Christians celebrate Easter, pray for peace

PESHAWAR: Christians across the country including Peshawar celebrated Easter with religious fervour as special services were held at churches. During the special services the Christian community prayed for the prosperity of the country as they organised feasts and observed fast. The churches in Peshawar were beautifully decorated ornaments for the special occasion. Easter is the oldest and the most important Christian festival. It is a religious holiday to celebrate Jesus Christ’s return to life after he was crucified. The dawn of Easter Sunday which gives a message of new life is the high point of the Christian year. It is culmination of the 40-day lent season, which is time of fasting, alms giving, repentance and spiritual renewal. It is the annual Christian festival celebrating the “resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to absolve human being from the eternal sin”. It is most important feast of Christian calendar. Easter does not come on the same date every year but falls sometime between March 22 and April 25. It is the first Sunday after the first full moon following March 21. Christians in the City observed Easter with traditional enthusiasm and reverence. They went to churches to attend special services and prayed for progress, prosperity and peace of the country. They especially prayed for the success of ongoing efforts to wipe out the scourge of terrorism from the country. To celebrate Easter, Christians visits church to offer prayers and read hymns and songs of celebrations. The day also provides them an opportunity to exchange greetings with loved ones. It is a great festival for the Christians all over the world. Christians along with their families visited their relatives and shared with each other the joys of Easter. They served sweets and other delicious and traditional recipes to each other. Sweets and ice cream vendors sold their products at inflated rates to cash in on the festivities.