No matter what religion you practice, you are probably familiar with the more commercial trademarks of Easter: chocolate eggs and bunnies. The more spiritual aspects of Easter and how various Christian organizations on Grounds chose to celebrate the weekend may sometimes be overlooked.
Easter serves as a fundamental basis of the Christian faith, as it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The day represents God's forgiveness of humanity's sins and man's spiritual rebirth through God's unconditional love. The week before Easter is referred to as 'Holy Week,' and Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday are days when Christians reflect upon the Last Supper and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
"Easter, I believe, is the trademark of Christianity," Grace Christian Fellowship President John Kim said. "We definitely take this time seriously as we plan special events."
Many University students head home to celebrate Easter - which also marks the end to Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, penance and prayer commencing on Ash Wednesday - but several students who are members of Christian organizations also choose to stay in Charlottesville for various events.
GCF, for example, renamed the traditional Holy Week to its own "Passion Week," Kim said. During the week, members were assigned additional readings from the Bible, hoping to further develop relationships with God. Kim also noted that around 50 to 60 people attended the Good Friday service, an unusually high number of participants.
Passion Week ended with the traditional outdoor sunrise service. Students gathered at 6:30 a.m. on hills behind Observatory Dining Hall Sunday morning to sing praises and listen to a sermon based on Christ's resurrection by University alumnus Pastor IJ Kim.\nOther student organizations held their own celebrations, as well. Chi Alpha, an inter-denominational Christian student ministry at the University, launched a special event titled, "Dive Deep," at a local church to celebrate Good Friday. Students from the University reflected upon the sacrifice of Christ on the night of Christ's crucifixion through communion and baptism.
'Dive Deep' was "a great time to worship, reflect and have personal encounters with God. It was open to anyone free to come and go," fourth-year College student Robyn Small said.
The public quality of the event reflected the idea of baptism more generally, as Small said she believes baptism is one of the most public ways Christians experience and demonstrate their faith.
The Catholic Student Ministry, a University contracted independent organization affiliated with the St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish, also included the community in its festivities. The ministry planned a special Easter premier of the Mel Gibson movie, "The Passion of the Christ" for Good Friday, CSM President Michael Horsey said. On Easter Monday, they hosted an Easter pot-luck feast in St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church to emphasize community celebration.
This communal emphasis was not particular to CSM, but a feeling shared among the various student groups.
"Staying at the University, Easter is celebrated more with the people I attend college with," said Gloria Kim, first-year College student and member of the Grace Christian Fellowship. "The experience is different in that you celebrate with your fellow brothers and sisters, but it's not that different from the experience you enjoy with your family, as the same Easter topics are addressed"
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