Celebrations-Easter
Easter-a moveable feast
• Easter Day is always on a Sunday, but the date
varies from year to year unlike Christmas which
is always on December 25.
• Many years ago Christians decided that Easter
Day should be always be on the Sunday
following the first full moon after the first day of
Spring on March 21.
• This means that Easter can be as early as 22
March or as late as 25 April.
For this reason Easter is called a movable feast.
Maundy Thursday Ceremony
• In Britain today, the Queen follows a very
traditional role of giving Maundy Money to a
group of pensioners. The tradition of the
Sovereign giving money to the poor dates from
the 13th century, from the reign of Edward I.
• The people who are given the coins should be
as many men and women as the Sovereign has
years of age.
The Queen gives Maundy Money
Maundy Thursday Ceremony
• In 2011, each person was given two purses - 85 men
and 85 women- to mark the Queen’s age – a white
purse containing 85p in Maundy coins and a red
purse containing £5 coin and 50p piece
• The men and women who receive the coins are all
retired pensioners in recognition of service to the
community.
What is Maundy Money?
• Maundy coins are specially minted for the occasion
and are legal tender and, as they are produced in
such limited numbers, they are much sought after by
collectors.
Easter is a Christian festival.
• The symbol of the cross
• The custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new life. Christians
remember that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose from the dead.
This miracle showed that life could win over death.
The egg-a symbol of new life
• For Christians the egg is a symbol of Jesus' resurrection
and new life, as when they are cracked open they stand
for the empty tomb.
• Eggs were always thought to be special because
although they do not seem alive, they have life within
them especially at springtime when chicks hatch out.
Decorating and colouring eggs for Easter has been
a common custom in England
Chocolate eggs
• Long ago people gave gifts of eggs carved from
wood or precious stones. The first sweet eggs
that were eaten were made in the last 100 years
from sugar or marzipan. Since then chocolate
eggs have become popular and these are given
on Easter Sunday.
• Chocolate eggs are mainly given to children.
The eggs are either hollow or have a filling, and
are usually covered with brightly coloured silver
paper.
• Around 80 million chocolate eggs are eaten
each year in Britain.
Chocolate eggs
Egg rolling
• Egg rolling is very popular in England and is an Easter
Monday sport. Hard-boiled eggs are rolled down a hill.
• Customs differ from place to place. The winner's egg
may be the one that rolls the farthest, survives the most
rolls, or is rolled between two pegs.
Easter Egg Hunt
• Small chocolate eggs are hidden for the
children to find on the traditional Easter
Egg Hunt.
The Easter Rabbit
• In recent years this game has been linked
to the Easter Bunny, which only arrived in
England relatively recently.
The Easter Rabbit
• Rabbits are seen as a symbol of fertility.
• Children believe that if they are good then the Easter
bunny will bring them chocolate eggs.
Easter cards
Easter cards arrived in Victorian England, when a
stationer added a greeting to a drawing of a rabbit. The
cards proved popular.
Special Easter Food
• Easter day, like Christmas day, is also
associated with special food.
• Boiled eggs are traditionally served at
breakfast, then Easter cards and gifts may be
exchanged.
• Roast lamb is the traditional meat for the main
meal on Easter Day. It is served with mint sauce
and vegetables.
• The traditional Easter pudding is custard tarts
sprinkled with currants and flat Easter biscuits.
• Simnel cake is a special cake.
Simnel Cake
Hot Cross Buns
Morris Dancing
Morris dancing is a traditional English form of folk dance.
In the dance the men dress up in costumes with hats
and ribbons and with bells around their ankles. They
dance through the streets.