EASTER

The Christian Church does not have sole ownership on the Easter celebration. It is believed many of the Christian festivals merely replaced Pagan festivals. In the Christian belief the Easter period is when Christ was crucified on the cross, later placed in a tomb but then rose from the dead and so fulfilled the prophecies of the Resurrection and life eternal. The crucifixion is believed to symbolise Christ's personal sacrifice for man's salvation and redemption. The religion of Christianity brings people together to celebrate Easter, celebrating the Resurrection and so reaffirming the belief in life everlasting and the Holy Trinity.

It is believed by some that the Christian church established the symbolic story of Resurrection by means of substituting the story of Christ and the Resurrection following the story of Adonia originating from the Middle East, Judaea, Syria, Egypt, Persia, Cyprus, Rome and Greece. Adonia was also believed to have died and risen again (Ezekiel, viii, 14 referred to as Tammuz). The mourning women were said to be desolate with grief and then rejoiced at this resurrection. A festival to commemorate Adonia is still celebrated for eight days, in these countries and in Alexandria and Assyria called the 'Festival of Adonis'. The Adonis River is a stream near Byblos and is said to have run red, most likely with the soil brought down from the Lebanon.

An ancient belief follows that Christ suffered on the cross on the 25th March and so some Christians remember the crucifixion on this day, irrespective of the state of the lunar cycle at this time, although in the UK today Easter celebrations vary slightly to the nearest Sunday of that date.

MAUNDY THURSDAY
'Maundy Thursday' is the Thursday before Good Friday when in the Roman Catholic faith, the preparation of washing the feet begins. Traditionally those of high office within the church, including royalty, would wash the feet of the poor on this day. In John, xiii, 34, the ceremony is outlined with 'Mandatum novum do vobis' meaning 'a new commandment I give unto you'. The washing of the feet is associated with the parable of Jesus washing the feet of the poor, and also too of Mary of Magdala washing and drying the feet of Jesus.

GOOD FRIDAY
The Friday preceding Easter Day. This is the believed day of the Crucifixion when Jesus Christ died upon the Cross. One of the many rituals connected with this Church festival was that people would not use nails or iron tools. This was to symbolise recognition for their use on Calvary (the hill on which it is believed the crucifixion took place and He was nailed to the cross). It was, and still is by many, believed to be an unlucky day because of the event that took place. 'Good' in this instance means 'Holy'.

Many fishermen will not set out for catch on this day (See Mystical WWW Days). It was also believed that bread or cakes baked on this day would not go mouldy (See Mystical WWW Easter : Hot Cross Buns). The planting of crops is also not advised on this day as an old belief says that no iron should enter the ground (i.e. spade, fork etc.).

According to tradition, misfortune will come to anyone who washes clothes on this day as it is associated with the story of Christ who whilst carrying the cross to Calvary had a woman wave wet garments in his face. It is said that Jesus proclaimed 'Cursed be everyone who hereafter shall wash on this day'.

Good Friday is alternatively believed to be a good day to start weaning a baby as they will grow strong, healthy and prosper.

'Long Friday' was another name given to Good Friday (See Mystical WWW Days) by the Saxons. It is thought that the name derived from the fact that this was a day of abstinence.

EASTER SUNDAY
The day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, as prophesied in the writings of the Bible. Mary of Magdala and Mary, mother of James and Salome, went to the sepulchre two days later. When reaching the place where Jesus had been laid to rest on Good Friday they found that His body was not to be seen. Only the linen cloths that He had been wrapped in were found (later in history referred to and disputed as the linen named the Turin Shroud). Whilst grieving at the tomb an angel appeared to them. Some teach that it was Jesus himself in disguise and they were told to spread the word to the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead in accordance with the prophecies (Ascension) and would meet them in Galilee.

EASTER MONDAY
The custom of women 'lifting' or 'heaving' men was a common practice in the British Isles on this day which was reversed the following day. This custom, that paid no regard to rank, is documented to have been practiced up until the late nineteenth century, and is believed to have signified the opening of the tomb. The practice was also believed by rural folk in Worcestershire, England (UK) to ensure that crockery breakages would be reduced the following year.

Yet many have forgotten where the custom of exchanging eggs to family and friends has come from. The actual origin of giving eggs is generally believed to stem from Pagan traditions, and it is also believed by some that the word 'Easter' derives from the old Saxon language word 'Oster' meaning 'to rise'. The rising and rebirth of the sun on Easter day was a time of much celebration and dancing (See Morris) in an old Aryan belief but only because the sun rose and not for any other reason. To commemorate the rising of the sun on this day, red and gold eggs were exchanged as eggs symbolised the birth of the new sun, again linking together the various Creation myths associated with the egg. The Pagan goddess 'Eastre' or 'Eostre', 'Spring' or 'Dawn' respectively, is thought by some to have been the reason why the festival received the name 'Easter'. The rebirth of spring and all things growing after winter was a reason for great celebration in the Pagan world. Eostre's favourite animal was the 'hare', and there have long been associations between the hare and Easter, although latterly most people tend to associate the rabbit with Easter (hence 'Easter Bunnies' can often be found sold commercially at this time). The hare in Pagan animal mythology represented love, growth and fertility which ties in very obviously with Easter Bunnies, the beginning of spring and new relationships. (See Mystical WWW Folklore of the Easter Hare).

Easter is a time when people around the world exchange eggs, usually to indicate a religious significance or because of friendship. Most are made from delicious chocolate or carved of wood (to make the moment of sharing last). Some eggs are prettily decorated and packaged whilst others carry inscriptions, poetry, and short messages but what is the significance of the messages written upon the egg? (See Mystical WWW Eggs, Traditions and Messages). Some believe that the tradition of decorating eggs can be traced back to the birth of Christ when it is said that the Virgin Mary painted eggs green, yellow and red to entertain and delight the infant Jesus.

By taking an Easter egg into a church, it is said that a male can discover whether there is any negative energies present and also the identity of any witch inside the church. Should there be any witches in the congregation their true identity will be revealed to him. He will recognise the women who are witches it is said by the fact that they will have pieces of pork in their hands rather than prayer books, and instead of bonnets each witch will have a milk pail on their head! There are many renowned traditional Western Easter dishes associated with this festival, the most popular ones being 'Pancakes' served on Shrove Tuesday and 'Scrambled Egg Bentinck' (See Mystical WWW Medicinal Eggs) which is traditionally served on Easter Sunday.

It was believed that the sun danced on Easter Day as detailed in the following:

The sun was said to dance at the joy of the Resurrection. The practice of early morning services on this day were common often at sunrise itself. The first recorded service in the USA at an Easter sunrise is identified as having taken place at Cadillac Mountain, Maine.

Traditionally German children are told that it is the Easter hare that lays all the Easter eggs. In order for the Easter hare to come to the house with the eggs, the children are encouraged to make a soup from green leaves specially for the hare. Without it, the Easter hare will not come into the garden and build the special egg nests needed. The Easter hare is believed to colour the eggs, making the dyes by lighting little bonfires and heating water with flowers and grasses. The luckiest child is the one that receives an Easter hare's egg that hatches to find that inside there is a baby bird with the head of a hare. As you might expect it is very rare that these type of eggs are found. If the child has been naughty it is likely that the child will find nothing but hare droppings in the nest! Thankfully some people will say, most children find the more modern form of Easter eggs made of sweet chocolate when they go search in the garden.

Hares lay eggs?
There is a legend that suggests that the hare was thought to lay eggs and most people would find this idea absurd, but it is believed that this idea stems from the fact that a bird known as a 'Plover' (See Mystical WWW : Birds) would often make a nest on the ground near to a hare's form. If, for some reason, the hare deserted the form, it is known that the plover will hijack the form and lay eggs in comfort. Perhaps this is how the legend came to be.

OAK
It is said that when the announcement of Christ's Crucifixion was made, all the trees met together and agreed that none of them wished to be part of the event. The time came for the wood to be selected. As the Jews began to chose the wood each piece began to split and break into many pieces making it impossible to use. Only the 'Evergreen Oak' or the 'Ilex' did not split and allowed itself to be used, seen by the other trees as a traitor or another Judas. As a result is it said that Grecians will not have any part of the Oak tree brought into the house, or allow their axes to come into contact with the Ilex. Just like Judas the tree is seen as eternally condemned.

ROWAN
The mystic properties of the Rowan tree have been somewhat feared by witches according to legend as it was believed to hold powers that counteracted the effect of negative energies. A branch placed in a house on Good Friday or placed in a bed was said to ward off such forces. Wearing a sprig of the Rowan also protected against charms. It was advised to repeat the following prayer to ensure darker forces were aware of the presence of the Lord:

The ancient Greeks made a similar type of bun called a 'bous' with horns dedicated to Apollo, Diana, the Moon and Hecate. It too was said to never go mouldy and to have mystical powers. The shape of the bun was said to represent the moon whilst the four quarters divided on the top of the bun represented the four quarters of the year.

Another fact about sweeping is not to sweep the house with a broom made of Birch twigs (called a 'green broom') during the month of May as this old rhyme said:

SHROVE TUESDAY, PANCAKE DAY
The three days preceding Ash Wednesday and Lent were traditionally called 'Shrovetide' culminating in 'Shrove Tuesday' or what has become more commonly known as 'Pancake Day'. This was a time for people to go to church and seek absolution from sin with penance. Pancakes were and still are believed to be of good luck in many areas of the world as they contained many herbs and food stuffs associated with the promotion of prosperity and longevity. Made from batter and fried like a thin cake in fat the ingredients symbolise four crucial points of significance at this time of year :

All herbs and spices are believed to evoke good or lucky qualities. Pancake Day falls on Shrove Tuesday and was associated with misfortune although today the reverse is true as it is believed to eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday means that you will not go without food during the coming year. In order to ensure that this will occur the pancakes must be eaten before eight in the evening (20.00hrs.) or bad luck will ensue. This day became one of celebration announced by the 'Pancake Bell'. The sounding of this bell meant that villagers could return home and prepare the pancakes, and join in games and general merriment (pancake races and tossing the pancakes are just two examples of common traditions). In some areas of England (UK) the sounding of the bell is documented as far back as 1450, with the most well known being in Olney, Buckinghamshire.

The custom itself can be traced back several centuries when Shrove Tuesday was the last day that any form of festivities could take place before the period of Lent (see also Lent). The actual word Shrove derived from the word 'shrive' which meant 'confession through penance'. This original meaning was symbolic of the time when festivities would take place to purify the individual and area with the eating of pancakes. Later this day was also known as 'Derby Day' and in some instances (UK) more extreme displays of such confessions and driving out of evil forces abounded such as identifying prostitutes and cock fighting. The authorities eventually declared these practices to be outlawed and so people took to tossing the pancakes instead of fighting cocks or the humiliating of prostitutes. This practice of cock fighting was also known as 'threshing the hen' and was purely a Shrovetide sport which involved throwing cockerels with tied wings and feet as far as possible. In Somerset, England (UK) it later became common practice for daffodils to be thrown instead, these being called 'Leny-cocks'.

In some parts of rural England (UK) this day is still known as 'Lent-crocking Day'. Tradition has it that this was a time of charity also exampled by the following tradition and verse:

'When the door is opened, the hero, who is perhaps a farmer's boy, with a pair of black eyes sparkling under the tattered brim of his brown milking hat covered with cow's hair and dirt like the inside of a blackbird's nest, hangs down his head, and, with one corner of his mouth turned up into an irrestistible smile, pronounces the following lines -

The word Lent is derived from the word 'Lenct' which was the Saxon word for 'Spring' with March being a month associated with rebirth in nature after the bleakness of winter, hence fasting was also used by communities in Saxon times as a way of making the winter stores of food last within agricultural communities. 'Lencten monath' was the name given by the Saxons to this month as day-by-day the length of the day increased. The fast from Ash Wednesday to Easter runs through the majority of this month hence this period became referred to as 'Lencten-faesten' or 'Lent'.

In many parts of rural England (UK) the practice of clearing the house of food stuffs resulted in many customs being developed (See Mystical WWW Easter : Pancake Day). Any remaining meat was eaten in the form of a steak or 'collop' and so the day preceding Shrove Tuesday became known as 'Collop Monday'.

FOLK CALENDAR
Read this section by looking up an area of the UK and then look for festivals around the Easter period.

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