Easter customs and traditions by Andrea Botos https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk Creat cu bucurie en-us 2017-04-02 10:52:29 UTC 2025-12-20 04:13:30 UTC hello@padlet.com Willow branches botosandrea2008 https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154181 Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  The crowd scattered palm branches in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem. The difficulty of procuring palms in unfavorable climates, led to their substitution with branches of native trees, including  willow (salix).
Pussy willow is a name given to many of the smaller species of willows when their furry catkins are young in early spring. The catkins appear long before the leaves, and are one of the earliest signs of spring. In our region Orthodox,  Ruthenian Catholic and  Roman Catholic Christians   carry pussy willows on Palm Sunday instead of palm branches. They will be blessed in church and the branches will often be preserved throughout the year in the family's icon corner. According to popular belief, these blessed “catkins” have magical powers: woven into a wreath and placed above the doors, windows and  icons they protect the family of illnesses and other harm bringing about prosperity and luck.
]]> 2017-04-02 10:55:58 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154181 The cross botosandrea2008 https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154291

The cross is the symbol of God’s love for people. It stands for Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to save mankind. When Jesus was crucified, the cross became a symbol of suffering. Then with the resurrection, Christians saw it as a symbol of victory over death.

]]> 2017-04-02 10:58:25 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154291 The Lamb botosandrea2008 https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154456 In the Ortodox tradition lamb is eaten at Easter. This tradition has been adopted even by the Pope. The lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ, who offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and died on the cross like an innocent lamb. The lamb is a universal  symbol of Jesus in Christian tradition.
]]> 2017-04-02 11:01:44 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154456 Easter Eggs botosandrea2008 https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154559 Easter eggs dyed red are one of the most powerful Easter symbols. Their colour is reminiscent of Jesus Christ’s blood which flew on the cross for the salvation of mankind. Legend has it that the Holy Virgin, who came to mourn her crucified son, put a basket of eggs under the cross. The eggs got red from the blood of the Saviour. Nowadays in the UK  real eggs used as Easter eggs have been replaced by chocolate eggs.
]]> 2017-04-02 11:03:44 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154559 Easter Bread or Pasca botosandrea2008 https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154630 Housewifes bake, once in a year, the Easter Bread for the Easter Holiday. Legend has it that Jesus was walking with his apostles and was very hospitably welcome by a certain man. Upon leaving he secretely gave them bread for later. On the road the apostles asked Jesus when Easter was and he answered: “When you find wheat bread in your bags.”
The Easter Bread called pasca is round and has a cross in the middle with braided dough aroud it. When it is introduced in the oven country women make the sigh of the cross on the shovel and oven walls saying :
“Cross in the house,
Cross in the stone,
God with us at table,
The Virgin at the door.”
 
Somehow similarly, in England hot cross buns are eaten throughout the Easter season. These are small, lightly sweet yeast buns containing raisins or currants and sometimes chopped candied fruit. Before baking, a cross is slashed in the top of the bun. After baking, a confectioners' sugar icing is used to fill the cross.
An old rhyme was often sung by children awaiting their sugary treat:
"Hot cross buns, 
 hot cross buns, 
 one a penny, two a penny,
 hot cross buns.
If you do not like them, 
 give them to your sons,
 one a penny, two a penny,
 hot cross buns."
 
]]> 2017-04-02 11:05:43 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154630 The resurrection Candle botosandrea2008 https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154774 For resurrection night everybody must bring to church a candle, which is lit during the resurrection ceremony. After resurrection people go home with this light, usually called the light of Resurrection. Chatolics greet the risen Lord with outdoor candlelitlit processions.
]]> 2017-04-02 11:08:50 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154774 Egg dying and egg knocking botosandrea2008 https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154892 As opposed to other regions where the tradition died out, in our country egg dyeing has evolved into an art, due to the materials, techniques and symbols used. (see picture below). These eggs take time and practice to make, however children  are sure to enjoy simple decorating techniques as well.
Eggs symbolize Jesus’s tomb, which opened up at resurrection. That is why people break easter eggs by knocking them together and say: “Christ is risen”. This phrase is also used instead of other  greetings, the response being ”Indeed, He is risen”. There is a similar tradition practiced as a game in the UK as well, while egg rolling ca also be quoted. This is a more traditional game in which boiled eggs are rolled against one another or down a hill. The owner of the egg that stayed uncracked the longest won.
]]> 2017-04-02 11:11:00 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154892 Egg hunt botosandrea2008 https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154942 An egg hunt is a game during which  Easter eggs  are hidden in various places for children to find. Since the Easter Bunny is supposed to bring presents for children, these hidden eggs are also attributed to him to motivate children even more.
 
]]> 2017-04-02 11:12:08 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164154942 mm14pl https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164836755 2017-04-05 11:01:24 UTC https://padlet.com/botosandrea2008/d6o47gzf7lzk/wish/164836755