Easter in Britain

By Sarah Vallis

What is Easter?• Easter is the oldest and the most

important Christian Festival, the celebration of the death and coming to life again of Jesus Christ.

• The Easter story includes Maundy Thursday (the last supper of Jesus), Good Friday (the day on which Jesus was crucified), and Easter Day (the day on which Jesus came back to life).

• Easter also celebrates the return of nature after the cold, snowy winter.

• The Easter chick symbolises new life, the rabbit represents fertility and the egg symbolises both. That is why painted eggs or chocolate eggs are given as gifts at Easter.

When is Easter? • The date of Easter changes every year. Easter

Sunday can fall on any date from 22 March to 25 April.

• The reason for this variation in the date of Easter is based on the lunar calendar (moon) rather than our more well-known solar one.

• Easter always falls on the first Sunday following the full Moon after 21 March.

• This year Easter is on the 31st of March.

Good Friday/Easter Monday• Good Friday and Easter Monday

are both public holidays in the UK.• On Good Friday, Christians

remember the day when Jesus was crucified on a cross.

• Easter Monday has little religious significance but is usually a ‘fun’ day.

• Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday and Easter Monday is the Monday after.

On these days religious people…

• FastSome Christians go without food on Good Friday. This helps them remember the sacrifice Jesus made for them on the day of crucifixion.

• Hold a processionSome Christians carry a cross through the streets and then into church.

• Have a special Church ServiceMany Churches hold services lasting three hours.

Easter Sunday• Christians gather together on Easter

Sunday for a Sunrise Service. • Some Christians light a new fire

outside the church early on Sunday morning. The Paschal candle, decorated with studs to celebrate Christ's wounds, may be lit from the fire and carried into the church where it is used to light the candles of the worshippers. 

Most People…• Give chocolate eggs as presents.

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.

• Have Easter Egg Hunts. Small chocolate eggs are hidden for the children to find on the traditional Easter Egg Hunt.

Cadburys Creme Egg

• This is the most popular Easter Egg in the UK with a white and yellow fondant filling to look like a real egg.

• They are seasonal and only available between January and April (Easter season).

Traditional Easter Food

Boiled Eggs Roast LambCustard Tarts

Easter Biscuits Simnel Cake Hot Cross Buns