Easter Monday Origin

There is a reason that many carry the Sunday celebration over until the next day.

By Cheryl E PrestonPublished 4 years ago • 3 min read

Easter Monday is more than a name

Christmas is always on December 25, Thanksgiving the 4th Thursday in November, and July 4th is self-explanatory. Easter, however, is calculated quite differently. It comes the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. For this reason, the unofficial holiday can come as early as the third Sunday in March and as late as the fourth Sunday in April. The day after is known as Easter Monday and it is much more than an acknowledgment of the day that proceeds it.

Perhaps you have wondered about the significance of this date and how or why it came to be. There was a time in America when this date was observed nationally although Easter is not a national federal holiday. Americans who did not believe in what the day represented, respected those who did. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, do celebrate the day as a legal holiday as part of their cultural tradition.

Easter Monday long past

Some American businesses were closed on the Monday following Easter Sunday years ago and children were off from school for Good Friday and Easter Monday prior to having an entire week as a break. Some people of faith scheduled paid time off from their jobs on Easter Monday and churches, as well as individuals, hosted egg hunts because the children were out of school.

Today students have an entire week of spring break which does not always coincide with the Sunday designated to observe the Christian celebration of Christ's resurrection. It can be the weeks prior to or the one that follows what has become known as Holy week. American schools once allowed students to decorate with Easter decorations and have holiday programs but educators today no longer can mention Easter or Christmas. This is because the separation of church and state is being emphasized more in modern society.

Celebrations in different cultures

Easter Monday in some cultures is called Renewal Monday, or Bright Monday, which is a time to reflect on the meaning of the season. In Catholicism, the day is known as the Monday of the angel. The day after Easter/Resurrection Sunday for some is the official ending of all that leads up to the date before the work week resumes.

Easter Monday for many is the culmination of all that has taken place beginning with Madi Gras, which includes Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, and all Holy week observances. Although America does not officially recognize Easter Monday it is a public holiday in many other countries worldwide.

In Eastern Christianity, the Monday that follows Resurrection Sunday marks the second day of Octave which is an 8-day celebration beginning on Easter Sunday and ending the following Sunday. In Western Christianity, this is called the week of Eastertide.

The origin of Easter Monday

The first-known use of ‘Easter Monday’ was in the 15th-century and observances are not explicitly religious in nature. Some Christian groups have outdoor parades and processions and some have Easter-egg-rolling competitions. The White House hosts an annual egg roll on the day after Easter Sunday.

Easter Monday is celebrated with fun traditions including Dyngus Day, or Wet Monday. Historically Dyngus Day is a Polish tradition, that dates back to the baptism of Prince Mieszko I of Poland on Easter Monday in 966 A.D. The baptismal water symbolized purification, and “Wet Monday” became the day when spouses, and siblings would pour buckets of water on each other. Easter Monday basically is a way to carry over over the celebration and bask in the afterglow from Sunday and have an extra day to enjoy what was in your Easter basket or bucket.

Historical

About the Creator

Cheryl E Preston

Cheryl enjoys writing about current events, soap spoilers and baby boomer nostalgia. Tips are greatly appreciated.

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