Easter is a big treat here, mainly because everyone gets a long weekend break. Good Friday and Easter Monday are national holidays (or “bank holidays” as they are called, since the banks are closed). And if you’re lucky, as we were this year, the weather will be nice and sunny and warm. The roads and airlines become jam packed with people flocking towards tourist destinations such as the coastlines of England, France or Spain. It’s the perfect weekend to just stay at home!
Easter itself is celebrated differently here in England. Where I come from, kids get Easter baskets filled with all sorts of goodies (chocolate eggs and bunnies, jelly beans, dyed eggs and other treats) from the Easter Bunny. Children normally participate in Easter egg hunts and go to church in their new Easter outfits. Families gather for a special Easter dinner.
Over here, chocolate Easter eggs are the big thing. The Easter Bunny doesn’t make an appearance, but people give each other chocolate eggs, either the cream-filled variety or the really big hollow ones filled with all sorts of individually-wrapped chocolates. You don’t see Easter baskets or other types of sweets – only these Easter eggs. And no Easter egg hunts (that I saw or heard of).
People also get very excited about Hot Cross Buns, which they normally eat on Good Friday, but at my work place they were eating them all week long.
As for church, well, very few people even go to church in England. Certainly not nearly the number of Americans who go. Although families do gather for a special Easter dinner, which is nice to see.
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