Explaining Easter

[ganyuehan]

If a young native Chinese speaker knows that Easter is 復活節, but isn't familiar, and asks, "復活節是什麼?", what is a relatively brief, clear way to explain it?

[chrix]

if you're European, you'd say something like 原來是基督教最重要的節日，不過現在就是大家放假的long weekend了

Otherwise try the first paragraph of the corresponding wikipedia article：

復活節（主復活日）是一個西方的重要節日，在每年春分月圓之後第一個星期日。基督徒認為，復活節象徵著重生與希望，為紀念耶穌基督於公元30到33年之間被釘死在十字架之後第三天復活的日子。如該地區有復活節假期的話，通常與耶穌受難日一起放假。今天，許多與復活節相關的民間風俗例如復活節兔和復活節彩蛋都不是起源於基督教的。耶穌只吩咐門徒要記念自己的死亡（路加福音22：19，20）。

[ganyuehan]

Thanks!

[Don_Horhe]

I always use: 很久以前，我们那边的上帝的儿子来到了人世， 但是被一些不喜欢他的人刹了。三天以后，他复活了，所以这一天叫做“复活节“。It might be a little too crude, but it get's the job done.

[chrix]

Well, if you're religious yourself, Don Horhe's explanation is fine, otherwise it would create a wrong expression. Statistics show that many Europeans no longer know (and care about) the meaning of Easter...

[Don_Horhe]

Well, I don't care about it either, but it makes for a great story and the kids (most of the time) love it. Plus, there's no point in teaching about Easter without telling them how it came to be, although I spare them the fact that it was initially a pagan sun festival which was simply integrated into Christianity to make conversion easier. I bet most religious folk are unaware of that fact.