Good Friday and the Sunday that follows are the most important dates in the Christian calendar. The Sunday after Good Friday is when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without Good Friday, when Jesus Christ was crucified, there would be no Resurrection Sunday. So, both days are very important dates for Christians.

Easter is an ancient pagan practice of the Western culture before Christianity took over. Its symbols of eggs and rabbits suggest rebirth and fertility, which also came to be associated with the life of those who followed the resurrected Christ. For ease, over time, Easter became synonymous with Resurrection Day and the name stuck to this day.

While Easter does not have the fanfare of Christmas, it is celebrated by Christians worldwide. In Malaysia, Easter is celebrated by Christians quietly, with the excitement found mostly in churches at the Easter services.

The event goes by mostly unnoticed as the 9.1% minority Christian population make time to remember the crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday and celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the joy and hope it promises on Easter Sunday.

The celebration is largely invisible in Peninsular Malaysia, as only 3% to 4% of the Christian population is found here.

The majority of Christians are found in Sabah and Sarawak and they are the majority in East Malaysia. About 25% of the population in Sabah are Christians, making them the largest significant minority group in the state. Christians, however, are a majority in Sarawak, making up over 50% of the population. (All statistics from AI-generated reports based on the 2020 Malaysian Census.)

So, Easter is a big Christian celebration in East Malaysia. While it is not a fun feast like Christmas, it is the most significant feast in the Christian calendar and the basis of Christian faith.

It is only right to recognise the most important religious feast of the majority of fellow Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak.

So, wishing you and all Christians here in Malaysia and all over the world, a blessed Christmas!