Store shelves are slowly filling up with luscious chocolate Easter eggs and marshmallow peeps, a sign that the Holy Week will soon arrive.

Holy Week this year will begin on March 24 or Maundy Thursday, the night when Jesus reportedly had the Last Supper with his disciples. Good Friday falls on March 25, Easter Sunday on March 27 and Easter Monday on March 28.

Why is Easter celebrated?

Christians celebrate Easter Sunday as a way of honouring the resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to Scripture, Jesus was crucified and died on the cross on Good Friday and came back to life after three days - Easter Sunday.

Easter also marks the end of Lent, a 40-day period that starts on Ash Wednesday.

The date for Easter Sunday changes every year but tends to fall sometime between March 21 and April 25. Easter is always celebrated after the Paschal or Passover Full Moon, which is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.

Why are chocolate eggs and bunnies popular during Easter?

Eggs are believed to symbolize new life, and as Christ's sacrifice and resurrection gave Christians new life, it became a fitting symbol. An egg that has been cracked open is also said to symbolize an empty tomb.

It was said that eating eggs were not allowed during Holy Week. Instead, they were saved and decorated and later given to children as gifts. And as chocolate became more prevalent, and the techniques in creating such confectionaries improved, the modern Easter egg was born and has remained popular.

As for the Easter rabbit, it started out as a symbol for spring, as the hare was said to be the companion of Eostre, the Goddess of the season. This was later incorporated into Christian celebrations and became the "Easter Hare" or the "Easter Bunny," who judged whether children had been good or bad.

There are numerous ways that Easter is celebrated around the world. Most Christians celebrate by attending mass. Others exchange eggs or go Easter egg hunting. The White House holds an Easter egg roll for young children while some companies come out with new and novel designs of chocolate bunnies or eggs.