April 2021- Easter

APRIL 2021

easter

Table of Contents Eggs Galore!

Words and Illustration by Margarita Louka

Alternative Easter Traditions Words and Illustration by Rachel Middleton

Vase of Hope

Illustration by Margarita Louka

Joy

Illustration by Margarita Louka

Right on Time

Illustration by Amy Rose Perkins

Cover and Endpapers: Jethro Wilson Editor: Anna Stone

Eggs Galore!

By: Margarita Louka

Eggs are a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth. Decorating eggshells is an ancient practice, with some historians supporting that the origin of the Easter egg has pagan roots.

However, whatever its origins, decorated eggs is an integral part of Easter celebrations, with many cultural traditions centring around eggs. Although it is now customary to replace traditional eggs with chocolate eggs within coloured foil, these are some of the fascinating ways cultures around the world use eggs in their Easter Celebrations.

Cascarones: In Mexico, a hollowed out and brightly decorated chicken egg (cascarón) is filled with confetti or toys. The idea is that they are then broken over an unsuspecting person’s head, and that results in a shower of confetti over them!

Cascarones are thought to have originated in China, and later brought to Italy by the explorer Marco Polo. The eggs were originally given as gifts which were filled with perfumed powder.

The idea reached Spain and eventually the Americas, where the perfumed powder was replaced with confetti.

The Egg Dance: The game is played by placing eggs on the ground and dancing around them, sometimes blindfolded! The idea is to break as few eggs as possible. The egg dance has many depictions in art and is thought to have originated in European peasant villages, with some believing that it was brought to England by the Saxons as early as the 5th century. A well-

known reference to the egg dance was at the wedding of Margaret of Austria and Philibert of Savoy in the 15th century.

Pysanka: Pysanka are beautiful Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated with intricate Ukrainian motifs using a wax-resist method. They were part of Ukrainian traditions before Christianity was widely adopted. After Christianity became the official religion the practice of creating pysanka was banned for a period, before being once again allowed to commerce, with the traditional motifs being changed to Christian motifs.

The Giant Omelette: This is a tradition for the French town of Bessières. Residents crack 15,000 eggs, mix them up in a giant pot and create a huge omelette which is served to the town’s residents and visitors. The Brotherhood of the Omelette was created to make sure that this quirky tradition lives on. It is thought to have started when Napoleon and his army spent a night at the town. After eating and enjoying an omelette in Bessières, Napoleon ordered the residents of the town to collect all the eggs from their village and make a huge omelette that would feed his army the next day.

Illustration By: Margarita Louka

Illustration By: Rachel Middleton

Alternative Easter Traditions

By: Rachel Middleton

Spring is upon us! Now that the long winter months have passed, new life is emerging from the warming ground. Flowers blooming, buds on trees and plants opening, fresh green colours returning to the environment around us. A breath of fresh air for many who have been waiting for the colder darker months to end. This time of year many people, especially in the west, are celebrating Easter traditions; the most common ones being Easter egg decoration, and chocolate giving. The colourful decorations and sweet tastes are definitely something to look forward to, brightening people’s outlook on how the year will be.

Christian traditions will often use symbolism to refer to Jesus coming back to life in their traditions, such as baking hot crossed buns and simnal cakes. Celebrating new life, and renewal of hope for the future. But these aren’t the only ways to celebrate, some countries have more unique traditions that can be fun to incorporate into your easter activities.

In Bermuda, the local residents will hold a kite festival on good friday, where they will come together to fly colourful geometric designs in the air. The kites are typically hexagonal, though some may be octagonal, with even more sides. A long, cloth strip tail is fitted to the kite, without which it would be unable to fly. Making homemade kites and creating a gathering of colourful displays in the sky is definitely a beautiful spectacle, and welcoming in the new season with these crafted flying designs can really brighten up everyones mood!

If you are more intrigued by Easter pastry traditions you can always participate in Bretzelsonndeg otherwise known as Pretzel Sunday, celebrated in Luxembourg on the

fourth Sunday in Lent. This celebration marks the middle of the season of Lent and can be a tasty tradition to add to your springtime festivities! According to the cultural tradition, one would offer a pretzel to his sweetheart, and if the feelings are returned they would receive an Easter egg. But if the feelings are not reciprocated, then they would get an empty basket! Lets hope for full baskets then!

Alternatively, if you want to start spring with a bang (or crash!), on the Island of Corfu, in Greece, locals paint their windows red and throw clay pots down onto the ground! On Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday) the church bells will sound, and people will hurl large pots filled with red ribbons down from their windows onto the streets, to symbolise the sound of the earthquake that happened when the tomb of Jesus broke open. The noisy event drew inspiration from a Venician New Year’s tradition of throwing old furniture and ornaments out the windows in the hopes that the New Year would bring them new items. (A good excuse to relieve some stress and get rid of some unwanted crockery if you ask me!)

Whether your Easter plans are calm or exciting, these alternative traditions are a fun way to brighten up the month. Trying a new tradition to celebrate the return of new life and warm weather can be a fun way to add a different experience to your year. The symbolism of hope and growth is something we should cherish and share with people around us, and having fun while doing so is a welcome addition.

Vase of Hope

Illustration By: Margarita Louka

Joy

Illustration By: Margarita Louka

Right on Time

Illustration By: Amy Rose Perkins

Copyright © 2021 by Jethro Wilson, Margarita Louka, Rachel Middleton, Amy Rose Perkins, and Anna Stone.

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This publication or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, copied, reprinted, reworked, redistributed, or used in any manner whatsoever without the explicit written permission of the copyright holders.