Let's Celebrate Easter- Happy Easter!

Happy Easter and welcome to the place where you can find ideas and resources as you prepare for the Easter Holiday, a time when you can enjoy fun and meaningful Easter activities with your friends and family. On this site you can discover the Easter Origin and also where and when the Easter Festival was started. There are so many stories and chocolate versions of eggs, chicks, bunnies etc, around at this time of the year, but do you know why we celebrate Easter?

In preparation for making this season a special time for all your friends and family to remember, there are Easter resources to aid your Easter activities and plenty of Easter crafts that you can make or buy to ensure this holiday is that extra bit special. There are lots of ways to celebrate, such as getting out your paints, brushes, lace and beads and decorating some eggs and hanging them up or simply suspending on cotton from the ceiling. A basket of colourfully decorated eggs lying on coloured, shredded paper also looks very attractive. If the eggs have been hard-boiled, then on Easter Sunday morning they can be added to an assortment of small chocoate ones and scattered around the garden or house (but not left in the sun) and the children can be given a basket each to collect whatever they can find. Some might believe that the Easter Bunny left them! Then there is the traditional food, depending on where you live. In England, it is usually roast lamb with mint sauce and new potatoes for dinner and a fruit cake covered with marzipan, known as Simnel cake for tea on Easter Day (get your FREE Recipe below). Whatever you do, let it be a meaningful time and have a Happy Easter!

The Easter Bunny came into the Easter celebrations as a pre-christian fertilitiy lore, because it was considered a symbol of fertility during the time of celebrating new life that the christian message teaches. It was first discovered in German writings in the 1500s. The first edible bunny was made of pastry and sugar. It was introduced to American folklore by German settlers in Pennslyvania Dutch country in the 1700s. The children would use their caps and bonnets to make nests in their homes, barns or gardens and believe with great excitement that if they had been good the Easter Bunny would leave some eggs in their nest.

Easter eggs were long used in Pagan times as symbols of fertility and the life that sprang forth on the earth after Winter. As christianity embraced the western world, the same symbol was used to remind people of the spiritual rebirth brought about by the death and resurrection of Christ. Easter eggs have been decorated and given as gifts for many centuries. At one time they were popularly given to servants at Easter. Even during the Middle Ages, Edward 1 allowed funds in his accounts in 1290 for the decorating of eggs as Easter gifts.

Each country has their own way of celebrating Easter that becomes a part of their own heritage. Take a look at this interesting book that informs us about Easter Traditions and Festivals and makes us more aware of what it's all about. You will then be better informed to answer your children's questions. A great aid in talking about deeper, meaningful topics.