Easter is a spring festival of new life. For Christians, it’s a very important festival which marks the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and many attend special church services. Many non-Christians also have a holiday at this time, so it is a popular time for spending time with friends and family. We see lots of symbols of new life at Easter, especially eggs, chicks, flowers and rabbits. These symbols go back to ancient pagan traditions which celebrated fertility, rebirth and new growth after the long winter months.

The dates of Easter change from year to year, as they are based on the moon, but it’s usually sometime between the end of March and the end of April. In the Christian church, Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem and marks the beginning of Holy Week. In the UK, the Easter holiday weekend lasts for four days, from Good Friday to Easter Monday.

Eggs are a popular part of Easter celebrations, as they are a symbol of new life. Traditionally, people paint chicken eggs and decorate them with bright colours. Nowadays, chocolate eggs are just as popular as the traditional kind! There are many different Easter egg traditions around the world.

In the UK, as well as many other countries, lots of people take part in Easter egg hunts, and go hunting for chocolate eggs in parks and gardens.

Egg rolling is also popular in many places. Eggs are boiled, then painted and then rolled down a hill. The challenge is to roll your egg down the hill without it breaking! There is even an annual ‘Easter Egg Roll’ every Easter Monday in the grounds of the White House in Washington DC.

(adapted by learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org)

To check your understanding about celebrating Easter do the following exercises

Check your reading and vocabulary skills here

Choose the wordsearch, the anagram or the spelling game here

 

Play some word games to learn and practise Easter vocabulary.

Download the flashcards and study some easter vocabulary flashcards-easter

Print the worksheet about Easter and complete the exercises to help you practise your English!

Watch some videos about Easter traditions in Great Britain

 

Play some games

 

For younger learners

 

Choose the wordsearch, the anagram or the spelling game here

 

Easter egg hunt song

Peppa Pig Easter bunny

 

Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure

Pete the Cat and the Easter Basket Bandit

 

Try to guess the English words! Look at the pictures below. Do you know what these are?Click on the picture to see if you are correct.

The Way the Bunny Hops

 

Hot Cross Buns