Earth Day

When is Earth Day?

Earth Day is honored around the world on April 22, although larger events such as festivals and rallies are often organized for the weekends before or after April 22. Many communities also observe Earth Week or Earth Month, organizing a series of environmental activities throughout the month of April. 

Why do we need an Earth Day?

Because it works! Earth Day broadens the base of support for environmental programs, rekindles public commitment and builds community activism around the world through a broad range of events and activites. Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world, celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a billion people participate in our campaigns every year. 

What can I do for Earth Day?

The  possibilities for getting involved are endless! Volunteer. Go to a festival. Install solar panels on your roof. Organize an event in your community. Change a habit. Help launch a community garden. Communicate your priorities to your elected representatives, Do something nice for the Earth, have fun, meet new people, and make a difference. But you needn't wait for April 22! Earth Day is Every Day. To build a better future, we all must commit to protect our environment year-round.

What is Earth Day Network?

Founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network (EDN) promotes year-round environmental citizenship and action, worldwide. Earth Day Network is a driving force, steering environmental awareness around the world. 

Retrieved from:
http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement
on April 22, 2015

Pronunciation of final -S

The pronunciation of -S at the end of plural nouns, verbs in third person, and as part of the possessive case sometimes causes problems for non-native speakers because it can be pronounced in three different ways: /IZ/ , /S/ or /Z/.

The pronunciation depends on the last sound of the verb or noun which is usually a consonant. 

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/85666/pronunciation-of-final-s
on April 7, 2015

Some vs. any. Difference and usage

Any and some are both determiners. We use some and any with plural nouns and uncountable nouns. They are used to talk about indefinite quantities or numbers, when the exact quantity or number is not important. As a general rule we use some for positive statements, and any for questions and negative statements. 

Some= a little, a few or a small number or amount.

Any= one, some or all

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/86449/some-vs-any-difference-and-usage
on April 7, 2015

Irregular adjectives in comparatives and superlatives

There are three forms of comparison

- positive

- comparative

- superlative

Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between the two objects they modify (larger, smaller, faster, higher). They are used in sentences where two nouns are compared, in this pattern. 

 Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

Superlative adjectives are used to describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit of a quality (the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest). They are used in sentences where a subject is compared to a group of objects. 

   Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (object).

In English, you can usually add -er or -est to the end of an adjective to make it comparative or superlative. For example, "cool" can be modified to become "cooler" or "coolest". But some adjectives are irregular and are modified differently. Here is a list of irregular adjectives in English. 

Retrieved from: 

http://languagelearningbase.com/86198/irregular-adjectives-in-comparatives-and-superlatives

on April 7, 2015

Cries of animals

Dedicated to my students who have to read Animal Farm. 

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/85902/cries-of-animals
on April 7, 2015

How to say things in different situations

Retrieved from:

https://www.facebook.com/EnglishIF/photos/pcb.1012619625417845/1012619588751182/?type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/EnglishIF/photos/pcb.1012619625417845/1012619585417849/?type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/EnglishIF/photos/pcb.1012619625417845/1012619582084516/?type=1&theater

on April 7, 2015

What is the difference between "I will" and "I am going to"?

Talking about the future? but: When do we use "I will" and when do we use "I am going to"?

The structure BE GOING TO is normally used to indicate the future but with some type of connection to the present. When there is no implicit or explicit connection to the present, use WILL. 

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/85635/what-is-the-difference-between-i-will-and-i-am-going-to
on April 7, 2015

Talking about your opinions

Retrieved from: 

http://languagelearningbase.com/85576/talking-about-opinions

on April 7, 2015

A/an, the or no article? Town, work, home, bed

Retrieved from:

http://languagelearningbase.com/85675/a-an-the-or-no-article-town-work-home-bed

on April 7, 2015

Essay Outline Sample (Template)

Retrieved from:
https://www.google.co.ve/search?q=outline+format+for+essay&biw=1517&bih=741&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=_kckVb_qIbi1sQSk7oCoBg&sqi=2&ved=0CBsQsAQ&dpr=0.9#imgrc=Rvg6YlQpPzcWhM%253A%3BgHnmQukuCd6HyM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fimg.docstoccdn.com%252Fthumb%252Forig%252F6649357.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Falbertorisi.com%252Fcastomwork%252Foutline-for-writing-an-essay%252F%3B1275%3B1650
on April 7, 2015

How to write a comparative essay (Writing)

The comparative essay allows a writer to compare and contrast the features of two (or more) subjects (two people, two things, two objects, two ideas, two places, two results, etc.) Once the similarities and differences between the two subjects are researched and noted, the topic almost suggests itself, and the facts are at the writer's fingertips. So the key to writing a compare and contrast essay is learning to do the research and organizing the information. 

You may be asked to "discuss", by putting the case for or against something, or you may be asked to "compare" different views, events, people or things. As with other paragraphs (essays) you need to be extremely clear about the purpose of the piece. The crucial element is to answer the question in an order that makes most sense to a reader. 

Although there are guidelines for constructing certain paragraph and essay types, there are no set formulas. 

Steps

- Analyze the question carefully

Do your research and make sure you have a complete understanding of both things being compared. You will benefit from the research when you come to write your essay and can easily compare similar aspects. 

- Write the introduction

Start with a general point which establishes the similarity between the two subjects then move to the specific (exact) focus of the essay. The reader must understand which points will be examining and which points will not be examining within the comparison. At the end of the introduction, declare your preference or describe the significance of the two subjects. 

- Organize the sequence of paragraphs in the main body of your essay

Once you have defined the comparison and the basis of the argument you must determine the structure of your essay. It can be any of the following, but not a combination. 

Method 1

You can discuss each half of the comparison in every paragraph. For example, begin with a paragraph comparing the two situations; each paragraph thereafter should compare a single aspect of both situations until you have completed comparing all the various points. The advantage of this structure is it continually keeps comparison in the mind of the reader, as well as forces you to pay equal attention to each side of the argument. 

EG: Lemons & Apples 

Para 1 Color of Lemons/Color of Apples

Para 2 Vitamins found in Lemons/Vitamins found in Apples 

Para 3 Health benefits of Lemons/Health benefits of Apples

And so on

Method 2

You can alternate between the two subjects paragraph by paragraph. That is, the first paragraph of the main body of your essay begins with one side of the argument. The next paragraph deals with the other, and so on. You keep repeating this process looking at another point in the comparison until you reach your conclusion. This method allows you to discuss points in greater detail, but be sure to keep alternating and ensure you continue discussing similar aspects of each argument. 

EG: Lemons & Apples 

Para 1 Color of Lemons 

Para 2 Color of Apples 

Para 3 Vitamins found in Lemons 

Para 4 Vitamins found in Apples 

Para 5 Health benefits of Lemons 

Para 6 Health benefits of Apples

And so on

Method 3

In the first half of the main body of the essay, you can argue one side of the comparison throughout as many paragraphs as you wish. When you have finished with that side of the comparison, switch and discuss the other side of the comparison. This method is by far the most dangerous, as your comparison can become one sided, without giving equal time to both. The other problem with this is that you may discuss different features in the second half than you did in the first half. If this occurs, the comparison falls apart as you are not comparing the same features of the two arguments.

EG: Lemons & Apples 

Para 1 Color of Lemons 

Para 2 Vitamins found in Lemons 

Para 3 Health benefits of Lemons 

Para 4 Color of Apples 

Para 5 Vitamins found in Apples 

Para 6 Health benefits of Apples 

And so on 

- Conclusion

The conclusion should give a brief, general summary of the most important similarities and differences. It should end with a personal statement, an opinion and the "So What" – what's important about both things being compared It should leave the reader feeling that all the different threads of the essay have been drawn together in a cohesive way; they have learnt something - and they must be certain this is the end – not look around for missing pages. When you have two radically different topics, it sometimes helps to point out one similarity they have before concluding. (i.e "Although _______ and _________ don't seem to have anything in common, in actuality, they both ________.) 

- Revise your writing

If time is not an issue, the best way to revise your work is to leave it for a day. Go out, have something to eat or drink, have fun……forget about the paragraph/essay until tomorrow. Once you settle down to revise, remember that the two most important things to do when revising are to find problems and to fix them. These should be done separately (i.e., go through and find all the problems you can without correcting them). Although it is tempting to do them at the same time, it is smarter to do them one by one – this ensures you have checked everything, and ultimately makes the job more efficient and quicker. Sound simple? Maybe....Essential? – definitely!If possible, find a friend to look over the essay, as he or she may find problems that you missed. 

Important words:

-  Similarly, like, the same as, compared to, in the same way, likewise, similar to, equally, alike.

-  But, yet, on the other hand, however, instead, nevertheless, on the contrary, by contrast, then, rather, in spite of, even though, though, while, whereas, by way of contrast. 

Tips

• First and foremost - Make sure you have answered the question.

• The key principle to remember in a comparative paragraph or essay is that you must clarify precisely what you are comparing and keep that comparison alive throughout the essay. 

• Make sure you have a great topic sentence. Get the reader interested; make them want to read on. 

• Make sure you do not repeat yourself. 

• Ensure that all points are addressed.

Warnings

• One of the most common faults of a poor comparative essay is that the comparison is not ‘balanced’ – that is when the essay focuses predominantly on one of the two issues, and gives less importance to the other. 

• Beware of the "Frying Pan Conclusion", in which you simply recount everything that was said in the main body of the essay. While your conclusion should include a simple summary of your argument, it should also emphatically state the point in a new and convincing way, one which the reader will remember clearly. 

• Avoid, at all costs, the conclusion that the two subjects are "similar, yet different." This commonly found conclusion weakens any comparative essay.

Retrieved from: 

http://www.ssag.sk/files/How-to-write-a-Comparative-essay.pdf

http://www.time4writing.com/writing-essays/comparing-contrasting/

on April 6, 2015

Provided by: Joyce Gutiérrez

Completed by: Ayleen Trujillo Ruiz

How to write an essay? (Writing)

How to write an essay?

Step-by-step guide to writing an essay

So your teacher assigned another essay to write. Does the mere thought of putting pen to paper - or fingers to the keyboard - send shivers down your spine? For many students, it does, but writing an essay should not be intimidating. As long as you know the basic steps of essay writing, you should be well-equipped to handle any essay topic. 

Determine what type of essay it is

There are many different types of essays you might be asked to write. Some of the most common include narrative, expository, argumentative, persuasive, comparative, and literary. Are you presenting an overview or telling a story about the topic (narrative) or are you providing an analysis (expository)? Do you have to convince the reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action (persuasive)? Are you writing an essay about a book you read (literary)? Determining the type of essay is the first step to writing a targeted essay. 

Create an essay outline

An essay outline is your road map. It will guide you through to the finished product. When you create an outline, you organize your thoughts about your topic. First, write your topic at the top of the page. Then list all the points or arguments you want to make about the essay topic. Finally, list the facts, examples and statistics that support those points or arguments. 

Develop a Thesis Statement

Your thesis should inform the reader what point you will be making or what question you will be answering about the topic. In other words, it is a prelude to your conclusion. A thesis statement should be as specific as possible and address one main idea. Strong theses also take a stand or illustrate the controversial nature of a topic. 

Introduce your topic

The first paragraph of your essay will introduce your topic and provide direction for the entire essay. The introduction should discuss your main idea, or what the essay is about, then state your thesis and points or arguments that support your thesis. 

The introduction also sets the tone for your essay, and you want to grab the reader's attention with interest and clarity. To capture the reader's attention, you can make a challenging claim about the topic or present some surprising (but factual) information. 

Write the body of the essay

The body of the essay provides details for the points in your introductory paragraph that support your thesis. Take the points you listed in your introduction and discuss each in one body paragraph. First, write a topic sentence that summarizes your point then explain why you feel the topic sentence is true. Finally, support your argument with evidence such as facts, quotes, examples and statistics. 

Present your conclusion

The conclusion summarizes the essay and gives the reader closure. In three or four concise sentences, you should reiterate your thesis and review the main points of the body of the essay. Just be sure not to restate your previous words exactly. You can briefly describe your opinion of the topic. Your final sentence should uphold your main idea in a clear and compelling manner. 

Just remember to tackle each step one at a time. Some people do better when they work backwards from the conclusion. Write a rough draft of your essay first - do not try to get it perfect the first time through. After you finish your rough draft, proofread it thoroughly and revise until you have a strong, informative essay. 

Discover the basic principles of an essay

Topic

It is obvious, that the very first thing you should think of before writing an essay is its topic. Remember, that an essay is not only about writing skills, but it demonstrates your ability to research as well. An essay is not an essay without any research. Good research capability is important to get: you should find all the information needed, use this info wisely, and distinguish the important facts. 

Purpose

Informative and well-styles essays are impossible to write without a purpose. An essay cannot be just a piece of writing about general things everybody knows and understands perfectly. You have to decide upon the purpose an essay. 

When you perfectly understand what you write an essay for, it will be much easier for you to draw the outline and start writing. 

Outline 

The last thing to do before starting to write an essay is to make its outline. Choose some topic and make a list of points you would need to mention if you wrote an essay on it. Such a technique will give you a better understanding of what an essay is, and how it should be written. 

Make sure you perfectly understand the fact you should follow an essay outine, because it will be much easier for you to write this piece of paper. Every point of the outline should start from a new paragraph. Moreover, the smaller these paragraphs are - the more attractive an essay will look for its readers. It is not very comfortable to read very long paragraphs, as it will be more difficult to get the point in such a way.

Introduction

Finally, it is time to start writing an essay. And here comes its most important part that is called an introduction. An essay will not be good without a proper and attractive beginning, so, you should make it eye-catchy and clear for a potential reader. Moreover, an essay introduction should be intriguing a bit. 

The introductory paragraph should also include the thesis statement, a kind of mini-outline for the paper: it tells the reader what the essay is about. The last sentence of this paragraph must also contain a transitional "hook" which moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the paper. 

The body

The first paragraph of the body should contain the strongest argument, most significant example, cleverest illustration, or an obvious beginning point. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the "reverse hook" which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the introductory paragraph. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or second sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the second paragraph of the body. 

The second paragraph of the body should contain the second strongest argument, second most significant example, second cleverest illustration, or an obvious follow up to the first paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the first paragraph of the body. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or the second sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the third paragraph of the body. 

The last paragraph of the body should contain the weakest argument, weakest example, weakest illustration, or an obvious follow up to the previous paragraph. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the previous paragraph. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or the second sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional concluding hook that signals the reader that this is the final major point being made in this paper. This hook also leads into the last, or concluding, paragraph. 

Conclusion

We have already mentioned the outline of an essay, that will help you write the body of your essay right. Now it is high time for a conclusion, which is not less important than an introduction by the way. It is real art to finish your writing in a way your reader would feel good and satisfied with everything s/he has read. 

You should conclude your essays appropriately, remember, that it is not good to abrupt a piece of writing. And do not forget that a conclusion of your essay should contain a summary of all the main points you discussed in the body and a restatement of your thesis statement using some of the original language or language that "echoes" the original language!

Collected and adapted by Ayleen Trujillo Ruiz

Web pages: 

http://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/step-by-step-guide-to-writing-an-essay/

http://busyteacher.org/17162-how-to-teach-your-students-to-write-an-essay.html

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/five_par.htm

What is a thesis statement? (Writing)

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is that sentence or two in your text that contains the focus of your essay and tells your reader what the essay is going to be about. 

Many writers think of a thesis statement as an umbrella: everything you carry along in your essay has to fit under this umbrella, and if you try to take on packages that do not fit, you will either have to get a bigger umbrella or something is going to get wet. 

A thesis statement: 

- tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.

- is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. 

- directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is our interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II, a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war.

- is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents an argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation. 

When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. 

How do I get a thesis?

It is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a "working thesis", a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence. 

Collected and adapted by Ayleen Trujillo Ruiz

Web pages: 

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/thesis.htm

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/

Telling stories - Sequencing your ideas (Writing)

One of the most important ways to link ideas is to sequence them. Sequencing refers to the order in which events happened. These are some of the most common ways to sequence in writing or speaking.  

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/85269/telling-stories-sequencing-your-ideas
on April 6, 2015

The funniest English idioms

Here there are some of the funniest English idioms, with their explanations and examples.

Retrieved from: 

http://languagelearningbase.com/86808/the-funniest-english-idioms

on April 6, 2015

Prepositions

Retrieved from: 
https://www.facebook.com/EnglishIF/photos/a.384715731541574.98999.384707561542391/1017263818286759/?type=1&theater
on April 6, 2015

"To be" idioms

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/86877/to-be-idioms
on April 6, 2015

Causative verbs: help, let, make, have and get

Causative verbs show us that some person or thing helps to make something happen; they express what causes an action to happen. 

Here are some examples of how causative verbs work in English:

Retrieved from: 

http://languagelearningbase.com/86114/causative-verbs-help-let-make-have-and-get

on April 6, 2015

The rules for the use of capital letters and apostrophes

When do we use capital letters in English? When do we use the apostrophes? How many times have you wondered about these problems? 

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/86153/the-rules-for-the-use-of-capital-letters-and-apostrophes
on April 6, 2015

Informal contractions in English

Contractions are words that are created by combining words in order to shorten them from their original form. They are used when speaking and when writing in casual situations. 

Common contractions are she's (she is), don't (do not), can't (cannot) and won't (will not), among others; and can be written or spoken (informal)

Informal contractions often combine with: you, to, of, would have, etc.

Informal contractions are contractions that break grammar rules and are only used in very casual speech.  

Retrieved from: 

http://languagelearningbase.com/86988/informal-contractions-english-free-spoken-english-lesson

on April 6, 2015

The most popular connective words

Connectives (or connectors) are the words that connect words, clauses, phrases, sentences or even paragraphs. The main connectives are:

  

    - Prepositions: in, on, at, from, etc

    - Conjunctions: and, or, but, etc

    - Relative pronouns: that, which, who, what

    - Conjunctive or relative adverbs: hence, when, where, why, etc

Retrieved from: 

http://languagelearningbase.com/87017/the-most-popular-connective-words

on April 6, 2015

Fifteen familiar terms and their other meanings

Retrieved from:
http://languagelearningbase.com/85020/15-familial-terms-and-their-other-meanings
on April 6, 2015

English Perfect Tenses

Retrieved from:
https://www.facebook.com/EnglishIF/photos/pb.384707561542391.-2207520000.1427855260./1004033519609789/?type=3&theater
on March 31, 2015

English Continuous Tenses

Retrieved from: 
https://www.facebook.com/EnglishIF/photos/pb.384707561542391.-2207520000.1427855260./1004033549609786/?type=3&theater
on March 31, 2015

English Simple Tenses

Retrieved from: 

https://www.facebook.com/EnglishIF/photos/pcb.1004033792943095/1004033512943123/?type=1&theater

on March 31, 2015

Difference between Do and Make

MAKE is associated with creation (producing, constructing, creating or building something new, plans or decisions). We use MAKE with food, drinks, meals.

Examples: 

• I've just made a cake.
• Can you tell me how much ten and ten make?
• The dress you are wearing seems to be made for you.

DO is associated with completion (about work, jobs, tasks, activities in general without being specific). They do not produce any physical object. We sometimes use DO to replace a verb when the meaning is clear or obvious. This is more common in informal spoken English. 

Examples: 

• I must do the shopping.
• You must do your exercise again. 

List of standard expressions that take the verb DO and MAKE

Retrieved from: 

http://languagelearningbase.com/87095/difference-between-do-and-make

on March 31, 2015

English Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that can only be used with a main verb, they cannot be the main verb. It is used to express modality, that is likelyhood, ability, permission, and obligation.

Examples:

                Can I go to the party?

                Could you read when you were two years old?

                

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/85188/english-modal-verbs
on March 31, 2015

Some common verbs in English

Retrieved from: 
https://www.facebook.com/EnglishIF/photos/a.384715731541574.98999.384707561542391/1014090848604056/?type=1&permPage=1 (English is fun)
on March 31, 2015

American slang expressions and their equivalents in British English

Retrieved from: 
http://languagelearningbase.com/79483/american-slang-expression-their-equivalents-british-english
on March 31, 2015

Idioms used in everyday English

Retrieved from:
http://languagelearningbase.com/87116/idioms-used-in-everyday-english
on March 31, 2015

Words and phrases we owe to William Shakespeare

Retrieved from:
http://languagelearningbase.com/87121/words-and-phrases-we-owe-to-william-shakespeare
on March 31, 2015

Wh- questions

Retrieved from:
http://languagelearningbase.com/81614/wh-questions-question-words
on March 31, 2015

Prepositions after adjectives

Retrieved from:
http://languagelearningbase.com/82944/prepositions-after-adjectives
on March 31, 2015

Past Simple Vs Present Perfect

Retrieved from:

http://languagelearningbase.com/85221/past-simple-vs-present-perfect

on March 31, 2015

Idioms with feet

Retrieved from:
http://languagelearningbase.com/87142/idioms-with-feet
on March 31, 2015

History of Easter

Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, is Christianity's most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast because it does not fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year. 

The exact origins of this religious feast day's name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdormada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.

Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil. The day before Lent, known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holly Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples; Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion, and Holy Saturday, which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection.

In addition to Easter's religious significance, it also has a commercial side, as evidenced by the mounds of jelly beans and marshmallows chicks that appear in the stores each spring. As with Christmas, over the centuries various folks customs and pagan traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday. 

Retrieved from:
www.history.com/topics/holiday/history-of-easter
on March 31, 2015