"Once-in-a-millennium" celebration of holy days

Good Friday! Happy Purim, Eid, etc... - Time Magazine

In 2008, March 21 has special significance for Christians, Jews and Muslims, as well as Persians, Hindus and Buddhists. In what is described as a "once-in-a-millennium" statistical event, on the same day as Christians remember Jesus' death on Good Friday, there is the Jewish Purim (celebrating the biblical story of Esther), Persian New Year (Narouz), the Sunni
Eid Milad an Nabi (celebrating the Birth of the Prophet), the Hindu Small Holi (an Indian festival of bonfires) and Magha Puja, a celebration of the Buddha's first group of followers, marked primarily in Thailand.

Why Easter is important for Christians

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10: 9

It's that simple. Happy Easter.

What is "GOOD" about Good Friday?

beliefnet: What is Holy Week, What is Good Friday, Maundy Thursday, Passion, Easter, Resurrection, Last Supper, What is Palm Sunday
"Why is it 'Good' Friday?" - Rev. Dr David A. Killian

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It's the day that Christians use to celebrate the day that Jesus Christ was killed on a cross, and it is a statutory holiday in many Western countries.

As Rev. Dr. David A. Killian from Brookline, Massachusetts says:
"What is 'good' about an innocent man being arrested in the middle of the night; betrayed by one of disciples, Judas; denied by another, Peter; accused falsely by the chief priests; mocked and scourged by soldiers; and condemned to death by the Roman Procurator, Pontius Pilate? What is 'good' about crucifixion as a criminal and being scorned and mocked in one's dying hours? What is 'good' about the crown of thorns on his head, the nails in his hands and feet? Yes, this is a good question, Why is Good Friday called Good ?"

There are different views on this, but the linguistic view is that it is the result of the changes to the English language over hundreds of years. One theory says that Good Friday was " Godes Friday", meaning "God's Friday". Another view is that "Good", used to be the same as "Great" or "Holy".
The spiritual view, as Rev. Dr. David A. Killian from Brookline, Massachusetts puts it, is that "Bad Friday" becomes "Good", "because God took the treachery, cruelty, and injustice of the crucifixion [on Good Friday] and transformed it into an expression of love, forgiveness and faithfulness" by bringing Jesus back to life on Easter Sunday.

Today's beliefnet link explains "Good Friday" and many of the Christian terms and ideas that are used to describe the events of Easter week.

What is Lent?

BBC - Religion and Holidays : Lent

Lent is the 40 days of the Christian calendar that lead up to Easter, and is commonly associated with a period of fasting. It represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the desert before he was killed.

The first day of Lent varies between days in February or March, but it always starts with a Wednesday, called Ash Wednesday. In 2007, Lent begins next Wednesday; February 21.


The day before Ash Wednesday is more famous, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). Mardi Gras represents the last chance to splurge and party before the period of Lenten fasting begins.