As early as the second century AD, Easter for the Christian Church extended forward into a “most joyful season” of fifty days leading into Pentecost. Known as “Eastertide,” it was a season of hope and celebration in which Christians began to get a foretaste of the heavenly banquet awaiting them. It was an appropriate time to spread the Good News of Christ’s resurrection and celebration. The heart of the Christian calendar rests squarely on Easter. The celebration of Eastertide allows us to see our Christian life from the other side of Easter, and encourages us to live our lives in Christ’s victory, hope and power. It invites us to feel the exhilaration of his disciples after realizing he was alive!