In the UK Easter is one of the major Christian festivals of the year. It is traditionally about Jesus Christ’sresurrection from death, according to Christian belief. However, Easter in Britain has its beginnings long before the arrival of Christianity. Many theologians believe Easter itself is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn and spring — Eostre.
In Britain Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon following thevernal equinox. This means that the festival can occur on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Not only is Easter the end of the winter it is also the end of Lent, traditionally a time of fasting in the Christian calendar. It is therefore often a time of fun and celebration!
The Friday before Easter Sunday (also calledGood Friday) and the Monday after are bank holidays in the UK. Besides over Easter schools in the UK close for two weeks.
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. Christians remember it as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist/[´ju:kərɪst]/.
In Britain, the Queen takes part in the Ceremony of the Royal Maundy, which dates back to 13th century. This involves the distribution of Maundy Money to deserving senior citizens (one man and one woman for each year of the sovereign’s age), usually chosen for having done service to their religious community. They receive ceremonial red and white purses . The white purse contains coins made especially for the occasion — one coin for each year of the monarch’s reign. The red purse contains money in place of the gifts that used to be given to the poor.
Up to the 17th century the King or Queen would wash the feet of the selected poor people as a gesture of humility, and in remembrance of Jesus Christ, but now it doesn’t happen any more.
Symbols of Easter
Many of the symbols and traditions of Easter are connected with renewal, birth, good luck.
The Cross
Of course as it is a Christian festival one of the main symbols is a cross, often on a hill. When Jesus wascrucified, the cross became a symbol of suffering. Then with the resurrection, Christians saw it as a symbol of victory over death. In A.D. 325, Roman emperor Constantine issued a decree at the Council of Nicaea, that the Cross would be the official symbol of Christianity.
Palms
The week of Easter begins on Palm Sunday. Why Palm Sunday? Well, in Roman times it was customary to welcome royalty by waving palm branches. So, when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on what is now known as Palm Sunday, people welcomed him with palm branches in their hands. Today, on Palm Sunday, Christians carry palm branches in parades, and make them into crosses andgarlands to decorate the Church.
Easter Eggs
Easter eggs are a very old tradition going to a time before Christianity. Eggs are a symbol of spring and new life. Exchanging and eating Easter eggs is a popular custom in many countries.
Many people celebrate Easter Sunday by decorating, exchanging or searching for eggs. The eggs may be fresh or boiled eggs laid by chickens or other birds, chocolate eggs or eggs made of other materials.
Many children believe that the Easter bunnyor rabbit comes to their house or garden to hide eggs. Some businesses and attractions hold special Easter egg games. These can be competitions to see who can collect the most eggs or something else. For example in the north of England they still carry out the custom of egg rolling. Hard boiled eggs are rolled down the slope of a hill to see whose egg goes furthest. In other places another game is played. You hold an egg in the palm of the hand and bang against your opponent’s egg. The loser is the one whose egg breaks first.
The Easter Bunny
Rabbits, due to their fecund nature, have always been a symbol of fertility. The Easter bunny (rabbit) however may actually be an Easter hare. The hare was allegedly a companion of the ancient Moon goddess and of Eostre.
However the bunny as an Easter symbol seems to come to the UK from Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 16th Century. The first edibleEaster bunnies appeared in Germany during the early 1800s, they were made of pastry and sugar. Children in the UK believe that if they are good the «Easter Bunny » will leave (chocolate) eggs for them.
Dressing Up For Easter
Easter was once a traditional day for getting married, that may be why people often dress up for Easter. Women wear special Easter bonnets — decorated with flowers and ribbons. Even today in London there is a special Easter Parade, where hand-made bonnets are shown off.
Easter Food
Hot cross buns, now eaten throughout the Easter season, were first baked in England to be served on Good Friday. These small, lightly sweet yeast buns contain raisins and sometimes chopped candied fruit. Before baking, a cross is slashed in the top of the bun. After baking, a confectioners’ sugar icing is used to fill the cross.
Simnel /’sɪmn(ə)l/Cake
A traditional way of breaking the Lenten fast is to eat some Simnel cake. It is a fruit cake with marzipan covering and plenty of candied lemon peel and dried fruit.
An old Shropshire tale has it that long ago there lived an honest couple, Simon and Nelly, and it was their custom to gather their children around them at Easter. Nelly had some leftover unleavened dough from Lent, and Simon reminded her there was someplum pudding still left over from Christmas. So they decided to make some treats for their family.
Nell put the leftovers together, and Sim insisted the cake should be boiled, while she was just as certain that it should be baked. They had a fight and came to blows, but compromised by doing both. They cooked the cake over a fire made from furniture broken in the scuffle, and some eggs, similarly broken, were used to baste it. The delicacy was named after this couple. Or, so it is said.
