In Britain Easteris the time for holidays, festivals and a time for giving chocolate Easter eggs. But Easter means much more. It is the oldest and the most important Christian Festival, the celebration of the death and coming to life again of Jesus Christ. For Christians the dawn of Easter Sunday with its message of new life is the high point of the year.
Easter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox – the Paschal Full Moon. This means that Easter can fall as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.
Like most Christian festivals, Easter has its origins in pre-Christian times. Long ago people believed that the sun died in winter and was born again in spring. The arrival of spring was celebrated all over the world long before the religious meaning became associated with Easter. Today, Easter celebrates the rebirth of Christ.
Holy Week before Easter begins with Palm Sunday. It marks the end of Lent and celebrates Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on a donkey for the Jewish festival of Passover. Great crowds of people lined the streets waving palm branches to welcome him.
On Palm Sunday, children are given crosses made from single palm leaves. In Britain people used to go ‘a palming’ 2 or 3 days before Palm Sunday to collect yew, hazel or willow branches, since palm trees do not grow in northern countries. On each day of Holy Week there are services in churches.
On Maundy ThursdayChristians remember the Last Supper. During the Last Supper Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. This act has sometimes been followed literally in history as a good way of reminding rulers that they are here to serve their subjects.
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day, Christians remember the day when Jesus was crucified on a cross. The name may be derived from ‘God’s Friday’ in the same way that good-bye is derived from ‘God be with ye (you).
Easter Sunday To celebrate the arrival of spring, Easter parades often take place on Easter Sunday afternoon, where people can wear new clothes as a sign of the changing seasons, and competitions are held to find the best Easter bonnet. Traditionally, large Easter parades are held in Battersea Park, London. Easter Monday is a national holiday in Britain, when games and sports are played.
Easter symbols. They are the cross, the lamb, eggs and Easter rabbits.
The cross. Christ was crucified on a cross, so the cross has come to have a special meaning to Christians. It represents Christ’s victory over death.
The lamb. Jesus was known as the Lamb of God (агнец божий). Lamb is now a traditional Easter meal, and cookies and cakes are often made in the shape of a lamb for Easter.
Of course, eggsrepresent new life. Long ago, some people believed that the Earth was hatched from a gigantic egg!
Decorating and colouring eggs for Easter was a common custom in England in the Middle Ages..
Easter Rabbits.British children believe that the Easter bunny brings Easter eggs and hides them for finding on Easter morning. Where did this tradition begin? Long ago in Germany there lived an old, loving woman who adored children. Each year she would give children gifts to celebrate spring. One year she had nothing to give because it was a bad year and she had become very poor. All she had were some eggs. She did not want to disappoint the children, so quickly before they arrived for their gifts, she coloured the eggs and hid them in the grass.
When the children arrived, she told them to run out into the lawn to find their gifts hiding there. Of course, the children ran into the yard in search of their surprise. Just as one of the children uncovered the eggs, a large rabbit hopped away. So the children thought that the rabbit had left the eggs for them! And ever since, children have searched for the eggs left by the Easter rabbit on Easter morning. It is called the Easter Egg Hunt.