When Toronto emergency workers arrived at an east-end Toronto home early on the morning November 30, 2002, the house was dark. They knocked twice before a woman, Elva Bottineau, answered the door and directed them to the kitchen. What they found there was shocking. Lying on the table was the emaciated, lifeless body of Bottineau's five-year-old grandson Jeffrey Baldwin. Firefighters and paramedics tried in vain to resuscitate him. Seasoned police investigators had never seen a case like it and were immediately suspicious. They wanted to know how Jeffrey could just waste away in a home filled with six adults and five other children. The CBC news program "The Fifth Estate" aired this in depth report dealing with this tradgedy. Click hear to read more about this case. The video of the program is below.
As well as my previous post on the subject
Saturday, April 15, 2006
History of Easter
Easter
A Christian feast commemorating Christ's resurrection. Easter Sunday celebrations follow the sombre observances of the Last Supper, Jesus's torture and crucifixion.
The Thursday before Easter ("Holy" or "Maundy Thursday") is the day Jesus is believed to have instituted the Eucharist which assumed the central role in Christian worship services.
At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to demonstrate that Christians are called to serve humanity. He also issued a new commandment: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13: 34-35). After the Last Supper, Jesus was arrested, tried and condemned to death.
On Good Friday, Jesus endured a humiliating and torturous march to Calvary where he was crucified and died. Many Christians make solemn observances of Christ's "Passion" on Good Friday by following the Stations of the Cross. The 14 stations -- depicted in sculpture or images in churches throughout the world -- commemorate the stages of Jesus's journey to the cross.
Holy Saturday is a sombre day of waiting without benefit of knowing how grief is to be overcome.
Easter Sunday is the day Christians celebrate Christ's rising from the dead. According to the gospels, a group of women found Jesus's tomb empty and a divine messenger proclaimed that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Later, Jesus met the Apostles, renewing their courage and conviction to share the good news of eternal life with God through Christ.
Timing: At the Council of Nicea in 325, the date of Easter was fixed as the Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox. This year, Easter is tomorrow, April 16.
Most Eastern Orthodox Churches follow the Julian calendar which is now 13 days out of sync with the more accurate Gregorian calendar. This year, Christian Orthodox celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 23.
The Easter Bunny
Not unlike Christmas, the Christian holiday of Easter is thought to have overtaken an earlier Pagan festival. In Easter's case, it was the spring festival of Eostre. Celebrating the fertility goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe, Eostre's name meant spring. Her symbol was a hare which is thought to have, over time, morphed into a rabbit.
The appearance of an egg-laying rabbit (brightly coloured eggs, no less) is documented in 16th century Germany where children eagerly awaited the arrival of the "Oschter Haws."
The tradition appears to have been brought to America by settlers in the 18th century where the Easter Bunny became firmly established as a popular symbol of Easter.
The egg, which represented fertility and rebirth to pagans, was also adopted as part of the Christian Easter festival. It came to be associated with the resurrection with some holding that it symbolizes the stone that was rolled away from in front of Jesus's tomb.
Later,
Kenaz
A Christian feast commemorating Christ's resurrection. Easter Sunday celebrations follow the sombre observances of the Last Supper, Jesus's torture and crucifixion.
The Thursday before Easter ("Holy" or "Maundy Thursday") is the day Jesus is believed to have instituted the Eucharist which assumed the central role in Christian worship services.
At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to demonstrate that Christians are called to serve humanity. He also issued a new commandment: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13: 34-35). After the Last Supper, Jesus was arrested, tried and condemned to death.
On Good Friday, Jesus endured a humiliating and torturous march to Calvary where he was crucified and died. Many Christians make solemn observances of Christ's "Passion" on Good Friday by following the Stations of the Cross. The 14 stations -- depicted in sculpture or images in churches throughout the world -- commemorate the stages of Jesus's journey to the cross.
Holy Saturday is a sombre day of waiting without benefit of knowing how grief is to be overcome.
Easter Sunday is the day Christians celebrate Christ's rising from the dead. According to the gospels, a group of women found Jesus's tomb empty and a divine messenger proclaimed that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Later, Jesus met the Apostles, renewing their courage and conviction to share the good news of eternal life with God through Christ.
Timing: At the Council of Nicea in 325, the date of Easter was fixed as the Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox. This year, Easter is tomorrow, April 16.
Most Eastern Orthodox Churches follow the Julian calendar which is now 13 days out of sync with the more accurate Gregorian calendar. This year, Christian Orthodox celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 23.
The Easter Bunny
Not unlike Christmas, the Christian holiday of Easter is thought to have overtaken an earlier Pagan festival. In Easter's case, it was the spring festival of Eostre. Celebrating the fertility goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe, Eostre's name meant spring. Her symbol was a hare which is thought to have, over time, morphed into a rabbit.
The appearance of an egg-laying rabbit (brightly coloured eggs, no less) is documented in 16th century Germany where children eagerly awaited the arrival of the "Oschter Haws."
The tradition appears to have been brought to America by settlers in the 18th century where the Easter Bunny became firmly established as a popular symbol of Easter.
The egg, which represented fertility and rebirth to pagans, was also adopted as part of the Christian Easter festival. It came to be associated with the resurrection with some holding that it symbolizes the stone that was rolled away from in front of Jesus's tomb.
Later,
Kenaz
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