EASTER

              From Scotland to the Channel, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny, some are strange. But they’re all interesting and are all part of the British way of life.

              Easter is the time for holidays, festivals and time for gi­ving chocolate Easter eggs, the day of parties, and above all a celebration that Jesus raised from the dead and lives forever. Eggs play an important part in Easter celebration; they are predominantly given to children. The eggs are either hollow or have a filling, and are usually covered with brightly colored silver paper.

              Easter is much more than ordinary holiday. It is the oldest and the most important Christian Festival, the celebration of the death and coming Jesus Christ to life again. For Christians, the dawn of Easter Sunday with its message of new life is the high point of the year.

              Easter is a feast that is not always held on the same date each year. Easter Day Is celebrated on the first Sunday follo­wing the first full moon after the spring equinox.

              This means that Easter can fall as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.

              Like most Christian festivals, Easter has its origins in pre- Christian times. Our ancestors believed that the sun died in winter and was born anew in spring. The arrival of spring was celebrated all over the world long before the religious meaning became associated with Easter. Today, Easter celebrates the rebirth of Christ.

              The word Easter is thought to have derived from the god­dess Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon Goddess.

              Even though Easter is associated with spring here in Eng­land, it is not so in countries in the Southern Hemisphere. In these countries Easter falls near the end of autumn. However, through out the world Easter is felt to be a time of new life and new beginnings.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is Easter?

2. What do people do during the holiday of Easter?

3. What is the most important part of Easter celebration?

4. Is Easter an ordinary feast?

5. What are the origins of Easter?

6. When does Easter take place?

7. What is the main idea of Easter celebration?

8. Does Easter take place only in spring?

VOCABULARY:

customs — обычаи, традиции

to raise from the dead — воскреснуть

predominantly — преимущественно

hollow — полый, пустой

silver paper — фольга

spring equinox — весеннее равноденствие

ancestors — предки, предшественники

arrival — наступление, прибытие, приход

rebirth — возрождение

to derive — происходить

southern hemisphere — южное полушарие