Easter Day traditionally falls on the first Sunday after the full moon after the vernal equinox. It is thus a moveable feast and can fall anytime between March 22nd and April 25th. It is preceded by the 40 day period of Lent when Christians fast, deny themselves little luxuries such as sweets, sugar and chocolates and forego theatre and cinema visits. Ideally the money saved by this denial is given to the poor, destitute and homeless.

Easter is the most important festival in the Christian church, as, on Easter Day, Christians throughout the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and His victory over death and  the grave. However today it has become commercially important and non-Christians participate  in such things as the sending of Easter cards, the giving and receiving of chocolate Easter eggs and the playing of Easter games.

Early on, the eggs given at Easter were bird’s eggs and these were decorated to make them special. Later hen’s eggs were used and nowadays it is these and the not-to be- missed chocolate eggs, which are given. These are found in every size and are sometimes filled with smarties, chocolate buttons or jelly babies. Eggs are the symbol of the new life and hope which we have at Easter.

Children in Western countries enjoy colouring , painting, dying and decorating hard-boiled eggs in the week before Easter. These magically disappear on Easter Saturday evening in preparation for the Easter Egg Hunt the next day. And on Easter Sunday each child goes out into the garden (or the park) with a specially -decorated little Easter basket or bucket to hunt for these hidden eggs. This only becomes a problem if Mum and Dad cannot remember where they hid the eggs. Not to worry in a few days the smell will reveal the missing eggs!!

Egg rolling is also a popular Easter game in hilly areas. Eggs are rolled down the hills. The winner being either the one whose egg rolled the fastest or the one whose egg survived the most rolls!

Egg tapping is another popular game with decorated eggs. Here 2 people knock their eggs together. The winner is the one with the most intact egg at the end ( It is a game very similar to that played with conkers in the autumn).

Lastly we must not forget the food! A typical lunch on Easter Sunday is a roast meal with all the trimmings. Hot-cross buns( spiced buns with a cross on top ), which are eaten hot, split and served with butter and jam and Simmnel cake( fruit cake covered in marzipan and decorated with eleven marzipan balls to celebrate the eleven faithful apostles)are served for afternoon tea. Yummy!