Easter is one of the main religious holidays in the UK. Schools are closed for two weeks for the Easter holidays, and families get together to spend time at home. Good Friday and Monday are official days off in the UK.
Royal Maundy Ceremony on Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is the last Thursday before Easter. On this day, the King of Great Britain takes part in the Royal Maundy Ceremony, which has existed since the 13th century, and gives away so-called 'Maundy Money.' Each year the ceremony takes place in a different spot, as the King visits various cathedrals or abbeys around the country.
Easter Egg Hunts
In England, it is common to treat each other with chocolate eggs, sweets, and biscuits. Many venues, parks, and palaces organize special games with Easter eggs for children. Easter egg hunt is the most popular activity. Eggs are hidden in different places, and children compete in gathering them.
Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt
Every spring, Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt organizes exciting games for children at different locations throughout the country. Some of the most famous ones take place in beautiful Chatsworth Estate in Bakewell, Derbyshire, Knole Park in Sevenoaks, Kent, and Hardwick Hall in Doe Lea, Chesterfield. But the most fairy-tale-like Easter Hunt can be experienced in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. Also, The Cadbury World Wide Hide gives the opportunity to hide an Easter Egg for 'someone you love' in a place that means something to both of you.
Easter Bunny
In addition to games, children can meet the Easter Bunny, another symbol of the holiday. Children in England believe that if they behave well, the Easter Bunny will leave chocolate eggs for them.
At Easter, people go out and attend church masses only in new clothes. Some people believe that this holiday has pre-Christian roots in England. After all the word "Easter" comes from the name of the Anglo-Saxon goddess of dawn and spring—Eostre.
Egg Rolling
Egg Rolling is an amusing event during the Easter celebration. It's a fun play where competitors roll decorating eggs along a path (usually on the top of the hill). Their goal is to get the egg the furthest and not break it. Rolled eggs symbolize new life, and the rolled stone of Jesus' tomb. This tradition is for all ages and gathers many participants who want to win in this funny Easter play.
