and get doused in the Holy Spirit. Often, movies and critics mock such church happenings with exaggerative skits and scenes that demonstrate ladies dancing down isles and people falling to the ground, convulsing as if enduring a holy seizure. But some would credit the jokes to lack of understanding, or even to fear.
