Easter is celebrated to memorialize Jesus' rise from the tomb.

Easter marks the end of Lent.

Many Christian denominations mark Lent with prayer, abstinence or fasting.

It's roughly translated as "Christ is risen!"

And it gets even more complicated ...

Eastern Christianity uses the Julian; Western uses the Gregorian. So yes, the two arms of Christianity celebrate their biggest holiday on different dates.

Based on the formation of Judas Iscariot's betrayal, "Spy Wednesday" sounds more like a cool midweek movie feature on television.

Several important rituals take place on Maundy Thursday, which is also called Holy Thursday.

It refers to Jesus washing his disciples' feet. However, the word "Maundy" probably refers to the British "maunders," or beggars, who received tokens of charity from the king on Holy Thursday.

Many languages share the word for Passover and Easter or have similar variants.

They used the Hebrew calendar to line up Easter and Passover.

Some interpretations of the Last Supper include Jesus holding a Passover Seder for the apostles.

Nobody is quite sure where it came from, but some British congregations still gather around the church on the Monday or Tuesday after Easter.

It's not entirely known, but "good" probably just meant it was a pious holiday.

Irish pubs are closed on Good Friday, and the sale of alcohol is illegal.

The icing "cross" on the bun is a reminder of Jesus on the crucifix.

OK, there is no Easter rabbit to be found.

While claims abound that an Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eostre is the basis for Easter's name and appropriation, there's little evidence they're true.

In the 17th century Germany brought the "egg-laying bunny" into the world.

The Easter cuckoo comes calling.

Eating eggs during Holy Week was verboten, so the eggs were decorated to distinguish them.

The first official Easter Egg Roll was in 1878.

The sour old Congress passed a law that the Capitol grounds couldn't be used as a playground.

Both reasons probably play a part in why lamb is a popular Easter feast.

The first means "fat Tuesday," a day to celebrate gluttony before Lent; the other name comes from the word "shrive" and signifies a day where you confess your sins before Lent. Your choice.

France and Germany were the first to bring chocolate eggs to the hungry masses in the 19th century.

They appeared in the 1970s. Creme-filled eggs were around for awhile, but Cadbury Creme Eggs are, as we all know, in their own league.

Instead of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, plain old garbage cocoa-mix chocolate was used.

Which means you're not eating Cadbury chocolate on Easter morning if you're in the U.S.

It's the cherry flavor. You can tell everyone that fun fact around the Easter table.