The Colours of Heaven: Angels

Angels are beings who act as intermediaries between God and the world. They act as God's ministers, his messengers and his guardians. They are ranked in celestial hierarchies of seven orders, nine choirs and three triads. The three archangels are: Michael (dragon-slayer), Gabriel (messenger and divine instrument) and Raphael (guide to physicians and travellers). Angels with six wings surround the throne of god. Christianity angels are also sometimes depicted with swans' wings.
As to their colour, there are various views on angels. Some theologians believe they are entirely white whereas others describe them as luminous beings and as radiant images of brightness. Since they are thought to be either purely spiritual beings or spirits endowed with ethereal or airy bodies, they are often pictured as transparent and having a translucid nature. Despite their spiritual nature, angels can assume a human appearance and can have a body analogous with the human but their food obviously bears no relation to that of humankind since it is heavenly.

Angels prefer different colours according to the functions they perform:
- Guardian angels love pink and light-green.
- Healing angels prefer sapphire blue.
- Birth angels like light-blue.
- Angels of music love white.
- Nature angels love apple-green.
- Wisdom angels love yellow.

Cherubims belong to a superior order in the angelic hierarchy and, according to the Bible of Jerusalem, they were heavenly beings made of gold. In Exodus 25: 18, when the Ark of the Covenant was being made, the Lord instructed Moses:
"And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold"
The brightness of cherubims denotes their fullness of knowledge and stream of wisdom and their readiness to receive the highest vision of light. The name of the seraphims means fire (saraf). In Isaiah 6, the angel of the Lord (the seraphim) cleanses by fire. Their fiery or burning nature thus corresponds not to death but to purification. Their light-like and light-shedding characteristic destroys and dispels every kind of obscure darkness.

Baby angels are always shown in white. They are said to love delicate floral fragrances and soft melodies like lullabies or those played by flutes and violins.

Fallen angels, on the other hand, are the ones who disobeyed or rebelled against God. Some doctors of theology believe they sin because they have sexual intercourse with mortal women. The child resulting from that union is a demon. Fallen angels are always associated with black and darkness, which is the antithesis of light. Gothic angels, on the other hand, are black winged and share the dark features of the fallen angels though they are not necessarily associated with the negative idea of sin.

Easter Traditions & Facts

Easter Facts

Easter is a grand festival of Christians. There are many interesting facts about Easter that we are all unaware of.

Here are some Easter facts:

The name Easter owes its origin to Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes hare and egg.
Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.
Pysanka is a specific term used for the practice of Easter egg painting.
From the very early times, the egg has been considered to be the most important symbol of rebirth.
The initial Easter baskets were given the appearance of bird's nests.
The maiden chocolate eggs recipes were made in Europe in the nineteenth century.
Each year witnesses the making of nearly 90 million chocolate bunnies.
Next to Halloween, the Easter holiday paves the way for confectionary business to boom.
When it comes to eating of chocolate bunnies, it is the ears that are preferred to be eaten first by as many as 76% of people.
In the catalogue of kids' favourite Easter foodstuff, red jellybeans occupy top most position.

Easter Traditions

* Easter Colours

The Easter colours wheel encompasses innumerable colours. Most of the people are unaware of the Easter colour philosophy. In fact, all the colours of Easter have their own unique significance. If one is indicative of brightness, the other represents the darkness of our sins.

1 - RED: this colour is associated with the blood that Jesus Christ shed for mankind. Thus the colour red is a symbol of love and sacrifice for goodness of humanity.
2 - WHITE: this Easter colour signifies purity and grace.
3 - GREEN: the colour green brings rays of hope. Green is the colour of grass.
4 - PURPLE: Easter colour purple is indicative of royalty. It is said that the colour purple brings wealth.
5 - YELLOW: it is the colour that is related to the brightness of sun. It’s a colour that brings joy and happiness.
6 - BLACK: it is the colour that indicates the evil side. To put it other words, we can say black signifies darkness.
7 - ORANGE: it is the colour that represents hope. It is associated with the dawn of day.
8 - PINK: Easter colour pink indicates fresh beginning.

* Easter Cards

The trend of exchanging greeting cards for Easter has become very popular. In fact, this tradition of gifting friends and relatives with Easter cards is a back dated practice. But year-by-year, gift galleries are witnessing a boom in the sale of Easter cards and other gifts. People are spending loads of money on these cute gift items. Next to Christmas, Valentine Day and Mothers day, the fourth largest greeting card selling holiday is Easter.
In this hi technology contemporary world, people have begun to send Easter e cards. The best part about these online cards is that, there are multiple websites that provide with the facility of sending free e cards. There are beautiful animated bunny cards and Easter egg cards. Not only can we find animated cards, but also the musical ones. Also there are no hassles of their delivery. There are religious Easter cards with a social message that guide us to lead a truthful life. On the other hand, there are cute colourful bunny cards especially meant to be exchanged among children. One can shop for these cards, but hand made Easter cards have their own significance because they have a personal touch attached. Hopefully, this custom of wishing each other Happy Easter through Easter greeting cards will never fade.

Holidays & Celebrations: Easter Symbols

Easter Eggs

When the time approaches for Easter celebration, the first thing that strikes our mind are Easter eggs. In the catalogue of Easter symbols, Easter eggs occupy the top most position. Eggs symbolize fertility. For many decades, there has been a trend of exchanging Easter eggs among friends and relatives. Easter egg decoration is the favourite fun activity of kids during Easter week. In fact every Easter, Easter egg-colouring competitions are held.

It is at Easter that ladies prepare yummy recipes and in this special menu, chocolate Easter eggs are always a must. During the Easter festivity, Easter eggs make a place for themselves everywhere, then be it Easter table decorations or Easter delicious recipes. These days Easter eggshell ornaments are very in. People embellish their houses with handmade painted Easter eggs.

In the ancient times, these Easter eggs were very brightly coloured, giving a warm welcome to the spring season. The colour of Easter eggs also has its own significance. For example a red Easter egg symbolizes the blood that Jesus Christ shed for the goodness of mankind. The green colour represents holiness. There is a social message attached to different coloured Easter eggs, which if followed, can take the life of man to the path of success.

Easter Bunny

When the spring season heads its way towards us, the first thought that strikes our mind is undoubtedly the Easter festivity. And when the talk is about Easter, it is definitely incomplete without the mention of Easter bunny and Easter eggs. Most of us are ignorant about the origin of the Easter bunny. Easter bunny is a symbol associated with fertility and the reason behind is that, it has a very quick speed of reproduction.

There are many legends associated with the history of Easter bunny. Some legends suggest that this grand festival Easter got its name from the Anglo- Saxon goddess called Eostre, who was always seen along with her pet bunny rabbit. It's astonishing to know that, it was the very bunny of this goddess that had laid the first coloured eggs. Easter bunny has become famous for starting the tradition of Easter egg hiding. Thus, the kids' favourite game of Easter egg hunt can be attributed to Easter bunnies.

Today, Easter bunny occupies the most dominant position amongst all symbols of Easter. In the contemporary times, Easter bunnies are found sailing smoothly virtually everywhere. The gift galleries are stocked with cute bunny rabbit stuff toys. Not only are they adorning homes, but have become the source of flourishing business for confectionary shops too. Chocolate bunny rabbit cookies and cakes sell like real hot cakes during the Easter spring season. This symbol of Pagan times, Easter bunny, symbolizes new life.

Easter Candles

To celebrate the resurrection of Lord Jesus, Easter candles are lighted in churches. These decorative candles for Easter symbolize Jesus' return to life. They are associated with new life. Among the Easter candles, the most famous one is the Paschal candle. These paschal candles comprise engravings of the cross and the Greek letters alpha and omega that signify that the Lord is omnipresent.

The beeswax, out of which the Easter candle is prepared, represents the purity of Jesus Christ, its wick signifies humanity and the flame is indicative of the Jesus' divine nature. These decorative Easter candles not only adorn the house but also have a social message attached to them. This explains the reason why beautifully decorated Easter candles are selling like real hot cakes in the market.

The trend of embellishing the house with homemade Easter candles is very in. They are inexpensive and enable you to tantalize your senses and come up with some creative ideas. Making candles at home is great fun. Easter bunny candles are among the kids' favorite crafts. So light the candles and let the light of Jesus come into your house.

Easter Cross

The Easter cross has a lot of significance for the Christian community. A cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, reminding us of the blood that Jesus shed in lieu of the sins committed by mankind. It is a sacred symbol that signifies faith. An empty Easter symbol cross, on the other hand, is indicative of the resurrection of Lord Jesus that represents the triumph of goodness over the evil spirit and life over death. Thus as a symbol of Easter, the cross is indicative of both crucifixion and resurrection. If, on one hand, it signifies sacrifice, then on the other hand, it is a symbol of new life.

Different kinds of crosses are famous among various Christian groups. For example among Catholics and Protestants, the Latin cross is in usage and Eastern Orthodox churches have adopted the Greek cross. Crosses of different lengths can be spotted but six to seven feet long looks real impressive. It is used for prayer purpose during the Lent season. But on Good Friday, the cross, usually a wooden one, is covered with black, a colour for mourning for the death of Jesus. Black on the cross is meant to remember the sacrifices of Jesus but before Easter Sunday, the draping in black is removed and the cross is decorated with flowers to honour Jesus' return to life. Thus, the Easter cross has a lot of significance for Christians.

Food & Cooking: Easter Delicacies

Easter Cake

When the season heads its way towards spring, the first thing that strikes our mind is undoubtedly yummy chocolate Easter cake. It is during this time, when newspapers and magazines are all flooded with the receipes of Easter cakes. Easter's bunny cake recipe is one such dish that sails smoothly in almost every home.
In fact, confectionary shops earn a very good business, during the Easter festivity, through the sale of delicious creamy Easter cakes. As a part of the Easter feast, people in Eastern Europe relish the taste of the skirt-shaped Easter cake called babka, which means little old woman. In Italy, Easter cakes usually acquire the shape of a bunny rabbit, the most prominent symbol associated with Easter. In other countries Easter cakes can be spotted in the shape of lamb.

Easter Cookies

Easter, being one of the most prominent festivals of Christians, is celebrated on a large scale, in which houses are adorned with splendid easy to make Easter crafts like Easter eggshell ornaments and Easter bunny rabbit stuff toys. Special dishes are prepared to honour the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And when the talk is about Easter feast, how can we forget our Easter cookie recipes?
During the Easter festivity, all the cookery shows are dedicated to Easter recipes especially recipe for Easter cookies. In the catalogue of cookies for Easter festivity, the top position is occupied by Easter's bunny cookie recipes for kids. It is not just about having sweets, but the prime moto is to have a gathering of family, friends and relatives on one day, when everybody can sit together and share their happy moments with each other.
Preparing these Easter cookies is not only pocket friendly, but also gives immense pleasure because of the personal touch attached to it. It is during the Easter springtime when magazines are all filled with cookie recipes by famous chefs. The reservoir of yummy cookie recipes is really large comprising different kinds of cookies like gingerbread Easter bunny cookies, meringue kisses for Easter, Easter dream bar cookies and Apricot Squares for Easter.

Easter Hot Cross Buns

Easter hot cross buns recipe is not just a yummy dish that is served on the Easter festivity, but the cross-pastry icing that is done on the bun, reminds us of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Eating hot cross buns is a tradition that is passed over from one generation to another. From the Pagan times, it has been a custom to eat these Easter symbols: hot cross buns at breakfast time on Good Friday. And since then, this tradition has become a major part of Easter celebration.
One can relish the different flavours of hot cross buns that are added on in different proportions to make a perfect combo of sweet, spicy and fruity taste. These hot cross buns are baked at home in the oven and served hot. That is why they are called hot cross buns. These buns sell like hot cakes during Easter springtime, implying good business for the bakery shops.
People have a belief that hot cross buns protect us from evil spirits and have the magical power of curing. This explains the reason why in ancient times, people used to hang these buns on the kitchen ceilings. This Easter, enjoy the delicious recipe of hot cross buns and don't forget to serve it hot.

Flowers: Easter Lilies

The Easter lily is a symbol associated with motherhood. A symbol of Easter, the white lily signifies purity and hope. There are many legends related to the Easter lily flower. It's not just a flower meant to adorn house, but it has a lot of significance too. According to Roman mythology, the white Lily is associated with Juno, the queen of gods. It is said that at the time when queen Juno was feeding her baby son Hercules, some milk fell from the sky. The part of it that remained above the earth, paved way for the formation of Milky Way and the rest of it that fell onto the earth, led to the blooming of beautiful white lilies. White lilies are then an outcome of the milk of the mythological queen of heaven, Hera, through which these gorgeous flowers had sprung.

As part of the Easter tradition, to honour Jesus' resurrection, churches are decorated with beautiful white lilies. At homes, they find a special place for themselves in colourful flower baskets. Also, they serve as wonderful Easter gifts, heading their way to splendid flower bouquets. Since the white lily symbolizes purity, it is often associated with mother Mary. This explains the reason why the paintings for Easter picture saints presenting gorgeous white lilies to mother Mary, while congratulating her for being the mother of Jesus. Thus, the Easter lily is a sacred flower that marks the commemoration of Jesus' return to life.

Traditional Costumes in the World of High Fashion

Fashion designers adopt typical clothes from different countries and add them to their collections. These garments are worn by famous models on the catwalks of Pars, London, New York, San Pablo and Buenos Aires.

Kimonos, for example, are traditional Japanese style clothes. "Kimono" meant "something you wear" originally. Long ago, people in Japan wore kimonos every day. Now, people only wear a kimono for special occasions such as formal ceremonies.
A kimono is a robe shaped like a "T". Normal kimonos reach to the ankles, and have very long sleeves. Kimonos for women usually have colourful designs of flowers and butterflies. People wear a wide belt called an obi with their kimono. Obi belts are also colorful.
Women's kimonos are all the same size. Ladies fold them and tuck them to make them the right size. People who are very tall or heavy have to have kimonos especially made for them.
There are different types of formal and casual kimonos. Kimonos are usually made of silk, but there are cotton and polyester kimonos as well.
Kenzo, the famous Japanese fashion designer, introduced the kimono in his fashion shows and John Galliano showed kimonos in one of his last collections for Dior.

A sari is a type of clothing for women. It is mostly used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is a very long strip of cloth which women wrap around their body. There are different kinds of saris for different occasions.
British model and actress Elizabeth Hurley wore a 4000 pound ($7800) pink silk sari for her traditional Indian-style wedding to Indian businessman Arun Nayar. The costume had been created by Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani. She required her dames of honour to wear a pink sari too. Chanel also included saris in their last Paris collection.

A kilt is a traditional Scottish garment, usually in a tartan pattern. It is worn by men and its origin has to do with the heavy rains that fall in Scotland all through the year. By wearing skirts, men did not get their trousers dirty! In the XX century, the kilt began to be worn by women and fashion designers incorporated them in their collections as well. British designer Vivienne Westwood revolutionized fashion by adopting kilts and traditional elements of Scottish design such as tartan fabric in her collections.

A poncho is a garment designed to keep the body warm, or if made from a watertight material, to keep dry during rain. It was created by the Peruvians and is now known in over 150 countries over the world. Alternative ponchos are now designed as fashion items. They are the same shape but of different material. They are designed to look fashionable and provide warmth while remaining breathable and comfortable, rather than to ward off wind and rain. These are often made out of wool or yarn, knitted or crocheted. Some fashion designers have even created them in fine materials such as silk or velvet. Enchanted Emerald Forest offers bridal ponchos made in chiffon in a variety of delicate colours such as white, lavender, ivory, baby pink and mauve and some other audacious hues such as red, purple, powder blue, royal blue, black and fuchsia pink.

Espadrilles are casual flat or high-heel fashion sandals wich usually have a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of rope or rubber material moulded to look like rope. They were typically worn by gauchos and by workers but today even most Hollywood celebrities have at least one pair of them in their wardrobe. Floral print espadrilles for men became a sensation last spring. High-heel canvas espadrilles have been popularized by Stella McCartney in momochromatic or tropical print versions.

Fans look typically Spanish but they really have an Oriental origin. Japanese and Chinese fans are made of paper on a bamboo frame, usually with a design painted on them. In the 15th century, Portuguese traders brought fans to Europe from China and Japan. Top fashion designers have used fans as accessories for their haute couture dresses. Victorian fans made of delicate lace are commonly incorporated in bridal collections. Fans made of white feathers are also used to complement wedding apparels.
Last year the French firm Louis Vuitton and Spanish actress Rossy de Palma co-designed limited edition fans. The actress is an ambassador to OrphanAid Africa to where a portion of the fans' proceeds were donated.

Neuschwanstein, A Fairytale Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle (in German Schloss Neuschwanstein) actually means New Swan Stone Castle. It is a castle that was made in the 19th century by the Bavarian king Ludwig II. The castle is in south Germany. It is one of the most famous sites among tourists.

The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.