EASTER IN BRITAIN AND THE USA
The origin of the English word Easter probably comes from Eostre, who was the pagan goddess of spring. The pagans celebrated the arrival of spring. When the Christianity was introduced in Britain the two festivals were mixed. Although the Christian festivity replaced to the pagan one, some symbols of the spring festival remained, such as flowers, eggs, rabbits and bunnies, the pagans offered their eggs in grass baskets to the goddess Eostre.
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian church year. It begins with Good Friday. The Romans killed Jesus Christ in Jerusalem about two thousand years ago. Christians believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion.Why is Easter on a different day each year? This is because Easter Sunday is the Sunday after the first full moon after the first day of spring (21 March). Easter eggs, Easter Rabbit (Easter Bunny) and sending Easter cards are tradition not only in Britain. The cards are often in green or yellow or show baby animals, because lots of animals are born in spring. This tradition goes back to the 19th century. Nowadays, in Britain and in the USA Christian families attend to a church service in the morning, there is special music. People also send postcards to friends and relatives. They wear something new to celebrate Easter and the arrival of spring.
Before Easter British and American children decorate eggs with bright colours and beautiful designs. This tradition comes from Middle Ages in England and in ancient times eggs where the symbol of fertility and life.
On Easter Day in the USA there is the traditional Easter egg hunt, which was introduced by German immigrants long ago. Families go to the park and parents tell their children that the Easter Bunny hid many eggs in the park and they must find them and put them in colourful Easter baskets. As in all competitions the child who has found the biggest number of eggs is the winner.
Egg rolling is an ancient Easter tradition. On Monday children roll their eggs down a hill, the first egg that reaches the bottom of the hill without breaking is the winner. In the USA, the president invites children to roll eggs on the lawn of the White House in Washington DC.
There are chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and sugar eggs in all sweet shops. Hot Cross buns are a special Easter food. They are small sweet cakes with a cross on top. They are eaten on Good Friday in Britain.
There is a story of a widow whose son was a sailor. He asked his mother to bake him hot cross buns on his return on Good Friday. But he never came back. Every Good Friday his mother made a new bun for him and hoped that he would come back. She collected all the buns in a net. When she died her old cottage was replaced by a pub - "The Widow's Son" where the buns can be seen today. Every year a sailor adds a new bun to the collection in the net. Sailors from around Britain come to the pub and sing and pray for the widow.
Hot cross buns, hot cross buns,
one a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.
If you have no daughters,
give them to your sons,
one a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.
Now it is time to have some fun. Try to find the eggs.
The origin of the English word Easter probably comes from Eostre, who was the pagan goddess of spring. The pagans celebrated the arrival of spring. When the Christianity was introduced in Britain the two festivals were mixed. Although the Christian festivity replaced to the pagan one, some symbols of the spring festival remained, such as flowers, eggs, rabbits and bunnies, the pagans offered their eggs in grass baskets to the goddess Eostre.
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian church year. It begins with Good Friday. The Romans killed Jesus Christ in Jerusalem about two thousand years ago. Christians believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion.Why is Easter on a different day each year? This is because Easter Sunday is the Sunday after the first full moon after the first day of spring (21 March). Easter eggs, Easter Rabbit (Easter Bunny) and sending Easter cards are tradition not only in Britain. The cards are often in green or yellow or show baby animals, because lots of animals are born in spring. This tradition goes back to the 19th century. Nowadays, in Britain and in the USA Christian families attend to a church service in the morning, there is special music. People also send postcards to friends and relatives. They wear something new to celebrate Easter and the arrival of spring.
Before Easter British and American children decorate eggs with bright colours and beautiful designs. This tradition comes from Middle Ages in England and in ancient times eggs where the symbol of fertility and life.
On Easter Day in the USA there is the traditional Easter egg hunt, which was introduced by German immigrants long ago. Families go to the park and parents tell their children that the Easter Bunny hid many eggs in the park and they must find them and put them in colourful Easter baskets. As in all competitions the child who has found the biggest number of eggs is the winner.
Egg rolling is an ancient Easter tradition. On Monday children roll their eggs down a hill, the first egg that reaches the bottom of the hill without breaking is the winner. In the USA, the president invites children to roll eggs on the lawn of the White House in Washington DC.
There are chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and sugar eggs in all sweet shops. Hot Cross buns are a special Easter food. They are small sweet cakes with a cross on top. They are eaten on Good Friday in Britain.
There is a story of a widow whose son was a sailor. He asked his mother to bake him hot cross buns on his return on Good Friday. But he never came back. Every Good Friday his mother made a new bun for him and hoped that he would come back. She collected all the buns in a net. When she died her old cottage was replaced by a pub - "The Widow's Son" where the buns can be seen today. Every year a sailor adds a new bun to the collection in the net. Sailors from around Britain come to the pub and sing and pray for the widow.
Hot cross buns, hot cross buns,
one a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.
If you have no daughters,
give them to your sons,
one a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.
Now it is time to have some fun. Try to find the eggs.
2 comentarios:
Hi, it's a very great blog.
I could tell you take lots of efforts on it.
Keep doing!
To play Easter egg hunt, one needs to have colored plastic eggs. The color of the easter eggs varies with the color of the surroundings in which the game is planned. Fill a beautiful Easter basket with colored eggs and the players can use this as the centerpiece. It’s also important to decorate the place with flower bouquets and create ample room to hide those Easter eggs.
Publicar un comentario