For obvious reasons Easter has been a non-event this year. But it hasn’t always been like this. Here are five Easters which made history…including the original Easter Sunday which wasn’t even called Easter (yet).
- Rolling Away the Stone
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ when a stone was rolled away from the entry of the tomb he was buried in on Good Friday. Did the angels do this or was it the resurrected Christ himself? It’s all part of the divine mystery……
This Easter belief is also meant to teach us that we all have the ability to roll away the metaphorical stones from our lives in order to achieve our goals.
- The Easter Rising
On 24 April 1916, which was an Easter Monday, Irish patriots in Dublin rebelled against British rule and proclaimed an “Irish Republic”. The rebellion was crushed within a week, and the ringleaders were executed. But two years later Irish people once again took up arms against British rule, with the Easter Rising as their inspiration.
- Tel Aviv was founded
The city of Tel Aviv, which subsequently became the capital city of the state of Israel, was founded on Easter Sunday 1909 (11 April). The city was populated by only 60 families initially.
- Mods vs. Rockers
In the spring of 1964, gangs of Mods and Rockers battled on the beaches of England. Rockers were bikers who wore leather and looked greasy, while Mods rode scooters and described their way of life as ‘clean living in difficult circumstances.’
During Easter weekend Mods and Rockers clashed in Clacton, a seaside town in south-east England. More than 100 youths were arrested. Fighting continued throughout the summer in Margate, Broadstairs and Brighton.
- Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, which was the last large battle of the Second World War, started over Easter 1945 and continued until June. At least 50,000 people are thought to have died – perhaps as many as 150,000 – during this bloody conflict between Japanese and American forces.
