Easter Article: Good Friday


Good Friday is a very important day for all Christians. On Good Friday, Christians remember that Jesus died for everyone. He was crucified by the Romans on a hill outside Jerusalem although he had not done anything wrong. When a person was crucified, they were tied and nailed by the wrists and feet to a large wooden cross or scaffold and left to die. This is why a cross if often used as a symbol of the Christian faith. You can read more about How and why Jesus was crucified in the Story Section.

The 'Good' in Good Friday comes from old English when Good meant Holy. So you could call Good Friday, 'Holy Friday'.

There are parades all over the world to celebrate and remember Good Friday. In Spain and some other countries, people who are very sorry for their wrong doings (called 'Penitents') walk through the streets wearing long robes with hoods and carrying a big cross of wood.

In some countries, including the U.K., sometimes a single person or group of church members carry a large wooden cross, around the streets near the church, before the Good Friday service. They may be also followed by the rest of the people going to church. Sometimes they will stop and have a reading from the Bible or sing a song before going to the service.

In some Central and South American countries there will be a procession of statues to the church before the service. These are often statues of Jesus, Mary and other saints. In Greece, people go to the church in a procession as if they were going to a funeral. Some Orthodox and Catholic churches have models of tombs as the centre piece of the service to help people remember Jesus died.

In most Anglican churches, there are no flowers or decoration such as alter-cloths in the church on Good Friday.

One of my favourite Good Friday customs is Hot Cross buns! These are yeast dough buns with currants and raisins in them and they have a cross on the top. You can eat them cold. I prefer to cut them in half, toasted with butter and jam on!

source: why easter .com

Easter Pray: Catholic Collect for Easter Sunday





God our Father,
by raising Christ your Son
you conquered the power of death
and opened for us the way to eternal life.
Let our celebration today raise us up
and renew our lives by the Spirit that is within us.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Easter Pray: Eastern Prayer of Christ Resurrected

Christ, rising again from the dead
dieth now no more:
death shall no more have dominion over him;
for in that he died, he died once:
but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God,
alleluia, alleluia.

Let the Jews now tell us,
how the soldiers,
who guarded the sepulchre,
lost the King,
though they had placed a rock over him.
Why kept they not the Rock of Justice?
Either let them restore the buried One,
or adore with us the risen One, saying:
But in that he liveth,
he liveth unto God,
alleluia, alleluia.
The Liturgical Year: Book 7

Easter Pray: Anglican Collect for Easter Day

O God,
who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son
to the death of the cross,
and by his glorious resurrection
delivered us from the power of our enemy:
Grant us so to die daily to sin,
that we may evermore live
with him in the joy of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Free Download MP3 Instrumental: Traditional Hymns - Instrumental



I Need Thee Every Hour
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Wonderful Words of Life
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Just as I am
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There is a Fountain
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Abide with me
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Faith of our Fathers
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Give your Best to the Master
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Holy, Holy, Holy
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Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
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Jesus Paid it All
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Near the Cross
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O Worship the King
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Praise Him Praise Him
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Praise to the Lord
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Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
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Trust and Obey
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Easter Article: About Easter


Easter is the time of the Christian year when Christians remember the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. They believe that Jesus, who they believe was the son of God, died for everyone's wrong-doings and then came back to life three days later to defeat death and evil: so if you believe in Him you will live forever in Heaven.

The word 'Easter' comes from two old pagan spring festivals. The old European pagan festival of 'Ostara' that celebrated new life and Arabian Sun festival of 'Ishtar'. The early Christians took over the festivals and turned the pagan festivals of new life to mean the new life that Jesus gave the world when he rose from the dead. Unlike Christmas, when Jesus's birth is celebrated (although we don't know what time of year Jesus was born!), Easter is celebrated around the same time of year that he was killed. This is because Jesus died at the time of the Jewish Passover festival.

The Passover festival dates from about 4,000 years ago when Jewish people remember that God saved them from slavery in Egypt. Jesus was a Jew and so celebrated the Passover. Passover takes place in the first month of the Jewish New Year (14-15 of the month of Nisan). The Jewish calendar follows the cycle of the moon, so the date changes a bit every year.

The first Jewish Christians added Easter celebrations to the Passover festival and because Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday, so Easter Day became the first Sunday after Passover.

Over the years, the Christian festival moved in date slightly from the Jewish Passover, so they don't now have the same date, but sometimes they are very close! The Christian date for Easter also follows the moon, so it also changes every year. To make things even more complicated, Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, like Christmas, on a different day to Catholic and Western Christians!!!!

For Christians, the full Easter period lasted for a long time. Easter officially starts with Lent on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Easter Day. Then 40 days after Easter Day, Christians celebrate Ascension Day, when they remember Jesus going back into Heaven and promising to come back to earth one day. Easter officially ends 50 days after Easter Day with the Christian Festival of Pentecost or Whitsun, when Christians remember that God sent his Holy Spirit to help Christians. So Easter is a very busy time for Christians!

source: why easter .com

Easter Crafts: Simnel Cake

You will need :

1/2 lb unsalted butter
zest of 2 large lemons
1/2 lb caster sugar
4 large eggs
6 oz chopped mixed peel
6 oz sultanas
1 1/4 lb currants
14 oz plain flour
salt
baking powder
1 level teaspoon mixed spice

for decoration
4 oz ground almonds
4 oz icing sugar
4 oz caster sugar
1 large egg
lemon essence
3 teaspoons strained lemon juice
chocolate eggs
ribbon

Grease a 9 inch round deep cake tin and line it with greased greaseproof paper. Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Cream together the butter, lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and stir in the peel and fruit.

Sift the flour with a little salt, a good pinch of baking powder and the spice. Fold this into the creamed mixture. If necessary add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to relax the mixture if it is too thick. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Once the cake is cooked, cool it on a wire rack.

Meanwhile mix together the ground almonds and all the sugar. Add half of the lightly beaten egg with a few drops of lemon essence and the strained lemon juice. Knead thoroughly until the almond paste is smooth. Roll out 2/3 of the almond paste and cover the cooled cake with it. Make sure that the cake is completely cool before you start decorating it.

Shape the remaining almond paste into 11 balls - to represent the Apostles, excluding Judas - and set them around the edge of the cake. Tie a ribbon around the side of the cake and decorate the centre of the cake with chocolate eggs.

Easter Crafts: Hot Cross Buns

You will need:

1 lb plain flour
1 level teaspoon caster sugar
1 oz fresh yeast (or 1 level tablespoon dried yeast)
1/4 pint lukewarm milk
2 fluid oz warm water
1 level teaspoon each of salt and mixed spice
2 oz caster sugar
2 oz melted butter
1 beaten egg
1 oz currants
1-2 oz chopped mixed peel

Grease and flour two baking trays and preheat oven to 190C. Sift 4 oz of the flour with the sugar. Crumble in the yeast and stir in the milk & water. Leave the mixture in a warm place for 20-30 mins until frothy.

Meanwhile sift the remaining flour with the salt & spice. Add the sugar. Stir the melted butter together with the egg into the risen yeast mixture. Gradually fold in the flour, currants and peel. Knead the dough on a floured surface until perfectly smooth. Divide into 12 pieces and shape into buns. Set the buns well apart on the prepared trays and leave them in a warm place until doubled in size. Make two cuts on the top of each bun to form a cross.

Bake just above the centre of the oven for 15-20 mins. Leave the buns to cool on a wire rack; while still warm brush them with a glaze made from 1 1/2 oz caster sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons water.

Easter Crafts: Easter Nests

You will need:

Shredded Wheat (or similar cereal)
Cooking chocolate
Mini eggs

Combine crushed Shredded Wheat with melted chocolate and shape into nest shapes in bun cases. Once the chocolate has set, place 2-3 mini eggs into your chocolate nests.

Easter Crafts: Easter Basket

You will need
  • Coloured cardboard
  • Tissue paper
  • Decorated eggs or chocolate eggs

On a rectangular piece of cardboard draw another rectangle about 2 - 3 cm (one inch) inside and carefully score (don't cut) along the lines with the point of scissors so it can bend easily. Fold in the edges of your rectangle, snipping out the extra card at the corners, to form a basket shape with a lip all around the edge and secure firmly.

Take another long thin strip of cardboard and secure it to both sides of your basket to create a handle before padding the bottom with crumpled tissue paper and filling it with your choice of decorated or chocolate eggs.

Easter Crafts: Easter Bonnet

You will need :
  • Flexible coloured cardboard
  • Tissue paper
  • Ribbon or crepe paper

Firstly draw a circle on the cardboard using a dinner plate as a guide then carefully cut round the line. Cut a straight line up towards the middle of your circle before folding the two sides over one another until to have a bonnet shape that is flat at the back and peaked at the front then secure.

Using lots of different coloured tissue paper cut out small pieces and scrunch or roll them up to create flowers to stick all over your bonnet or if you prefer just round the edges. Finally make a small hole on each side of your bonnet to thread through ribbon or a strip of crepe paper to create ties to hold your bonnet firmly in place.

An alternative Easter bonnet could be made using an old hat and fabric flowers to brighten it up and again adding brightly coloured ribbon to create ties.

Easter greetings in many languages

KALO PASKA (grec)

FOUAI HWO GIE QUAI LE (chinois)

EID-FOSS’H MUBARAK (arabe)

SRETUN USKRS (croate)

VESELE VANOCE (tchèque)

FROHE OSTERN (allemand)

KALO PASKA (grec)

BUONA PASQUA (italien)

SOUK SAN VAN EASTER (laotien)

SREKEN VELIGDEN (macédonien)

Easter Dates: List of Easter Sunday Dates 1700-1799


 11th April 1700    1st April 1725   29th March 1750   16th April 1775
27th March 1701 21st April 1726 11th April 1751 7th April 1776
16th April 1702 13th April 1727 2nd April 1752 30th March 1777
8th April 1703 28th March 1728 22nd April 1753 19th April 1778
23rd March 1704 17th April 1729 14th April 1754 4th April 1779
12th April 1705 9th April 1730 30th March 1755 26th March 1780
4th April 1706 25th March 1731 18th April 1756 15th April 1781
24th April 1707 13th April 1732 10th April 1757 31st March 1782
8th April 1708 5th April 1733 26th March 1758 20th April 1783
31st March 1709 25th April 1734 15th April 1759 11th April 1784
20th April 1710 10th April 1735 6th April 1760 27th March 1785
5th April 1711 1st April 1736 22nd March 1761 16th April 1786
27th March 1712 21st April 1737 11th April 1762 8th April 1787
16th April 1713 6th April 1738 3rd April 1763 23rd March 1788
1st April 1714 29th March 1739 22nd April 1764 12th April 1789
21st April 1715 17th April 1740 7th April 1765 4th April 1790
12th April 1716 2nd April 1741 30th March 1766 24th April 1791
28th March 1717 25th March 1742 19th April 1767 8th April 1792
17th April 1718 14th April 1743 3rd April 1768 31st March 1793
9th April 1719 5th April 1744 26th March 1769 20th April 1794
31st March 1720 18th April 1745 15th April 1770 5th April 1795
13th April 1721 10th April 1746 31st March 1771 27th March 1796
5th April 1722 2nd April 1747 19th April 1772 16th April 1797
28th March 1723 14th April 1748 11th April 1773 8th April 1798
16th April 1724 6th April 1749 3rd April 1774 24th March 1799

Easter Crafts: Egg Tree

You will need :
  • Plasticine or flower oasis (from your local florist)
  • Small twigs or branches
  • Green crepe paper or moss (from your local florist)
  • Narrow ribbon
  • Blown eggshells
  • Decorating materials

To make your egg tree first of all you will need to collect whole eggshells which have had their insides blown out. Make a small hole in one end of the egg and a slightly larger one in the other using a large needle then gently blow the contents into a bowl. You could collect the shells from eggs used in cooking.

Now it is time to decorate your eggs whatever way you like. Use lots of bright colours and shiny bits like glitter or foil to create colourful eggs. A good decoration tip for younger children is to coat the eggshells in glue then roll them in glitter. Then carefully glue a length of narrow ribbon lengthways around the egg ensuring it is long enough to tie a loop at the top.

To create your tree place the oasis or plasticine on a small plate then carefully arrange your twigs in it until they form a small tree like shape. Green crepe paper or moss can be wrapped around the bottom to disguise the base then hang your eggs from the branches to complete your tree.