[Sca-cooks] Easter Observances

[Kingstaste]

I have been collecting information about holiday celebrations and
observations for many years.  A lot of it is random and unedited, but I am
going to throw it out here to see if it rings any bells for anyone.  I am
always interested to hear family traditions that either confirm or debunk
what I've found.  

 

Christianna

 


MAR 21 


Vernal Equinox, First Day of Spring


Mothering Sunday* - Feudal Europe - On Laetare Sunday (mid-Lent) in spring,
"fostered" children would go to visit their own families. A sweet cake
called a "simnel"- named for simila=fine flour, plum cakes or cakes with
almond paste baked inside were taken to their mothers.

Origins in the Greek Goddess Cybele, the goddess of nature (whom the Greeks
got from the Phrygians) and Roman festivities held to honor motherhood.  

England - In the 17th Century, Christians went once a year to pay their
respects to the cathedral or mother church of their religion. The huge
gatherings gave so many people a chance to have family reunions that they
began to call it "going a-mothering", and they brought their mothers flowers
and cakes for the occasion. The custom died out in the 18th cent. But
American soldiers stationed in England during WWII, who observed the U.S.
Mother's Day, reminded the English of their own tradition and contributed to
its revival. 

 


MAR 27


Ceremony of Washing - Ancient Rome - Traditional Spring Cleaning Day

 

Vikrama Samvat * - Hindu -  The beginning of Spring, when the Goddess of
Nature is bedecked as a divine bride.  A combination of bitter neem leaves
and sweet jaggery is eaten, to signify conflicting aspects of human life:
joy and sorrow, success and failure, ecstasy and agony.  

 

Holi* - Hindu - To celebrate the end of the spring harvest and the end of
winter in India and, some people say, the time long ago when the evil witch
Holika was burned, people light bonfires on the eve of Holi. The next day
children and adults throw water and colored powders at each other. Soon
everyone is covered with the colors of spring. It is a holiday of mirth and
merriment.  Games depicting the pranks of the infant Krishna are played by
boys singing and dancing.  

 

Festival of Ostara - Saxon - "Season of the Growing Sun".  A 2 day 'Coming
of Spring' festival.   

 

Alp Aufzug* - Switzerland - "Ascent" marks the time when herdsmen lead their
goats and cattle up to mountain pastures for the summer. Considered the
beginning of spring, everyone wears bright costumes, decorate the best
animals with flowers, and parade with the pails and cheese-making equipment.


 

Sunday before Easter

Palm Sunday* - Christian - Commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. People
greeted Him by waving palm branches, and today many churches distribute and
bless palms as part of the service. 

Pax Cakes Distribution* (16th Cent) Hereforshire, England - Under the will
of Lady Scudomore, cakes and ale were presented to the congregation at the
Palm Sunday service to promote peace and good fellowship.  

 

Seschselauten* - Switzerland - On the first day of Zurich's Spring Festival,
The "Six O' Clock Ringing", there's a children's parade through town. On the
second day, dressed in medieval costumes and carrying banners, members of
the town's historic craft guilds march the same route. The tailors chase the
children with huge scissors. The bakers hand out pastries. At 6pm when the
bells chime, everyone gathers in the town square where the Boegg, a big
white figure of winter stuffed with straw and firecrackers, goes up in a
burst of flames.

 

Ra-Ra* - Haiti - Every day between Palm Sunday and Easter groups of
people-The Ra-Ra- come down from the hills to dance for money. Each dancer
is dressed in a red shirt and carries a red flag. Some of them beat drums;
some crack whips; some carry kerosene lanterns. As soon as the crowd sees
the group's leader, they cry "Ra-Ra!" The dance celebrates spring but also
mourns the death of Jesus. Throughout the 3 days before Easter the Ra-Ra
dance intensely, and on Easter Sunday they stop.

 

Maundy Thursday, Royal Maundy (14th Cent) Britain's oldest charity, it was
started by Edward III.  Until 1689 the sovereign went to Westminster Abbey
the day before Good Friday to wash the feet of the poor.  Since James II,
special minted coins have been given out instead.  

Green Thursday - The Thursday before Easter, the day that Jesus washed the
feet of the disciples.  In Czechoslovakia, "Judases"- cakes made to look
like twisted ropes- are made and dipped in honey to suggest the fate of
Judas on this day.  Honey is a preventative against disaster. On this day
they also bake a lamb-shaped cake for the Lamb of God to be served on Easter
Sunday.

 

Good Friday* - Christian - Commemorates the day Jesus was convicted of
treason against the Roman Empire and crucified. Many people observe the day
with solemn services or processions that reenact Jesus' walk to His death,
carrying his own cross. Supposedly on His way to Golgotha, He stopped at the
door of a woman who was baking and asked for bread.  She thought he was just
a poor misfortunate sentenced to die, so she brought him in and gave him
bread and water.  Legend says He has blessed all women who bake on Good
Friday.  

Hot Cross Buns - traditionally associated with Good Friday.  Early Egyptians
offered their moon goddess cakes marked with horns symbolic of the horned ox
they sacrificed at the altar. Early Greeks presented horn-inscribed cakes to
Astarte and other deities.   The Romans ate cross-bread at sacrificial
feasts, and the Saxons inscribed loaves with a cross in honor of Eostre, the
goddess of light (See Easter).   

Marble Championship - Tinsley Green, Sussex, England - In 1600 two rivals
dueled over a lover with a game of marbles.  Since then, there has been a
marbles championship held in their memory.  

Bermuda - In the 19th century, a teacher who had trouble explaining Jesus'
Ascension into heaven brought his class to the highest hill on the island,
where he launched a kite with an image of Jesus. When the line ran out, he
cut it, and children have flown kites on Good Friday ever since. 

 

Vigil of Easter* Many churches celebrate the day between Jesus' Crucifixion
and His Resurrection, with an Easter vigil service. Worshipers reflect on
His suffering and death. Mexico- many people make ugly effigy of Judas,
stuff it with firecrackers, and hang it over a street. Then they ignite the
evil Judas and he explodes. Children scramble for the candies and little
gifts that spurt out of him.

White Saturday - Czechoslovakia - is the favorite time to decorate the eggs
that have been taken to church and blessed.

 

Easter* - Christian - Celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene
and some companions visited the tomb of Jesus, and the Angel of the Lord
appeared and told them He was risen. Legend has it that the sun jumps for
joy on Easter morning, so many churches have sunrise services. In the 8th
century the Venerable Bede suggested that the word "Easter" may have come
from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and
fertility. Saxons ate cross-inscribed loaves in her honor.  Her symbol was a
hare, which may explain the custom of the Easter hare, or rabbit, who brings
Easter eggs. The egg may have become a special Easter symbol of rebirth
because eggs were long one of the foods forbidden during Lent. The use of
Easter Eggs among Christians came into use around 700 AD.  The tradition of
coloring eggs probably began with medieval travelers to Egypt and Persia,
where people colored eggs for their spring festivals.  Red eggs symbolized
the Blood of Christ, a chicken meant the fulfillment of one's dreams, the
sun presages good luck,  flowers for love and understanding, good health is
assured by a deer or a stag, and prosperity by a pig.  In Lancastershire,
England, the children participate in Pace-Egging, where they roll Easter
eggs down a hill.  It was said to commemorate Christ's tomb stone rolling
away from the crypt.   Norsemen also had the word Eostur, Eastur, Ostara, or
Ostar, meaning season of the growing sun.  (This is the latest day on which
Easter Sunday can occur.  The earliest day on which it can fall is March
22nd.)

Lambri* - Greece - "Bright Day" is how Greeks describe Easter. The night
before, all lights go out. At midnight, a priest enters holding a candle,
proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ. His candle is used to light the
candles every person holds. The church bells ring, ships sound their
whistles, and firecrackers go off. Afterward, people celebrate with dancing,
roast lamb, and Easter eggs, which Greeks dye red only.