Celebrating Easter Traditions (NAPSA)—While people have been celebrating Easter for centuries, many are unaware of the facts about some popular traditions associated with the holiday. For example, the Easter Bunny is believed to have been introduced to America around the year 1700 by German settlers in Pennsylvania. Easter baskets are thought to have soon followed and today as many as 90 percent of children in the U.S. receive some form of gift-filled Easter basket, according to the National Confectioners Association. Easter movies have also become a popular tradition, with many people choosing to watch either a religious or family film to help them celebrate. Here’s a look at some Easter movies: A Holiday Favorite Widely referred to as one of the best Biblical epics of all time, “The Robe,” starring Richard Burton, tells the story of a Roman centurion charged with overseeing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. A cynical and hardened man, he wins the robe Jesus wore to the crucifixion while gambling with other Roman soldiers. But after coming to believe the robe is cursed, hesets out to destroy it, only to find faith instead. The Oscar-nominated movie has been fully restored from its original format and is available on Blu-ray Disc and Special Edition DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. A Modern Classic The company has also released “The Passion of the Christ” on Bluray Disc. Thefilm focuses on the last 12 hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s = te Gig Easter movies have become part of many people’s holiday tradition. life. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem, where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death. Family Favorites If you’re looking for familyfriendly movies to watch around Easter time, The Dove Foundation seal of approval could help. All approved films have been screened by the foundation’s film review board for clean content and language. The seal can help parents pick DVDsthat are wholesome and enjoyable for the entire family. Approved double-feature DVDs include films such as “Aquamarine” and “Material Girls,” “The Sandlot” and “Rookie of the Year” as well as “The Black Stallion” and “The Black Stallion Returns.” For more information, visit www.foxstore.com.
