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Happy Easter in London
London provides unique opportunities to observe other people’s traditions and learn from many different cultures. After living in this multicultural, vibrant environment for more than two years, I’ve learned a lot. But I still have a lot of questions.
What does Easter mean to modern Brits? Has the holiday retained its religious and spiritual dimension? And what are the historical associations in the public mind with this annual fun of buying and eating chocolate eggs?
In the UK Easter is usually celebrated by going to church, decorating homes and gardens with Easter bunnies, gifting chocolate eggs and scoffing hot cross buns. Unlike Christmas, which falls on the same day every year, the dates of Easter vary annually.
The date of Easter is calculated from the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox in March.
On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as described in the New Testament of the Bible. Eggs are believed to be given on this day because they represent new life and are a symbol of Jesus’ return from the dead. Even for those who are not religious, chocolate Easter eggs are usually given to friends…