Facts about Easter Sunday

The record for the world's biggest Easter egg is held by Argentinians, who, in 2015, made an egg using 8,000 kgs of chocolate. Easter Sunday Facts

The largest rabbit made of chocolate was created in Brazil by the Equipe da Casa do Chocolate. It took nine professionals eight days to make it. Easter Sunday Facts

There were over 500,000 eggs hidden in the world's largest Easter egg hunt that took place in Winter Haven, Florida in 2007. Easter Sunday Facts

Easter is the most popular church day of the year. Easter Sunday Facts

Though the method of calculating the date has changed, Easter first became an official Christian holiday in AD 325 at the first council of Nicaea presided over by Roman Emperor Constantine. Easter Sunday Facts

Easter is celebrated at different times by Eastern and Western Christians. It is because the dates for Easter in Eastern Christianity are based on the Julian calendar, while Western Christianity follows the Gregorian calendar. Easter Sunday Facts

The art of painting eggs is called Pysanka, which originated in Ukraine. It involves using wax and dyes to colour the egg. Easter Sunday Facts

The idea of the Easter bunny giving candies and eggs is said to have originated in Germany during the middle ages. Easter Sunday Facts

In the past pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer. Easter Sunday Facts

In medieval times, a festival of ‘egg-throwing’ was held in churches. The priest would throw a hard-boiled egg to one of the choir boys, and then tossed from one choir boy to the next. When the clock struck 12, whoever held the egg, was the winner and got to keep the egg. Easter Sunday Facts

The White House hosts an Easter Egg Roll on the front lawn each year. This tradition was started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878. Easter Sunday Facts

The complex maths behind the calculation of the Easter date was laid down in 525AD by Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian (now Romania) monk whose name roughly translates as 'Dennis the Dwarf'. Easter Sunday Facts

There are 35 possible dates for Easter – the cycle repeats itself once every 5.7 million years. Easter Sunday Facts

In some parts of Europe, it was once believed that if you were born on Easter Sunday, you would be able to see the Easter Bunny. Easter Sunday Facts

The custom of giving Easter baskets filled with Easter eggs and other treats began in Germany in the 18th century. Easter Sunday Facts

The Easter story is told in the Bible in the book of Matthew, chapter 28. Easter Sunday Facts