SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2024 and SUNDAY, MAY 5—It’s Easter! Twice this year—as usual—although the entire Christian world will be united next year on April 20, 2025, and again in the spring of 2028.

Despite many years of discussions about unifying the worldwide celebration of Easter, Christian leaders remain far apart in what continues to be known as the Easter Controversy. In truth, it’s more of a controversy in other parts of the world—because across the United States Easter is almost universally assumed to be March 31 this year.

Doubt that? Just ask Hallmark and a host of the nation’s largest retailers. The National Retail Federation’s annual report on Easter spending says:

Consumer spending is expected to reach a total of $22.4 billion this Easter—the second highest in the survey’s history, after last year’s record-setting $24 billion when the holiday fell nine days later in the year. … Consumers plan to spend an average of $177.06 per person on top items like candy, food, gifts and clothing this year.

Of course, the religious meaning of Easter has nothing to do with chocolate.

Here are the major milestones leading to (Western) Easter

Western Christians across the globe entered Holy Week on Palm Sunday, and begin the Easter Triduum—recounting the final days of Jesus’s life and Passion—on Thursday, with Holy (Maundy) Thursday.

HOLY (MAUNDY) THURSDAY: THE LAST SUPPER

The Paschal Triduum is initiated with Maundy Thursday, the fifth day of Holy Week. Alternatively known as Holy Thursday or Covenant Thursday, this day commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with the Apostles.

Some scholars believe that the name “Maundy Thursday” derived from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase stated by Jesus to describe the purpose for his washing their feet. (“A new commandment I give to unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”) In some churches, to this day, clergy ceremonially wash the feet of 12 persons as part of Maundy Thursday services. Following the Maundy Thursday service, in most Christian denominations, the altar is “stripped” in solemn fashion in preparation for Good Friday.

Today, even outside of the church building, global traditions for Maundy Thursday are varied and colorful. In the United Kingdom, the Monarch offers Maundy money to worthy elders; in Bulgaria, Easter eggs are colored and homes are prepared for the upcoming holy days. Holy Thursday is a public holiday in many Christian countries.

Did you know? In Bulgaria, Easter eggs must be painted on Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday in the early morning, before sunrise. The first painted egg must be red. 

At the conclusion of Maundy Thursday services, the attitude in the Church becomes somber, dark and mournful. Church bells fall silent until Easter.

GOOD FRIDAY: THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

While in the Garden of Gethsemane on Thursday night, Christian tradition says that Jesus was located by the Romans—led by Judas Iscariot—and arrested. This led to interrogation, torture and, eventually, to Jesus’ death by the horrific Roman method of crucifixion. In the Catholic Church, Good Friday is a fast day of the deepest solemnity. The altar is bare, vestments are red or black and the cross is venerated.

EXTRA: Joseph Haydn composed “The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour On the Cross,” commissioned in 1785 or 1786 for the Good Friday service at Cádiz Cathedral in Spain. Listen to it here.

In many parishes, the Stations of the Cross recount Jesus’ journey to the site of the crucifixion. In countries such as Malta, Italy, the Philippines and Spain, processions carry statues of the Passion of Christ. In Britain, Australia and Canada, hot cross buns are traditionally consumed on Good Friday (find a recipe here).

HOLY SATURDAY: QUIET AND SOLEMNITY

Holy Saturday, or Black Saturday, ushers in with the darkness of Good Friday, commemorating the day that Jesus’ body lay in the tomb. Traditionally, the altar remains bare or is draped in a simple black cloth. In Catholic parishes, the administration of sacraments is limited. Holy Saturday is a time of suspense, quiet and solemnity, as Christians continue to mourn the death of Jesus Christ. In Catholic tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows is given the title Our Lady of Solitude, for her grief at the earthly absence of her son, Jesus.

THE EASTER VIGIL—In the evening on Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil begins. A service that begins in darkness is illuminated, in Christian tradition, with the Light of Christ—the Paschal candle. After prayers, chants and biblical readings, “Gloria” is sung for the first time since Maundy Thursday. The church is flooded with light, statues covered during Passiontide are unveiled and the joy of the Resurrection begins. The Paschal candle, the largest and most exquisite candle in the church, is lit each day throughout the Paschal season.

Please, spread the news now

MARCH is a special life-giving month when all of us who understand the importance of early screening for colorectal cancer spread reminders as far and wide as possible. I will be joining countless survivors in that effort, as always, by telling my own story.

This matters to me and my family—because I would not be writing this column today if it were not for a routine screening that caught my cancer.

That’s why I’m sharing so many inspiring resources myself. My true story of building the resilience to beat Stage IV cancer—in fact, beating it twice in my life—is told in my memoir, Shining Brightly. If you stop by my website, ShiningBrightly.com, you’ll find weekly podcasts about resilience and hope—and you can even download a free PDF of my best tips for “Resiliency when confronting cancer.” (That helpful PDF is on this page of my website in the navy-blue area.)

Who established this special month?

Advocates for the families touched by this deadly disease had lobbied for years for greater awareness and finally in 2000, President Clinton signed a proclamation officially designating March for heightened awareness. That proclamation has been repeated since then by the White House.

Why is this month even more important—now?

As the Journal of the American Medical Association reports, these forms of cancer are increasing at an alarming rate among younger adults!

The JAMA report says, in part:

From 2010 to 2019, the incidence rates of early-onset cancers increased substantially over the study period. Gastrointestinal cancers had the fastest-growing incidence rates among all early-onset cancers. Although breast cancer had the highest number of incident cases, gastrointestinal cancers had the fastest-growing incidence rates among all early-onset cancers.

The rapid rise of early-onset cancers is alarming all of us

This month, I represented Colontown—the global nonprofit network of patients, survivors, and care-partners that I am honored to serve as Chairman of the Board—at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

At this huge conference, everyone was talking about the growing danger among young adults. We’ve got to alert families to the importance of early screening, which can save lives—like my own.

And, remember, there’s an opportunity to show your concern on Friday, March 1, this year—which is national Wear Blue Day for awareness of this form of cancer and the need for screening. I’ll be wearing blue that day—how about you?

Need more news headlines to share?

NBC NEWS: Colon cancer is killing more younger men and women than ever, new report finds

NEW YORK TIMES: Colon Cancer Is Rising Among Younger Adults. Here’s What to Know.

VERYWELL HEALTH: Why Is Cancer Rising In Young Adults?

And what’s the most important message?

Screening.

Screening.

Screening.

Are you tired of reading that word in my column? Well, please, take action and either get yourself or someone else you love scheduled for a screening.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14: Declare love for someone special in your life today—Valentine’s Day has a rich and varied history that includes friendship, sacred marriages and even courtly love! From Finland, where friendship is celebrated, to the religious devotion of three early Christian saints named Valentine, one message is clear: Today is the day to express boundless love, however and to whomever you see fit.

NEWS 2024: The shock when shopping for Valentine’s Day sweets this year was the high price of chocolate. This NPR report explains, “The cost of the key ingredient in chocolate has been grinding upward for over two years. In the past year, it has more than doubled.”

Thank you, Geoffrey Chaucer!

History doesn’t document romantic associations with Valentine’s Day until the High Middle Ages and the poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer—and, in particular, Chaucer’s composition Parlement of Foules, for King Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia. News of the Parlement spread rapidly, and courtly love soon flourished. Lovers across the country began expressing their feelings for each other on Valentine’s Day, with long poems, flowers and notes.

By the end of the 18^th century, Valentine cards were being produced and exchanged. Through the decades, Valentines evolved from lace-and-ribbon trinkets to paper stationery to a holiday involving more expensive gifts, chocolates and jewelry. Today, the U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 190 million Valentines are sent in the United States annually—and that does not include the inexpensive Valentine cards exchanged among schoolchildren.

Did you know? The earliest credited “valentine”—aside from the alleged note written in a jail cell by St. Valentine, more than 1,000 years earlier—was composed in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife.

ST. VALENTINE—OR ST. VALENTINES?

Historically, there were three Saint Valentines in Christian history, all of whom are honored on St. Valentine’s Day. Of the three, the most noted Valentine was a Roman priest who assisted persecuted Christians during the 3^rd century. This Valentine performed secret weddings for soldiers, and even handed out paper heart cutouts to symbolize God’s love. On the night before his execution, legend has it that Valentine wrote a letter to his jailer’s daughter, signing it, “from your Valentine.”

VALENTINE’S DAY AROUND THE WORLD

Globally, Valentine’s Day is about much more than romantic love. In Finland and Estonia, Valentine’s Day celebrates friendship; in some Latin countries, the holiday is known as “Day of Love and Friendship.” In Asia, two holidays—Valentine’s Day, and its reciprocal holiday, White Day—make for two expensive occasions for exchanging gifts with that special someone. Traditional Hindu and Islamic cultures generally disregard Valentine’s Day, though in Iran, efforts have been made in recent years to establish a festival of love for mothers and wives on Feb. 7.

RECIPES, IDEAS & NEWS ‘FROM THE HEART’

Cooking for your Valentine? Check out recipe ideas from Food Network, Good Housekeeping, Bon Appetit, and even Pillsbury.