Tower and Town, April 2015

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Easter Rituals And Traditions

Easter is a time which abounds with rituals and traditions, some very similar in all corners of the world, and most rooted in paganism. They stem from the looking forward to and welcoming of the spring. In the past, fire seemed to feature quite predominantly.

In Germany, peasants would gather round the bonfire, watching carefully as superstition had it that households would be protected from sickness and fields would be fruitful for as far as the light from the fire reached. Today, on Easter Sunday, Germans still light big bonfires across the country to welcome the sun and the spring. These days though the event is used for a social gathering, an excuse to party over a beer or two. Another old German tradition is to give the house a thorough spring clean!

Italy too has fire rituals. In Florence it is a little more dramatic. La Festa del Carro – a tradition started in 1096 following the return of a Florentine knight from Jerusalem. As a reward for raising the Holy Cross banner on entering Jerusalem, he was awarded pieces of flint from the Holy Sepulchre of Christ. These flints were used to light the Easter Vigil sacred fire to be carried round the streets of Florence. Today, Florentines commemorate this event on Easter Sunday, when a 30 foot tall antique cart is pulled by a team of white oxen in a parade, which includes 150 soldiers and musicians dressed in 15th century costume. The procession travels to the Piazza del Duomo. Once there, a dove-shaped rocket holding an olive branch is fired at a cart loaded with fireworks, setting off an enormous explosion. It is believed the event brings prosperity and stability to the town.

Fire is used in many countries at this time for religious rather than pagan beliefs. In Portugal straw dolls are burned publically, the dolls depicting the figure of Judas. And all over the world, we read about processions of every size, shape and form as a celebration over the Easter period.

In Haiti, Holy Week is again marked by colourful parades with traditional ‘rara’ music played on maracas, bamboo trumpets and drums. However, the holiday is a mixture of Catholic and voodoo traditions. The island is a stronghold of devout believers in voodoo, who make an annual pilgrimage at this time to the village of Souvenance to give offerings and show devotion to the spirits with chanting, drumming and animal sacrifices.

One of the more modern traditions, practically everywhere it seems, is all to do with eggs. Chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday, to be eaten, and the hard boiled variety on Easter Monday for fun and games, which mainly involves rolling them down hills, the winner being the egg which reaches the farthest distance without cracking or breaking.

In America an Easter Egg Roll for children takes place on the White House lawn each Easter Monday.

Here in the UK we have the very special tradition of the distribution of Maundy money. Every year Her Majesty the Queen presents special Maundy money to local pensioners in a UK cathedral or abbey. This takes place on Maundy Thursday and is in recognition of service of elderly people to their community or church. The number of coins handed out and the number of people receiving them relates to the Sovereign’s age. This year 88 people will receive 88 pennies. The coins are special little silver pennies contained in soft leather purses with a drawstring.

Kite flying is the tradition marked on Bermuda on Good Friday, along with eating codfish cakes and hot cross buns. According to tradition kite flying is said to have begun when a local teacher from the British Army was finding it difficult to explain to his Sunday School class Christ’s ascension into heaven. So he made a kite, traditionally shaped like a cross to illustrate the Ascension. Even today, kites are home-made using colourful tissue paper, wood, metal and string, with long tails. I was fortunate to witness the celebration on the beach one Good Friday. People turned out in their hundreds. It was a truly wonderful sight.

This custom is also becoming more popular in the UK. Here in Marlborough, on Easter Monday, we have a kite flying gathering too. Why not come along and take part, or simply watch and enjoy!