On a trip to London, you'll probably be wondering what to expect on your vacation from Easter in England?
Today, I'm taking you on a tour of the traditions and events you'll come across during this period.
Easter in England: article summary
Easter in England: go on an Easter egg hunt
As we all know, an Easter egg is a hollow, egg-shaped chocolate treat. Children (and adults!) all over the country eagerly await their baskets of Easter eggs, they receive on Easter Sunday.
While in France we have bells, in England it's a rabbit that brings the goodies. The story of the Easter Bunny originated in German folk tales. The rabbit lays the eggs and delivers them to the children if they have behaved well during the Easter period.
Traditional egg hunts
Easter egg hunts are often held on Easter morning, weather permitting. The adults hide small Easter eggs in the garden, and the children must follow clues to find them.
Usually, there are enough Easter eggs for all the children to enjoy. In London, some parks take part in this tradition. So you can visit them and take home the results of your hunt.
Painting eggs
Eggs, as you may have already guessed, are a big part of Easter in Britain. They symbolize new life and represent the rebirth of Jesus.
Before chocolate eggs, children often decorated real eggs. Many children still do, but chocolate eggs are still far more popular!
If the legends about eggs and rabbits seem strange, it's because Christianity probably borrowed them from older pagan religions, but no one knows for sure. Rabbits generally represent fertility and eggs symbolize new life in spring.
Easter in England: eating delicious warm bread
Hot rolls are another delicious UK tradition. These raisin-filled rolls are toasted, spread with butter and then baked.be enjoyed with a good cup of tea.
These are very distinctive, as they are marked with a sugar cross. The crosses symbolize the Christian belief that Jesus died on the cross for his sins.
Discover the maypole dance
Maypole dancing is another Easter tradition in Britain and other parts of the world too. Dancers cling to colorful ribbons tied to the top of a tall pole and dance according to a certain choreography, often to music played by the village brass band.
The tradition certainly comes from pre-Christian heritage, but it has been an important part of Easter celebrations for centuries.
Easter in England: the Coco-nut Dancers dance
Not only is this tradition unique to the UK, it's also unique to a particular village in the UK.
The dance troupe is called the Britannia Coco-nut Dancers, or the "Nutters" for short. These dancers perform their Easter show in a village called Bacup in Lancaster.
They dance for 11 km through the village and drink a pint of beer in every pub they stop at.
Atypical outfits
The eight dancers dress very strangely, with :
- Clogs
- A red and white skirt
- Pants
- Black shirts
They also paint their faces black. If you're in the area at Easter, don't hesitate to pay a visit. It's a an event not to be missed.
Take part in the Morris Dancing parade
If you see a man dressed in white, with bells on his pants and a stick or handkerchief in his hand, don't be afraid. It's a a Morris Dancer.
Morris Dancing often takes place at parades or village fairs. It's a type of English folk dance and quite a strange thing to watch.
Dance troupes have traditionally been all-male, but there's a lot more to it than that. there are now women's groups too.
They also ply their trade at other times of the year, but their first shows usually take place in spring, when the weather warms up a little.
To experience Easter in England is to gain access to unique traditions that you'll only see in these parts. During your visit, you'll discover a new way of celebrating Easter. All the ingredients for a wonderful vacation.
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