Today marks the beginning of two major religious holidays for both the Christian and Jewish faiths.  

Today is considered “Good Friday” in the Christian faith, which commemorates the day Jesus Christ died on the cross.  This Friday also marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover, or “Pesach,” at sundown.

Eastern students and Charleston residents discuss their plans for the weekend. 

Josh Ruben, a junior special education major, said he will travel to his grandparents’ house to spend time with his family.  Ruben said his family is close-knit and they like to spend time together.  Ruben said he is the oldest of his cousins, and him and some of the older cousins will hide Easter eggs for the younger cousins. 

Patti Willoughby, of Paris, said she does not have Easter traditions, but she said her family will celebrate by having Easter dinner.  Willoughby’s 20-year-old granddaughter said she still wanted to do an Easter egg hunt. 

Denise Corray, a non-traditional graduate student and Eastern benefits representative, said she celebrates the Easter holiday with an Easter egg hunt for her children, who are 7, 9 and 11-years-old, and a family dinner.  

Amy Caltry, of Charleston, said her Easter traditions include an Easter egg hunt, Easter dinner and going to church. 

Maya, Caltry’s 11-year-old daughter, said her favorite part about Easter is the candy. 

Paulina Dejworek, a sophomore nursing major, said she is going home to the northwest suburbs to celebrate Easter with her Catholic family.  

Dejworek said she has a tradition in her family where they bless baskets of symbolic food, like meat, eggs and fruit, and on Easter Sunday her family will divide up the food in the baskets and eat it. 

Kelly Cotterill, a freshman elementary education major, said she celebrates both the Catholic Easter holidays and the Greek Orthodox Easter holidays, so she will be traveling home this weekend for the Christian Easter and next weekend for the Greek Orthodox Easter.  

Cotterill said for the Catholic celebration she will go to church and participate in egg hunts and collect Easter baskets.  Cotterill said she will go home next weekend to celebrate Greek Orthodox Easter and will go to church and participate in little traditions like cracking red eggs to celebrate the blood of Christ. 

The Newman Catholic Center will have their Sunday mass at 11 a.m. and the First Presbyterian Church will have a sunrise service, among others, at 7 a.m.  

Wesley United Methodist Church will have Easter services at 8:30, 9:45 and 11 a.m. on Easter Sunday and an Easter egg hunt will be available for younger children. 

Kathryn Richter can be reached 581-2812

or kjrichter@eiu.edu.