Christian Festivals

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Christian Festivals
Easter
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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.
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What is Lent?
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- 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

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Shrove Tuesday
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• 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.

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Ash Wednesday
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• 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.

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Mothering Sunday
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- Mothering Sunday is the forth day of Lent.

• The term mothering refers to three things
• The Bible refers to heaven as Mother
• The practice in the middle ages of congregations
  visiting their Mother Church, e.g. the
  Cathedral
• 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.

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Holy Week
Palm Sunday
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- 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.
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What is the meaning of Palm Sunday
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• 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.
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Good Friday
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- 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
Christs 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
Christs sacrifice and forgiveness of sin.
- Christ is believed to have died at three
oclock 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.
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Easter Day
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- 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.
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