This Sunday marks both Easter and the end of Passover. Those two religious celebrations have ancient connections to the changing of the season, the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring. With great respect to all of you who may be observing Easter or Passover, I chose a different spiritual worship as a rite of spring: the start of the baseball season.

One of the very best baseball movies is Bull Durham, a 1988 film starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon. It’s Sarandon’s character, Annie Savoy, who utters one of the film’s most famous lines: “I believe in the Church of Baseball. I've tried all the major religions and most of the minor ones. And the only church that truly feeds the soul, day-in day-out, is the Church of Baseball.” Amen Annie.

To mark and explain this weekend’s important dates in Christian and Jewish worship, I’ve spanned the great global network of The Conversation for articles that tell us why Easter is called Easter, the politics behind the crucifixion of Jesus and how this pandemic Passover is a chance to offer hope for the future.

And for my particular religion, there’s also four fabulous reads about baseball – including two stories on the great Jackie Robinson, the most important player in the history of the game. Major League Baseball marks Jackie Robinson Day on April 15.

The weekend is also a good time to catch up on The Conversation Weekly podcast. This week's episode features our Science and Technology Editor Nehal El-Hadi.

From everyone in the virtual newsroom of The Conversation Canada, we wish you a great holiday weekend – whether you’re hunting for Easter eggs or getting your glove out of the closet for that first game of catch of the season. Enjoy…and we’ll be back in your Inbox on Monday.

Scott White

CEO | Editor-in-Chief

Holiday Weekend Reads

Why Easter is called Easter, and other little-known facts about the holiday

Brent Landau, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

A scholar explains the rich historical roots of Easter and how it has evolved over the centuries.

Politicians have ‘washed their hands’ and blamed others since Jesus’s crucifixion

Tony Keddie, University of British Columbia

The expression to "wash one's hands of responsibility" comes from Christian scripture and has been part of a toxic legacy of blaming Jews for Jesus's death.

7 ways to make Easter safe and inclusive for children with food allergies

Prathyusha Sanagavarapu, Western Sydney University

There's no need for children with food allergies to miss out this Easter. Here's how to include them in your celebrations and help keep them safe.

This Passover, as in the past, will be a time to recognize tragedies and offer hope for the future

Samuel L. Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder

As vaccinated grandparents gather with their families this Passover, many might find solace in the history of the celebrations and how it offers hope for the future.

Did racism kill Jackie Robinson?

Tamra Burns Loeb, University of California, Los Angeles; Alicia Morehead-Gee, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science; Derek Novacek, UCLA School of Medicine

Major league baseball opens today, and few are likely to give race a thought. When Jackie Robinson integrated MLB in 1947, it was a far different story. Did racism lead to Robinson's early death?

How politics played a major role in the signing of Jackie Robinson

Chris Lamb, IUPUI

Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey liked to take credit for breaking the color barrier. In truth, it was the culmination of a long campaign waged by the left wing press and labor unions.

How humans became the best throwers on the planet

Michael P. Lombardo, Grand Valley State University ; Robert Deaner, Grand Valley State University

We're the only species that can throw at speeds that kill.

Babe Ruth in a kimono: How baseball diplomacy has fortified Japan-U.S. relations

Steven Wisensale, University of Connecticut

The effects of war, economic tension and accidental deaths have been mitigated by a sport that both cultures treasure.

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