In Events

There might not be much happening for Easter across the UK this year with many events being cancelled, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Easter with your friends and family. We’ve put together some of our favourite things about a British Easter – let us know what your favourite things about the Easter celebrations are on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

When it comes to Easter, you’re probably used to heading out to a local event, a church service or even just the pub for a Sunday lunch, but while we’re following government guidelines, those things aren’t always possible. It might not even be possible to get all the things you would normally enjoy for an Easter lunch, but we thought we’d tempt you anyway with these traditional Easter foods and why they exist.

Eggs

Yes, Chocolate eggs are the most common thing to find at Easter these days but actually all kinds of eggs are important at this time of year. First off, we can thank Cadbury for Easter Eggs as we know them now, the Cadbury brothers were among the first to experiment with making chocolate eggs and now they’re everywhere. Though sadly, the Cadbury Easter Egg hunts have been called off this year. Boiled eggs (not chocolate ones) are also popular at this time of year, because of their association with new life. It is traditional to have a boiled egg for breakfast on Easter weekend to represent the tomb in which Jesus was buried after his crucifixion.
They’re also pretty fun to eat with bread soldiers and decorate too!

Roast Lamb

Vegetarians look away, but Roast Lamb is a staple for Sunday Lunch on Easter Sunday. Not only is it associated with spring time, which is when lambs are born, but it also symbolises the fact that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb of God. Make sure to serve it with carrots (also symbolic of this time of year) and with plenty of gravy and mint sauce.

Hot Cross Buns

Is it even really Easter without Hot Cross Buns? You’re supposed to only eat these on Good Friday, but luckily, you can find them in bakers and super markets from January onwards. The cross on the top represents the crucifixion, which is why they are reserved for Good Friday, but according to legends, Hot Cross Buns cooked on Good Friday supposedly never go mouldy!

Easter Bread

Bread features heavily in bible stories and as bread was said to represent the body of Christ at the last supper, it is customary to make bread over the Easter holiday. These days you’ll often see it as a sweet treat or decorated with eggs or chicks.

Simnel Cake

This is basically the Easter version of a fruit cake but with added marzipan. Traditionally, the cake is made with a layer of marzipan in the middle and on top and is decorated with eleven marzipan balls to represent the apostles minus Judas.

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