Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are public holidays in the UK. As well as being a religious festival, Easter is also the celebration of new life and the arrival of spring. That’s why there are so many symbols of fertility like eggs, chicks and rabbits. Soon after Valentine’s Day, the shops start to sell chocolate eggs, wrapped in colourful boxes and ribbons: some of them are huge! These are given to children as presents if they are well behaved. Some parents tell their children that the Easter Bunny has brought the eggs. The Easter Bunny is a fantasy character that arrives in secret, a bit like what Father Christmas does in December.
Another tradition in the UK is the Easter Egg Hunt. Towns often organise these parties during the Easter weekend: lots of chocolate eggs are hidden in local parks and children have to go and collect them. It is a lot of fun for everyone. Some families organise their own Easter egg hunt in their garden, if it is big enough.
Apparently, nearly 90 million Easter eggs are sold in the UK each year, and each child receives an average of 8 large chocolate eggs. This is obviously a lot of sugar and sometimes doctors and dentists warn people that this tradition is bad for children’s health. That’s why some families decide to give their children presents like toys and games, to stop them eating so much chocolate and ruining their teeth! However, Easter is not complete without a bit of sweetness, as long as it is in moderation.
Do you have any traditions to celebrate Easter or the arrival of Spring?
