MY EASTER HOLIDAY
by Fran Andrés García
WHAT IS EASTER?
Easter is a Christian religious tradition that celebrates
stories from the Christian bible about the resurrection of Jesus and marks the
end of Lent, which is a period of fasting, or giving up certain treats.
Those who follow the Christian bible believe that Jesus
died on a cross on Good Friday and then his body was taken to a tomb, where it
was guarded by Roman soldiers. Three days later, some of Jesus’s followers
discovered that his body had disappeared. His followers believed that Jesus came
back to life — was resurrected — on this day, which has become known as Easter
Sunday.
WHEN IS EASTER?
Easter falls on different dates each year, ranging
between March 21 and April 25. The date is decided by calculations based on
observations of the equinox* and the next full Moon.
WHY DO WE GIVE
EGGS?
Chocolate or decorated eggs
are one of the most recognisable modern traditions of Easter. For those who
follow the religious meanings, hollow chocolate eggs have become a symbol of
Jesus’s empty tomb. Eggs are also a symbol of rebirth
WHY IS THERE AN
EASTER BUNNY?
Bunnies or rabbits do not appear
in Christian stories.They began to be a part of Easter traditions in the 1600s. Early drawings of rabbits at
Easter from Germany show the floppy-eared creatures delivering toys and eggs in
baskets to Christian families.
Many historians believe the
tradition comes from a pagan* festival called Eostre, dedicated to the goddess
of fertility (to do with pregnancy and the birth of babies), who is often
depicted as a rabbit. This ties in with the Christian Easter celebrations of the
rebirth of Jesus.
THE HISTORY OF EASTER EGGS AND WHY THEY´RE
DECORATED
Many cultures
throughout Europe embraced the idea that eggs had life-giving associations. In
Ukraine, people began the practice of "writing" the eggs, called
pysanky (from the word pysaty, "meaning to write"). They adorned them
with symbols such as the sun, a triangle, or lines that encircle the egg.
The decorated
eggs were kept in homes, given to friends, or even buried in the fields. It's
likely the idea was to connect to the "magic" of the egg to protect
the family, banish evil, and ensure spring's return. When Christianity came to
Ukraine in the 10th century, "The people melded old and new
traditions," says Wolynetz. "Pre-Christian rituals, such as egg
writing, were not abolished and soon became associated with Easter, which also
focuses on resurrection."
WHAT DO HOT
CROSS BUNS STAND FOR?
Spiced fruit buns with a white
cross are an Easter tradition in Australia and some other countries and began
in the UK.
The cross represents the cross
that Jesus is said to have died on and the spices signify the spices that
people who looked after his body would have used to embalm* him.
MORE EASTER
TRADITIONS
In Spain, there are Easter parades, for
which people wear conical hats and carry palms leaves.
Palm Sunday begins the Easter in
Spain, one of the oldest celebrations, appears and emotive of this country, in
which several popular religiosity, tradition and art have been mixed for
centuries.
They have a common characteristic:
the great participation of citizens, who turn with the celebrations of their
towns and cities, filling the streets when the processions pass both day and
night.
There are also parades featuring
olive branches in Portugal and people bake bread called folar, with
an egg in the middle.
People in Ireland clean
their homes, have a haircut, trim their fingernails and shop for new clothes
before Easter Sunday.
Children in Sweden dress
up as scary Easter witches on Maundy Thursday and walk around the neighbourhood
collecting lollies, a bit like Halloween.
Many cultures have a special
Easter bread. In Russia, people bake kulich, a sweet yeast bread
with raisins, nuts, and candied citrus rind sometimes cooked in a coffee tin.
In many European cultures
including Serbia, Ukraine and Poland, Easter feasting includes many of
the rich foods people gave up for Lent, such as meat and eggs.
EASTER COOTIE CATCHERS - BUNNY
AND CHICK ORIGAMI
If you haven’t already played with this origami project,
you just have to give them a try, they are really easy to make and kids can
play with them once they are done.
This is my Easter craft.
By
Francisco Andrés García 5ºA
