EASTER

EASTER  in the UK  and in  SPAIN- Differences:

Easter is a religious celebration for Christians. It is celebrated with a number of religious services in Britain and in Spain but there are many different traditions in both countries.

Traditions in Britain:

Easter is associated with the coming of spring and so churches are specially decorated with flowers for the services on Easter Day

Easter eggs:

An Anglo-saxon legend tells how the goddess Eodre found a wounded bird and transformed it into a hare, so that it could survive the winter. The hare found it could lay eggs so it decorated these each spring and left them as offering to the goddess

Hot Crosss Buns:

This is a kind of pastry which has a cross on top symbolizing and reminding Christians of the Cross that Jesus was killed on.

They were traditionally eaten at breakfast or sold by street vendors.

Egg rolling:

It is an Easter Monday sport. Hard-boiled eggs are rolled down a hill. Customs differ from place to place. The winner’s egg may be the one that rolls the farthest, survives the most rolls, or is rolled betweeen two pegs.

Easter Egg Hunt:

Small chocolate eggs are hidden for the children to find.

Pace Egging:

Pace eggs are hard-boiled eggs with patterned shells. They are traditional on the north of England at Easter. Some call them Paste eggs. The name comes from Pesach (Passover) which is “Pascua” in Jewish.

People exchange cards at Easter and they eat special food such as chocolate or boiled eggs, roast lamb, simnel cake and Easter buiscuits

Traditions in Spain:

Palm Sunday:

People go to mass in the morning. Children carry palm leaves to be blessed by the priest. They often have some decorations hanging from them.

Processions on Good Friday :  In Spain there are processions everywhere making their way through the streets, carrying religious symbols of faith, representing the Passion of Christ.

Easter Sunday: Children are also given chocolate eggs but this is a tradition taken from abroad. Traditionally in Spain people used to have omelettes, which are also made with eggs.