Easter

Easter is regarded as the most important holy day by Christians, and the Easter season in the UK traditionally includes the 40 days of lent and Holy week culminating in Easter Sunday – also known as Resurrection Sunday.

Easter, one of the oldest Christian traditions, is the celebration of the last week of Jesus’ life, his death, and his resurrection. For Christians, Easter symbolises the dawn of a new life and the high point of the Christian calendar.





It’s been the most important date in the religious calendar since the very earliest days of Christianity. In medieval England, churches held intricate rituals and dramatic religious ceremonies, and clergy and congregations all took part in various processions, vigils and plays over the Easter weekend. The Puritans banned Easter celebrations in 1647 and although it was restored after 1660, it never quite regained its former glory in the English Church.





But Easter has always been marked with great secular celebrations too. That’s partly because Easter follows Lent – a period of religious observance and abstinence from worldly pleasures to remember Jesus’ fasting in the desert.

The modern-day celebration of Easter in the UK is a mixture of pagan and Christian traditions with a sprinkling of commercialism.





Easter was originally a pagan celebration and was named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre. Later, it was adopted by the Christians to mark the crucifixion and rebirth of Jesus.

The holiday’s mixed origins have resulted in some interesting traditions in the UK, including Brits gobbling chocolate shaped like eggs.





This tradition can be traced back to the early 1800s when artificial eggs were made as gifts for Easter throughout Europe. Solid chocolate eggs also became fashionable in France and Germany around this time.

Easter eggs are a very old tradition going to a time before Christianity. Eggs after all are a symbol of spring and new life.





Exchanging and eating Easter eggs is a popular custom in many countries. In the UK before they were replaced by chocolate Easter eggs real eggs were used, in most cases, chicken eggs. The eggs were hard-boiled and dyed in various colors and patterns. The traditionally bright colours represented spring and light.

Egg Hunts and Easter Bunny
Egg hunts, a traditional Easter game where children try to find hidden Easter eggs, take place all over the UK. According to popular legend, the Easter bunny hides the eggs.



In some parts of the United Kingdom, people organize egg rolls, a game where they roll hard-boiled eggs down slopes. In another variation of the game, people knock hard-boiled eggs against other peoples' eggs. The winner is the person whose egg remains whole. After the game, the eggs are eaten.



Easter Sunday Roast and Daffodils
In the UK, it is common to invite family and friends for Easter Sunday lunch, and the traditional Easter Sunday meal is a lamb roast. Common decorations are dyed or painted eggs, little yellow chicks, bunnies, and spring flowers, such as daffodils, white lilies, and tulips. The colors yellow or gold are usually associated with Easter, as these are the colors the Church of England uses for the Easter Sunday celebrations.