Posted on 03/21/2008 4:56:56 PM PDT by snugs
Maundy Thursday
On the night before his death Jesus had a final meal with his friends. This meal was one of the festival meals for Passover. Before the meal Jesus did something which surprised his friends. He washed the feet of every person, a task which was normally done by a servant. By doing this he wanted to show his followers that they should love one another in humble ways. Later in the meal which is known to Christians as 'The Last Supper', Jesus passed round bread and wine. He said the bread was his body broken for them and the wine was his blood shed for them. He was telling them that he was going to die and that when they share bread and wine they should remember him. Christians share bread and wine at their church services all year round, but it is even more special on Maundy Thursday. Jesus also told his friends that they should love one another. It was later on this night that Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
As a way of showing love for others, there was a custom in England before 1689 for the king or queen to wash the feet of the poor in Westminster Abbey every Maundy Thursday. They also gave them gifts of food and clothing. In Queen Victoria's time men received clothing, shoes and stockings and women 35 shillings. Today our Queen does not wash feet or give clothing. Instead she gives out something called Maundy money, which is specially made for the occasion. In 2008 this is given to 82 male and 82 female pensioners, because she is 82 years old this year. The coins are given in special white and red leather purses. The white purse contains silver Maundy coins matching the Queen's age in pence - 82p, while the red purse contains ordinary money. The service takes place at a different cathedral or abbey each year and people are chosen to receive the money because of good work they have done in their community.
Good Friday
On Good Friday Christians remember the day that Jesus was killed on the cross. He was nailed to a wooden cross by Roman soldiers. This is the reason why the cross is an important sign for Christians today. There are crosses in churches and many Christians wear a cross on a chain. At Easter people eat hot cross buns which have a cross shape on the top.
Good Friday is a sad day and churches never have flowers or decorations on this day. The church is left dark and there is just a simple cross on the altar. It is known as Good Friday because Christians believe that Jesus gave up his life for the good of everyone. The Crucifixion is remembered in Jerusalem even today. Large crowds of Christians take the same path as Jesus. In some countries people act out the story of Jesus' last day while others watch and think about the events which happened long ago.
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday is a happy day for Christians because they believe that Jesus rose from the dead on this day. They believe that Jesus' resurrection or coming alive shows that death is not the end of everything. Many go to church to thank God for Jesus' life. Church bells are rung and churches are decorated with flowers such as white lilies which are associated with Easter. The colours in the church change to white or gold which are thought to be the best colours.
Easter Eggs
The custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new life. Christians remember that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose from the dead. This miracle showed that life could win over death.
For Christians the egg is a symbol of Jesus' resurrection, as when they are cracked open they stand for the empty tomb. No-one actually knows when eggs were first used as symbols at festival times but it was long before Jesus' time. Eggs were always thought to be special because although they do not seem alive, they have life within them especially at springtime when chicks hatch out.
Long ago people gave gifts of eggs carved from wood or precious stones. The first sweet eggs that were eaten were made in the last 100 years from sugar or marzipan. Since then chocolate eggs have become popular and these are given on Easter Sunday.
In some countries parents tell their children the Easter Hare or Bunny has hidden chocolate eggs and they race to find them round the house or garden. Children in other countries decorate hard-boiled eggs at Easter time by painting or dyeing them.
In some countries such as the United States egg rolling is a popular Easter game. This is usually done with coloured eggs. One of the most well known events is held in America on the White House lawn. Children and parents push the eggs along through the grass with wooden spoons.
Easter Bunny
Rabbits have been associated with springtime since ancient times. It is believed that a symbol of the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring Eostre was the hare. It was Eostre's sacred animal since it was a symbol of fertility and the rebirth of nature following winter. As rabbits are similar to hares and are very common everywhere, Christians changed the symbol to the Easter bunny. So the modern symbol of the Easter bunny comes from pagan times.
The tradition of the Easter bunny leaving a basket of treats such as Easter eggs and chocolates on Easter Day is common in America but not in Britain. Parents of American children often hide eggs in the garden for children to find. Sometimes their children leave out carrots for the Easter bunny. The idea of an egg-laying rabbit went to America in the 1700's through immigrants arriving from Germany. They told their children to make 'nests' before Easter with their caps and bonnets and if they were good the Easter bunny would leave them coloured eggs.
1) What does Easter mean to you?
2) What if any are your family traditons for Easter?
3) Eggs or bunnies or chicks what is your chocolate treat?
4) Did you make or wear Easter bonnets at school or church as a child?
2) When I was a kid we would always have an Easter basket that was hidden in the house somewhere and we had to find it. That was always fun. Also the night before we would color the Easter eggs.
3) Eggs, bunnies or chicks? All of the above. I loed the chocolate bunnies.
4) I don't remember wearing anything different on Easter Sunday. We pretty much went to church every sunday anyways. I might add that as a kid I didn't fully understand the Easter story. I remember on friday night we were eating dinner before going to the evening Good Friday service at church. I blurted out "why are we going to church on a friday night for?" once and my mother nearly fainted. LOL!
Correction. I loved the chocolate bunnies.
Do you have the Lindt Gold Bunny in the US it is the number one selling chocolate bunny in Britain.
I do not remember hiding eggs in Britain as a child but children seem to do it these days I think it is something that has been imported from the US.
Easter bonnets and baskets were a tradition but sort of went out but I believe local schools are bringing back the bonnet tradition and with the easter egg hunts becoming popular maybe the basket will make a comeback.
I'm flying to New Orleans to spend a long weekend with my daughter and her husband. We still make the bread crosses and dye a few eggs for the table centerpiece. I'm looking forward to the egg hunts when the grandchildren come along in a few years.
Easter should be the main holiday for Christians. Christmas was the birth of the promise but Easter is its fulfullment. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
I don’t remember what kind of bunny it was.
Two things and 2 very different things. The true meaning of Easter and resurrection but also the fun side and many traditions and special food which have nothing to do with story of Easter. As my parents were in catering (fish and chip shop) often bank holidays were working days for them but at the time due to UK trading laws Good Friday was a day off, nowadays with the change to the Sunday trading law Good Friday now with certain limitations a fish and chip shop can open. So to me as a child it was one of those rare times that a holiday could be celebrated with my parents, Good Friday and Christmas Day were the only 2 such days.
2) What if any are your family traditions for Easter?
My mum would make Hot Cross Buns or if she had been too bush with the shop buy them and we would eat them for breakfast and it would also be like Christmas morning one of the rare times we would have coffee. Coffee when I was a child was not so popular among the ordinary folk though instant was changing that, we would we have proper coffee though mum did not like instant, often the individual filter packs that you put over a cup.
3) Eggs or bunnies or chicks what is your chocolate treat?
Though when I think about it we did have chocolate bunnies and chicks my main memory are large chocolate eggs often tied with fancy ribbon. My dad always tried to buy me the largest one he could find. Owning a shop meant he had contact with various reps and often managed to get an unusual egg or box of chocolates that you could not get otherwise. We used to have small eggs but I mainly remember those being used by mum to decorate a sponge cake she would make for Easter Sunday.
4) Did you make or wear Easter bonnets at school or church as a child?
Being a church family we were still one of the families that held onto the tradition of a new dress and hat for Easter. I would have a new summer dress for Easter because of course it was not quite summer often I would have to wear a coat or cardigan with it. Yes I would have a new hat or bonnet as a young child one of those dreaded ones with the elastic to either go under the chin or under your hair. It was still tradition at that time for most women and some children to wear hats at our church and how I hated them but until I grew up I did as both my parents believed that women and girls should wear a head covering in church.
1) Easter means a lot to me... that’s all I really have to say cause I’m horrible at putting abstract concepts into words.
2) None that I can remember.... except my mom made ‘Easter bread’, and today the dining hall had something that was supposed to be ‘hot cross buns’ and they tasted just like my mom’s Easter bread and it made me SO happy. In fact, the only other food item the dining hall has ever had that made me so happy was the time they had fried dough for a ‘special’ food night.
3) Dark chocolate? Peeps are fun, mostly for their microwavability, and my favorite seasonal treat ever is the Easter Bread I mentioned before.
4) I don’t think so... when I was younger, my mom would buy my sister and I new dresses for Easter, and sometimes they’d come with matching hats, but half the time it’s snowy so I just wear what I’d wear any other sunday (usually nice jeans, a t-shirt, and my favorite blazer or jacket).
I also remember dyeing eggs at Easter. We had some Easter egg hunts, but I don't remember them much. Years later, we still had some dyed eggs that my mom used as a centerpiece on the dining room table in the spring. One year, a cat got into the dining room, got on the table, and removed some of the eggs. She ended up batting them all around the dining room and living room, and mom ended up with an Easter egg hunt all over again.
I'm not a big fan of huge pieces of chocolate. I'll eat a little bit, but I don't want anything big.
Bill
I believe the saying is that if it rains on Easter Sunday it will rain for six more Sundays.
Happy Easter to all the singles & their friends who visit here! Eleanor thanks for the time to do the thread when you are so very busy right now! To me Easter, resurrection Sunday, the empty tomb is the essence of my faith . Without it there is no Christianity
Over the years I have had a lot of different activities, traditions & experiences. All have been good & made me appreciate that the core is the empty tomb - which is a personal matter to address & other things can be used for the social & interaction of family & friends.
Dress has become more casual in my circles. When younger - new clothes, shoes, hats were an absolute necessity(why? who knows) but now not the case
In general I like less of a GOOD dark chocolate than more of "whatever"...
This year after church & dog walk with a couple friends, Josy, Toby & I will make the rounds at the VA visiting vets & then to nursing homes visiting those who don't get company.
Exactly. Without Easter there is no Christianity.
Now, here's a harder one: say a prayer for the villain. Without Judas Iscariot there is no Easter.
OTOH it bears repeating.
Easter is the most important holiday for Christians...it is a time of renewal and reflection for me.
2) What if any are your family traditons for Easter?
Early in my childhood it was getting a new Easter outfit and going to church...later on my parents stopped going to church on a regular basis. We always had an Easter basket with a chocolate bunny and candy...and usually some new underwear (my mom was a very practical sort and thought nothing of giving undies for Easter and Christmas gifts...as a child, I wasn't impressed! Especially when I saw what my friend next door would receive from the Easter Bunny...she never got underwear and always had those Brach's Fiesta Eggs in her basket which I never got...to this day I have to buy myself at least one bag of those eggs at Easter! We also would have Easter egg hunts out in the backyard of my parent's house...a tradition my mom continued for her grandkids until they got too old for that...Now we just all go to mom's house for Easter dinner...except this year as she's leaving today for a 3 week trip to Australia so I don't have any plans for this Easter, other than going to church.
3) Eggs or bunnies or chicks what is your chocolate treat?
Well as I said above, those Brach's Fiesta Eggs are my Easter treat of choice but really anything chocolate will do!
4) Did you make or wear Easter bonnets at school or church as a child?
No, I don't recall Easter bonnets at school...although I vaguely recall a white floppy Easter hat one year when I was very young...really the Easter outfit I most recall was my mom's one year in the early 60's....she made this golden yellow coat that went over a white and yellow flowered dress and had this tall yellow straw hat and a yellow and white bead necklace (that reminded me of popcorn!) Whew-that was a lot of yellow! She looked like a big chick!
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