EASTER CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

Easter is an important Christian festival, which is held to mark the rebirth of Jesus, following his crucifixion.
Christians celebrate Easter every year in the spring.

Easter in The UK

At Easter, many Christian people attend church services to pray, and sing special religious songs called
hymns. Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays, when most people in the UK don't have to go to
work. Many schools and colleges in the UK have a spring break around Easter time, and close for up to a
fortnight (a period of two weeks).

Lots of people who aren't Christians also celebrate Easter. Popular Easter customs in the UK include
sending Easter greeting cards to relatives and friends, painting Easter eggs with brightly colored designs,
buying chocolate Easter eggs to give to children and loved ones, and eating hot cross buns, a type of
sweet bread containing currants.

Easter in The USA

Good Friday is an official holiday in some US states, and most shops and restaurants in the USA are closed
on Easter Sunday. Easter customs and traditions in North America are similar to those in the UK in many
respects, although there are some differences. New York and other big cities hold Easter Parades, and
grownups leave baskets of painted eggs or candy for kids on behalf of The Easter Bunny (or Spring
Bunny), a legendary character who is said to give gifts of sweets to well behaved children at Easter time!

The White House Easter Egg Roll is a popular family event that takes place every Easter Monday on the
south lawn of the White House in Washington D.C., home of the President of the USA and their family. The
tradition dates back to 1878, and around 30,000 people from all 50 states of the US attend the event every
year. People apply for tickets to attend the event by entering a lottery.

VOCABULARY

SHROVE TUESDAY, FAT TUESDAY EASTER BUNNY

ASH WEDNESDAY PASSOVER (PESACH or PESAH)
LENT THREE-DAY WEEKEND
PALM SUNDAY RED-LETTER DAY
MAUNDY THURSDAY, SHEER THURSDAY EASTER EGG HUNT
GOOD FRIDAY RESURRECTION
LAST SUPPER EASTER BASKET
HOLY SATURDAY or SILENT SATURDAY JELLYBEANS
EASTER SUNDAY EASTER MASS
EASTER EGGS FASTING

EXERCISES

1. I learned how to say _________________________ in Greek.

(Eu aprendi a dizer Feliz Páscoa em grego.)

2. Pope Francis will celebrate ___________________ in St. Peter’s Square.

(O Papa Francisco irá celebrar a missa de Páscoa na Praça de São Pedro.)
3. _______________ is the Sunday before Easter.
(Domingo de ramos é o domingo que antecede a Páscoa.)

4. The week before Easter is called the _________________________.

(A semana que antecede a Páscoa é chamada de Semana Santa.)

5. Learn how to make a delicious chocolate __________________________.

(Aprenda a fazer um delicioso coelhinho da Páscoa de chocolate.)

6. The largest ____________________ in history contains 450 tons of chocolate.

(O maior ovo de chocolate da história tem 450 toneladas de chocolate.)

7. ______________ hunt is a fun activity for kids of all ages.

(A caça aos ovos de páscoa é uma divertida atividade para crianças de todas as idades.)

8. Markets and schools will be closed on ____________________.

(Comércio e escolas estarão fechados na Sexta-feira santa.)

9. Tiradentes__________a Monday this year.

(Tiradentes cai em uma segunda feira esse ano.)

10. I’m in a______________.

(Estou em clima de feriado.)

11. We’ll ____________Easter at home.

(Vamos passar a Páscoa em casa.)

EXPRESSIONS WITH “EGG”

eggplant - beringela
bad egg - [gíria] mal caráter, encrenqueiro
good egg - [gíria, um pouco antiquada] boa pessoa, bom caráter, gente boa
an egghead - [informal] uma pessoa muito inteligente, uma pessoa muito instruída, um "crânio"
nest egg - pé de meia
egg timer - ampulheta
to have egg on your face / to be left with egg on your face - ficar com cara de idiota
to lay an egg - [informal] não se sair bem, "mandar bem mal", especialmente em apresentações em
público.