Why do we give up things for Lent? Where did the customs of Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday come from? And what do Easter eggs and spring flowers have to do with the Resurrection?
In The Easter Book, Father Francis X. Weiser, S.J., turns his attention to the greatest feast of the Christian year, tracing the history and meaning of the Church's observances from the penitential days before Lent through Holy Week and the joyful celebration of Easter.
Along the way, he explores the fascinating customs that have grown up around these sacred seasons: Carnival and Shrovetide, fasting and Lenten practices, Passion plays and Palm Sunday processions, the solemn ceremonies of Holy Thursday and Good Friday, Easter hymns, festive foods, and the familiar symbols of Easter itself.
Drawing on centuries of Christian history and traditions from many lands, Father Weiser reveals how the Church's liturgy and the customs of ordinary people have together expressed the sorrow of Our Lord's Passion and the triumph of His Resurrection.
Originally published in 1954 and illustrated by Robert Frankenberg, this richly researched volume is a worthy companion to Father Weiser's The Christmas Book, inviting readers to enter more fully into the meaning and celebration of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.
5.5" x 8.5" softcover 226 pages
