“We are not alone: Jesus, the Living One, is with us, forever. Let the Church and the world rejoice, for today our hopes no longer come up against the wall of death, for the Lord has built us a bridge to life. Yes, brothers and sisters, at Easter the destiny of the world was changed, and on this day, which also coincides with the most probable date of Christ’s resurrection, we can rejoice to celebrate, by pure grace, the most important and beautiful day of history.”
-Pope Francis

Image courtesy of A.J. Balinski, ’26 CLAS.

Falvey Library Service Hours: Easter 2024

Tuesday, March 26: 8 a.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, March 27: 8 a.m.—10 p.m. (book stacks close at 9:30 p.m.)

Thursday, March 28—Sunday, March 31: Service desk and book stacks closed.

Monday, April 1: 2 p.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Villanova students, faculty, and staff may enter the Library building 24/7 with a valid Wildcard. Library services are available to the University community during posted service hours. Electronic collections (articles, e-books, and more!) are accessible through the Library’s website 24/7. For a full listing of service hours, visit the Library website.

Blessings to you and your families for your Easter, Passover, and Ramadan celebrations.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin wrote, “The imagination has no limits. The physical world does. The work exists in both.”

Happy Monday, Wildcats! Easter break is right around the corner, making it the perfect time to take some time for yourself and refresh your mind. We’re at that point in the semester when burnout is setting in, with workloads increasing and papers and exams starting to pile up.

To put forth your best work and to end the semester feeling proud of yourself, take some time to prioritize self-care and doing things that make you happy over break. Then, come back refreshed with an imagination ready to take on the rest of the semester and make your wildest ideas a reality.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, March 25

Mindfulness Monday | 1-1:30 p.m. | Multifaith Prayer Room, St. Rita’s Hall | Virtual Option | ACS-Approved | Free & Open to Villanova Students, Faculty, & Staff

Center for Speaking and Presentation/The Learners’ Studio | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Tuesday, March 26

Center for Speaking and Presentation/The Learners’ Studio | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

For any breakfast food fans, Monday, Mar. 25, is International Waffle Day. Waffles are an easily customizable breakfast food option with a host of different toppings and additions to chose from—strawberries and a little whipped cream is my personal favorite. If you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, pull out your waffle maker or head to a local diner and enjoy some waffles.

Photo by Toni Reed on Unsplash

Tuesday, Mar. 26 is Solitude Day. School might still be in session, but it’s still a good time to fit some me-time into your schedule. Whether it’s reading a good book, taking a therapeutic walk, or cooking your favorite meal, you can celebrate the day by making some time for yourself.

As the break might have clued you in, Easter is this Sunday, Mar. 31. It might be a Catholic holiday, but I think it’s also just a great excuse to spend some time with your family and to eat some of your favorite candy. Personally, my favorite candy to enjoy on Easter are Robin Eggs, which are basically Whoppers covered in a pastel-colored candy coating. Enjoy your break!

Annie Stockmal is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library.

Easter blessings, Nova Nation!

Photo courtesy of Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS.

Falvey Library Service Hours: Easter 2023

Monday, April 3: 8 a.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Tuesday, April 4: 8 a.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, April 5: 8 a.m.—10 p.m. (book stacks close at 9:30 p.m.)

Thursday, April 6: Service desk and book stacks closed.

Friday, April 7—Sunday, April 9: Service desk and book stacks closed.

Monday, April 10: 2 p.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Villanova students, faculty, and staff may enter the Library building 24/7 with a valid Wildcard. Library services are available to the University community during posted service hours. Electronic collections (articles, e-books, and more!) are accessible through the Library’s website 24/7. For a full listing of service hours, visit the Library website.

Blessings to you and your families for your Easter, Passover and Ramadan celebrations.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication & Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.

By Ethan Shea

Did you know the Easter Bunny has Pennsylvanian roots? As those who celebrate prepare for Easter, here in Pennsylvania, we can rest assured that the Easter Bunny won’t forget to leave plenty of eggs.

According to TIME Magazine, “the Easter Bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare.”

The Free Library of Philadelphia backs up this claim and expands upon it here: “Georg Franck von Frankenau first wrote about the Alsatian tradition of a Hare bringing Easter eggs in his De ovis paschalibus or About Easter Eggs in 1682, but it was the Pennsylvania Dutch who brought the tradition of the Easter Hare or Oschter Haws to Pennsylvania.”

When it comes to holidays involving small mammals, Pennsylvania reigns supreme. Name another state that both the Easter Bunny and the immortal Punxsutawney Phil can call home! All we need now is a state bat for International Bat Appreciation Day on April 17. If you have any ideas for names, I’d love to see them in the comments!

I know I’m looking forward to a home-cooked meal with my family. Regardless of whether you celebrate Easter, I hope you enjoy a well-deserved break!

Ethan Shea is a first-year English Graduate Student and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

Falvey Library Service Hours: Easter 2022

Tuesday, April 12: 8 a.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, April 13: 8 a.m.—10 p.m. (book stacks close at 9:30 p.m.)

Thursday, April 14—Sunday, April 17: Service desk and book stacks closed.

Monday, April 18: 2 p.m.—12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)

Villanova students, faculty, and staff may enter the Library building 24/7 with a valid Wildcard. Library services are available to the University community during posted service hours. Electronic collections (articles, e-books, and more!) are accessible through the Library’s website 24/7. For a full listing of service hours, visit the Library website.

Easter blessings, Nova Nation.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” – Saint Augustine

A blessed Easter to Villanovans around the world. To celebrate this joyous season, we decided to revisit the Easter exhibit from 2013, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25): An Easter Celebration from Special Collections.”

Visual. Intellectual. Spiritual.

The exhibit was designed by Laura Bang, ‎Distinctive Collections Librarian; she and Michael Foight, Director of Distinctive Collections and Digital Engagement, mounted the exhibit; and Joanne Quinn, Director of Communications and Marketing, created posters and other graphics.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Easter is considered “a movable feast” (New Catholic Encyclopedia) and Easter’s date also affects other holy days: Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent; Palm Sunday; the days of Holy Week – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday – and Pentecost.

The earliest date for Easter, March 22, occurred in 1761 and 1818; it will fall on March 22 again in 2285 and 2353. Easter can be as late as April 25 as happened in 1886 and 1943 and this will occur again in 2038. This year, 2021, Easter is celebrated on April 4.

From the earliest years of Christianity, Easter has been its most important feast, and the date of the observance varied. No one day of the week was associated with Christmas, Christ’s birth day, and by about A.D. 400 the western Church had assigned December 25 as the date for the observation of Christmas.

The Easter season, however, did have specific days of the week associated with its events and this contributed to the variety of dates on which Easter was celebrated. Historically, it is believed that Jesus held the Last Supper on the 14th day of Nisan (a Jewish month), the date of Passover.

The date of Passover was based upon a lunar calendar and Passover did not always fall on the same day of the week. But for Christians, Christ’s Resurrection occurred on a Sunday and therefore Easter should be celebrated on a Sunday. And this led to conflicts, which were resolved by the Council of Nicaea (Council of Nice).

Dig Deeper

Read Lenten Reflections, compiled by the Office of Mission & Ministry, from Villanova faculty and staff.

Holy Holidays! The Catholic Origins of Celebration (2011). Greg Tobin.
Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times (1999). Paul F. Bradshaw and Lawrence A. Hoffman, editors.
“The Date of Easter: A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Mathematics, Villanova University” (1954). Sister Mary Bernita Smith, RSM.
The Regulation of Easter, or the Cause of the Errors and Dfferences [sic] Contracted in the Calculation of It Discover’d and Duly Consider’d. (1735). Henry Wilson.
The Great Cicle [sic] of Easter Containing a Short Rule, to Knowe Yppon [sic] What Day of the Month Easter Day will Fall … (1584). John Pett.

Alice Bampton is a retired staff member of Falvey Memorial Library. A version of this article was originally published April 4, 2015.