Eggs and Crosses - celebrating Easter

Chaplain Sarah has been sharing Palm Crosses blessed at St Peter’s Church alongside mini egg Easter cakes made by students.

Eggs have been part of many religions spring celebrations for thousands of years with one theory suggesting Persian Christians were inspired to use eggs at Easter by celebrations of the far older festival Nowruz. Another theory suggests eggs as a celebration of Easter arose in medieval Europe as a response to Lenten abstinence from eating eggs. Whilst there may be no references to eggs in the Bible but they have long been part of Christian tradition symbolising new life.

In contrast, palm trees and palm branches feature in both Jewish and Christian scriptures. The Palm Cross, traditionally given out on Palm Sunday a week before Easter alludes to the story of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem to be greeted by people waving palm branches. The crosses simultaneously represent the joy of Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem and his death on a cross a few days later. Each Holy Week new palm crosses are blessed to be taken home by church members. In many places the crosses are returned to church in late winter to be burnt, the ashes are then used to mark the foreheads of people attending church on the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday.

In the Western tradition, Easter was celebrated on 9 April whereas Christians following the Eastern calendar celebrate on 23rd. Whatever your Easter customs the Chaplaincy team wish you Happy Easter and a joyful spring.