TH E M OU N T M ARTH A BRI ARS M ARKE T 9 AM - 2 PM 450 Nepean Hwy, Mount Martha. Parking $4 S U N 2 2 N D M A R C H

Why is Easter celebrated on a different date each year? It’s a question posed by many children and one that baffles many parents. But we have the answer.

Easter coincides with the autumn equinox, which occurs on March 20 this year, when day and night are of equal length. Many ancient cultures have celebrated this as a time of birth and renewal after the long northern winter. It always falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the equinox, making it any time between March 21 and April 25. So there you go. In this increasingly secular age, many of us associate Easter with chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies, even though we’re aware of its religious importance – especially the Christian commemoration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection and the Jewish Passover festival. But while those chocolate Easter eggs we tend to gorge ourselves on are a relatively modern part of Easter, the origin of the Easter egg itself – and even the beloved Easter bunny – actually pre-dates Christianity. The whole shebang is a historical intermingling of pagan, Christian and Jewish beliefs. Easter follows Lent, a 40-day period of penitence beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday. It also falls near the time of the Passover, an eight-day observance commemorating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. And where does all the other Easter paraphernalia come from? Well, let’s start with the name. ‘Easter’ has been traced to the Scandinavian ‘ostra’ and the Germanic ‘ostern or ‘eastre, all of which derive from the names of mythological goddesses of spring and fertility. Both the Easter egg and its delivery system have their origins in paganism. Rabbits were the most potent symbol of fertility, while the egg – the source of life – was often thought to have magical powers. The Easter Bunny him/herself originated in Germany. Children believed the Easter Bunny would leave them coloured eggs if they were good, and left out their Easter bonnets and caps for the spoils. The hot cross bun, which these days seem to appear in our shops just after Christmas, has rather gruesome origins. At the feast of Eostre to celebrate the Saxon fertility goddess, an ox was sacrificed and its horns – crossed – were carved into bread. ‘Bun’, incidentally, derives from the Saxon word ‘boun’, meaning ‘sacred ox’. Not much comfort to the ox . . . The Easter lily is associated with fertility because it looks like reproductive organs. Apparently. Easter candles are another throwback to pagans, who would light bonfires to welcome the rebirth of their sun god. Christians now light candles during their Easter Vigil service. Now we get to the good stuff: the chocolate Easter egg. French and German chocolatiers began making them in the early 19th century; the first were solid chocolate before the tricky art of making hollow ones could be mastered. John Cadbury made his first ‘French eating chocolate’ in 1842, but the first Easter eggs to carry his name didn’t arrive for another 33 years. Happy Easter, readers!

Easter School Holidays THURSDAY APRIL 9 Family Easter Event – Frankston Power Centre, 111 Cranbourne Rd, Frankston, family friendly event, featuring a special appearance from the Easter bunny and more, 10am-2pm, www. frankstonpowercentre.com.au FRIDAY APRIL 10 Easter Egg Hunt – Green Olive at Red Hill, 1180 MorningtonFlinders Rd, Main Ridge; bring the kids down to the farm on Good Friday for a good old-fashioned Easter egg hunt; gold coin donation to support Riding for the Disabled Mornington Peninsula; 10.30am-12.30pm, FRIDAY APRIL 10-MONDAY APRIL 13 The Big Goose Easter Egg Scramble – 233 Mornington-Tyabb Rd, Moorooduc; fun for the whole family. Collect as many plastic eggs as you can until the bunny rings his bell. Lots of fun and games all Easter long weekend; www.thebiggoose.com.au Melbourne Easter Show – Cranbourne Turf Club, 50 Grant St, Cranbourne; Easter egg hunt, reptile show, carnival, live entertainment and so much more; 10am-9pm daily; kids free, www.melbourneeastershow.com.au SATURDAY APRIL 11 Point Nepean Portsea Market – Portsea Quarantine Station, Point Nepean National Park, 9am-2pm, $5, www.craftmarkets. com.au Somerville Central – 49 Eramosa Rd West, Somerville, decorate your own Easter basket, 11am-2pm in the Target Mall, www.somervillecentral.com.au Hawkes Farm Autumn Open Day – 661 Boneo Rd, Boneo, 11am-3pm, tractor rides, vegetable picking and family entertainment, www.hawkesfarm.com.au The Egg-Streme Easter Party – Rosebud Plaza, Boneo Rd and McCombe St, Rosebud, hunt for chocolate eggs, meet the Easter bunny and get your craft on! 10am-1pm, www. rosebudplaza.com.au SATURDAY APRIL 11-MONDAY APRIL 13 Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron Easter Art Show – Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, 2900 Point Nepean Rd, Blairgowrie; broad range of artistic works in various media from artists living and working on the Mornington & Bellarine peninsulas and beyond. Saturday-Sunday 10am-5pm; Monday 10am-2pm; entry $5 at the door; www.facebook.com/byseasterartshow SUNDAY APRIL 12 Easter Sunday Mornington Race Day – 320 Racecourse Rd, Mornington, annual Easter egg hunt at Mornington Racecourse; family event not to be missed; rides, kids’ entertainment, thousands of Easter eggs to be found, www.mrc.com Easter Egg Hunt at Pt. Leo Estate – 3649 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Merricks; eggs-citing occasion for family and friends to get together searching for eggs in the stunning surrounds of Pt. Leo Estate Sculpture Park; face painting, craft stations, live music, 9am-noon, $30 per child, www.ptleoestate.com.au/ easter-egg-hunt-2020 Flinders Motoring Heritage – Displaying classic and vintage cars throughout the village of Flinders, cnr Cook & Norman streets, 10am-2pm, www.flindersmotoringheritage.com.au