Easter is almost here …

Easter will soon be here.  This year Easter Sunday is on the 5th April and many chocolate eggs will be consumed that day! Here are some fun and interesting facts about Easter:

• Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after his death on Good Friday.  It is the oldest Christian holiday.
• The word Easter itself dates back to early English.  It is thought to relate to the Anglo-Saxon goddess of light and the dawn, Eostre, who was honoured at pagan festivals celebrating the arrival of Spring.
• In the UK, on Maundy Thursday, the reigning monarch gives out money to senior citizens in a tradition dating back hundreds of years to the reign of King Edward I.  The number of people chosen relates to the number of years the monarch has been on the throne, one man and one woman for each year.
• The date of Easter varies from year to year as it is based on the lunar calendar and the position of the moon.  Easter is celebrated on the Sunday after the full moon following March 21st.  But western and eastern Christians celebrate Easter at different times due to the use of the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
• The exchanging of eggs as gifts pre dates the Christian holiday.  It dates back to to the time of the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Persians when painted eggs were given as gifts to symbolise life.
• The Easter Bunny originated firstly in Germany!
• In the United States of America the White House holds an Easter egg roll in the grounds each year.  This tradition started in 1879, arranged by the 19th president, Rutherford Hayes.
• Pretzels were originally associated with Easter! They were originally invented by German monks and the shape was designed to show two arms folding in prayer.
• Chocolate began to be given as a gift at Easter in the early 1900’s.  Research has even been carried out to find out how people eat their Easter chocolate bunny.  Apparently 76% bite off the ears first!

If you want an alternative to chocolate gifts this year why not have a look at our range of rabbits and chicks …

That’s the end of this week’s blog.  We are off now to make a Simnel cake!