Easter is the oldest Christian festival, as old as Christianity itself. The Central tenet of Christianity is not the birth of Jesus, but his resurrection. Easter derived from this paschal mystery and from the events of Good Friday.
The content of Easter was gradually analyzed into historical events and each began to be celebrated on a different day. As a result, Easter grew into a Holy Week and came to have a preparatory season to precede and a festive season to follow. Thus we have four distinct periods in connection with the observance of Easter - 1. Lent, the forty preparatory penitential days. 2. Holy Week including the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 3. the Octave of Easter (classical time for Baptism) and 4. the paschal season or Easter time extending over forty more days. On Holy Thursday the Lord's supper is held in the evening. The washing of feet is a remarkable trait, emphasizing the love for one another. At home there will be the rite of the paschal bread. After supper, the 'cross cake' is brought out and cut into pieces. A piece is broken, dipped into sauce and handed over to each member of the family in due order.
Good Friday is a day of grief when churches are empty and dark. Services are held in the afternoon. In most churches one finds a bitter drink prepared from leaves, vinegar, etc for everyone to taste after the service. Holy Saturday is a day of mourning and wailing. A total silence reigns the church from morning to dusk. But by ten at night the church is full to observe the Easter Vigil.
In the gloom which envelops the church, new fire is struck from flint and blessed. A big candle is then consecrated and from it is lighted many candled indicating the resurrection. Bells peal, music fills the air and light floods the hall. Hallelujah is the joyous word of Easter wish. Easter Sunday is a quiet day and the celebrations rather spiritual and inward rather than social and showy. There will be grand dinner at homes and visit of relatives.
Thrissur Pooram is considered the "Pooram of all Poorams" celebrated in Kerala. Thrissur is an abbreviation of 'thiru-shiva-perur'. The reigning deity of the Vadakkunnathan temple here is Lord Shiva. The legend goes that, Parasurama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, requested Lord Shiva to come down to the land and the Lord selected the town Thrissur to settle down.
The 200 year old festival, Thrissur Pooram, is an excellent cultural highlight of Kerala. This is celebrated in the Malayalam month o f Medam. The festival, a spectacular feast for the eyes and ears, is a celebration for 36 hours (6 am to 12 noon on the next day) of the procession of the caparisoned elephants, percussion performances like the Panchavadyam and Pandimelom and excellent fireworks!
The festival is confined to the temples of Sastha and Devi, adhering to the medieval traditions. The main venue of the festival is the Thekkinkadi maidan, encircling the Vadakumnathan temple. Lord Siva at the Sree Vadakkunnathan temple is regarded the only spectator of the event.
Ten deities from the neighbouring temples pay obeisance to the presiding deity of Thrissur. The Principle participants to the festival are Paramekkavu and Tiruvambadi, close to the Vadakunnathan temple while the suburban temples at Kanimangalam, Karamukku, Choorakkattukara, Laloor, Ayyanthole, Neithilakkavu , Chembukkavu and Panamukkampilly also participate.
The uniqueness of the festival is that it vanishes away the narrow domestic walls of class, caste or religion among the people and crowds throng from all corners to witness this mega cultural event, thus making it the "festival of all festivals" celebrated in Kerala.