Transcript Document

Easter is the most important
cycle in the Christian calendar
since it leads up to the
commemoration of the death and
resurrection of Jesus. It starts
some six weeks before with
Shrove Tuesday and Ash
Wednesday. This marks the
beginning of lent which proceeds
until Easter Sunday.
- Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and runs through
to Good Friday.
- Lent is a time for fasting an spiritual preparation.
- Lent remembers the forty days that Jesus was tempted in
the desert.
- Lent is a time for fasting as Christians remember
Jesus’ time in the desert and so follow the same path of
self-denial.
- Many Christians believe fasting is not a very positive
thing to do and instead try to spiritually prepare
themselves for Easter by reading more of the Bible
and spending more time in Prayer and meditation on
the death and resurrection of Christ
- This is the time when Christians prepare for the fast
of lent.
- They eat up all the fat in the house, often making
pancakes, which provided people with a last
opportunity for feasting before lent.
- In some countries there are carnivals and processions
on this day as well as pancake races.
- Shrove comes from an old work meaning “forgiven”.
- Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and a special Eucharist
is held in many churches.
- Service marks the beginning of the Christian self-denial
and penitence which ends with forgiveness on Easter
Sunday.
- On Ash Wednesday, Ash which is a traditional symbol of
penitence is smeared on the foreheads of worshipers.
- The Ash is made by burning the previous’ years Palm
crosses.
- Mothering Sunday is the forth day of Lent.
- The term mothering refers to three things:
a) The Bible refers to heaven as Mother;
b) The practice in the middle ages of congregations
visiting “their Mother Church”, e.g. the Cathedral;
c) The tradition of visiting Mothers with presents on
this day.
- For this one day of Lent, fasting was suspended and
Simnel cakes made.
-Nowadays people in Church gives thanks for
Mothers on this day.
- The week before Easter is called Holy Week and begins
with Palm Sunday.
- On Palm Sunday Christians remember when Jesus’ rode
into Jerusalem and how people waved Palm leaves and
greeted him as the Messiah.
- Christian services on this day often include processions
with the Donkey showing the community Jesus is king.
- Palm crosses are distributed to the congregation to remind
Christians of Holy Week and the events that lead to Jesus’
death.
- These crosses are often burnet the following Ash
Wednesday.
- Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a Donkey in order to
fulfill the prophecy about the Jewish Messiah.
“Daughter of Zion, rejoice with all your heart; shout in
triumph, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king is coming
to you, his cause won, is victory gained, humble and
mounted on a Donkey, on a colt, the foal of a Donkey”.
Zechariah 9, v 9.
- By riding on a Donkey Jesus’ was making a public
statement about his future ministry and work.
- Jesus’ rode humbly into Jerusalem as a man of peace
and not war.
- The Jews had awaited a warrior King and Jesus’ said
they had closed there eyes to the clear message of the
scriptures. Isaiah had spoken of a future kingdom in
which a lion would lye down peacefully with a lamb and
not eat it.
- The Easter Weekend begins with Good Friday - the most
solemn day of the Christian Calendar.
- Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus
- Church services – people meet to meditate on Christ’s
Crucifixion, sing somber hymns on listen to the Easter
readings.
- Many Christians take part in processions with the cross at
its head. This is a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and
forgiveness of sin.
- Christ is believed to have died at three o’clock in the
afternoon at a lace called Golgotha, which means place of
the Skull.
- People often eat Hot Cross Buns and Fish on Good
Friday.
- Following the quite anticipation of Holy Saturday, Easter
Sunday is the most joyful day of the year for Christians. This is
the day when Jesus’ believed to have risen from the dead.
Many churches gather together to celebrate this event.
- Jesus reveals through his life, death and resurrection the
supreme loving power of God. Many Christians feel that
Jesus is alive now as a living presence in their lives.
- The tomb of Jesus was left empty and Christians remember
this by sharing Easter Eggs. These are a symbol of new life
and also the shape of a tomb stone.
- People enjoy decorating eggs. In Greece people use these
eggs in order to issue a special Easter greeting. Two people
carrying an egg, knock eggs together “Christ has risen”.
- Egg rolling is another Easter custom which takes place all
over Britain and America and friends send cards to one
another.