Easter

[dancealot13]

Are there any rituals you do in the UK? Or in general ..for Easter?

Im an American, but we dont really have any "rituals" per say. But decorating your homes (inside and outside) just like at christmas, with lights and figurines..that's gotten really big over here.

[tomestone]

We have sale for kitchens,DIY,and snooker.god bless america

[dancealot13]

lol

[dancealot13]

whats snooker?

[mightyWBA]

We give each other too much chocolate.

Then on holiday Monday we all drive to the nearest Motorway(Freeway),and sit there for hours, in the pouring rain stuck in a traffic jam,wishing we had stayed at home!

[tomestone]

You whack balls around with a stick and try to get them into pockets that are on a table.like pool but a bigger table,similar to billiards.(you did ask)oh! and its on telly this weekend,for the insane.

[SarCaustic]

Here in Preston we have egg rolling every easter. Kids and their parents go round to the Park in the City centre and roll their easter eggs down a big hill. The link with to Christianity is most tenuous (much like easter eggs), but someone once told me it symbolises the boulder rolling away from Jesus' tomb, which is boll*cks of course. Its just a bit of fun really.

[dancealot13]

Tombstone- ???? interesting reply

[Ethel]

Traditionally the ladies would wear their new hats to church on Easter Sunday and the younger girls would wear their Easter bonnets that they made themselves (with help).

Simnel cake is eaten - a heavy fruit cake with a layer of marzipan baked in the middle. On top would be another layer of marzipan and thirteen marzipan balls. Some say these represented those present at Christ's last supper, others say that they represent eggs and new life.

Before the Great War (1914 - 1918) servants would have a rare day off to spend with their own families and would take Simnel cake from 'the Big House'.

Of course we hunt for easter eggs, where chocolate eggs are carefully hidden for the children.

We also decorate fresh eggs. This involoves carefully pricking a hole in both ends of the egg and blowing the contents out. Then the eggs are painted or dyed in pans of vegetable dye. Some people prefer to decorate hard boiled eggs and eat them on their picnics in the glorious British countryside, basking in the Easter sun.

Of course Lent is over so we are free to indulge in all those lovely edible luxuries that we have been doing without.

We don't decorate our homes in the Christmas style at Easter, thankfully.

It is the first Bank Holiday of the year of England and Wales, apart from New Year's Day of course, so Easter is much looked forward to as a time to spend with family.

[dancealot13]

Thank you for sharing and taking the time Ethel! That all sounds just wonderful.

Happy Easter to you!

[undercovers]

the pub in cambridge (and others elsewhere) nail a hot cross bun to the beam on the ceiling - i don't know why... sorry

[Jennykins]

For Canada.. its lots of Chololate, Church, Easter egg hunts, and 2-3 nights of dinner with family.. It all starts with good Friday. YUMMMMM!!!lol

[sixpence]

When we were kids we always had eggs that had been wrapped in onion skin, and boiled. It coloured the shell a lovely yellow colour, which we thought was great. I can't imagine my teenage grandchildren being very impressed with it now, though.