Wow, what a hectic holiday weekend!

attended concerts dotted around the country would probably agree that the holiday was memorable due to different entertainment activities lined up for Easter.
While so much can be said about the holiday, some may question how Easter and the festivities associated with it began to be part of the Christian faith.
According to one critic, David C. Pack, Easter began as a pagan festival which was associated with the celebration of the resurrection of a pagan god “Tammuz”, who was understood to have been brought to life by his mother “Ishtar”, the Babylonian goddess of fertility, war, love and sex.
After the abandonment of this pagan tradition, Christians around the world began commemorating Easter which signified the death and resurrection of Christ.
Bishop Trevor E. C. Manhanga said Easter commemorated the resurrection of Jesus Christ which he described as an important event for the church as it gave meaning to the Christian faith.
“The meaning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a pivotal one for the church, for the entire belief system of the church would come crashing down if Christ is not risen from the dead,” reads a quotation from the article published by The Sunday Mail.
In the spirit of celebrating Easter people exchange numerous gifts such as Easter cards, Easter bunnies, decorated Easter eggs and other gifts.
In Zimbabwe the Easter holiday had numerous activities as people from all walks of life were evidently gripped by the Easter fever which saw them travelling to different places and holiday resorts.
Musicians such as Blessing Shumba, Charlie Kambudzi, Pastor and Amai Charamba, the Mahendere Brothers and many others also had live shows which guaranteed entertainment for the holiday period.
Pastor Charles and Olivia Charamba, supported by UK-based Jane Doka and her praise and worship band, were booked at the Harare Gardens on Saturday.
Dubbed a family fun day, the show had a significant meaning in people’s lives as it aimed to foster stronger family relations among couples and friends.
The biggest Easter celebrations were witnessed at the National Sports Stadium where close to 100 000 people converged for the much publicised “Judgment Night”, hosted by the United Family International Church (UFI).
At this event, famous gospel artistes such as Diva Mafunga, Sabastian Magacha, Mahendere Brothers and UFI praise and worship band entertained people for hours.
Secular artistes were also not to be outdone as the Easter holiday celebrations gained momentum across the country.
According to media reports, artistes such as Nicholas “Madzibaba” Zakaria, Leonard Zhakata, Winky D, Victor Kunonga, Sulumani Chimbetu among others had a good holiday characterised by huge crowds at their shows.
On the other hand, many people on social networks such as Facebook exchanged Easter text and graphic messages which showed how much people enjoyed the holiday.
But now that the Easter holiday is over, it’s life as usual as people return to their daily routines.
Messages of peace and hope which were mainly characteristic of the Easter celebrations should continue to be a theme in churches around the country.