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There are many Easter traditions, starting with Pancake Tuesday and Lent. Lent is a Catholic religious tradition.

Pancake Tuesday

This day occurs on the day before Lent starts. It is a day were all the best food is consumed before going on a fast-diet for the 40 days of Lent. More details are available at the 'Food' page.

Lent

This commences with Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days, until Easter Sunday. On Ash Wednesday, Catholics receive ashes on their forehead from the priest. The idea is to remind people that they are ashes and to ashes they shall return. It is also a day of Fast, where you can hav eonly three meals and no meat can be eaten. People therefore eat fish instead.

During Lent people are supposed to give up something as a means of penance. In Transition Year, most people gave up sweets! Our Religion teacher also encouraged us to do something extra as well, so we worked with a local primary school in their homework club. At the end of Lent we had a party for them. Pictures of this are shown below.

Palm Sunday

This occurs the week before Easter Sunday. On this day, it is said that Our Lord entered Jeruselum and people threw branches of the palm tree in his path to welcome Him. In memory of this, palm is blessed on this Sunday and people bring it home and hang it up.

Good Friday

Near the end of Lent, prayers are said and the Stations of the Cross are done (see 'Folklore'). On this day, Our Lord dies on this day at 3pm. Statues in the Church are covered.

Easter Sunday On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord from the dead. In church the altars are beautifully decorated, normally with lilies. (see 'Decorations') Easter Lily The Easter lily being spring flower is the most common symbol of the Resurrection. It can usually be seen decorating on the altar in the Churches. Another reason this is the symbol of the Resurrection is because this beautiful flower from what seems like a dead bulb which is buried in the ground.

Egg
The reason that the egg is a symbol of Easter is because the chick is enclosed in the egg breaks out to a new life. This is like Jesus in the tomb. The egg looks dead but it still has the promise of life. The coloured eggs represent the colours of the Easter sunrise.

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