Facts and Figures About Easter You May Not Know

Sunday is Easter, a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament.

But over time Easter has evolved into more than just a religious holiday, with kids getting excited to meet the Easter Bunny, and color eggs and eat chocolate.

Below are some facts and figures you may not have known about this holiday. Happy Easter!

• In medieval times a festival of egg-throwing was held in church, during which the priest would throw a hard-boiled egg to one of the choir boys. It was then tossed from one choir boy to the next and whoever held the egg when the clock struck 12 was the winner and retained the egg.

• In 2012, Americans spent nearly $2.1 billion on Easter candy, while Halloween sales were over $2 billion; Christmas, more than $1.4 billion; and Valentine's Day, over $1 billion.

• Easter is now celebrated (in the words of the Book of Common Prayer) on the first Sunday after the full moon, which happens on, or after March 21, the Spring Equinox.

• According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws." Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs.
• Nearly 120 million cards with be sent, exchanged, and given this Easter, which means it holds the fourth spot of the largest card-sending celebration in the U.S.