Key Christian festivals
Christmas
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, as told in the gospelThe teachings of Jesus and the apostles. of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. The festival of Christmas does not fall on Jesus' actual birthday, and different denominationA group within a religion. Christian denominations include, for example, Roman Catholic and Anglican denominations. celebrate it on different dates. ProtestantChristians who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation. They believe in the teachings of the Bible but reject the authority of the Pope. and CatholicA group of Christians who accept the Pope in Rome as their leader. Christians celebrate Christmas on 25 December, while Orthodox ChristiansGroups of Christians, especially found in eastern Europe, who rejected the idea of the Bishop of Rome being the sole leader of the Christian Church. celebrate it on 6 January.
In the UK, Christmas is celebrated in both a religious and a secularUnconnected with religion. way. There are church services with carols on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as Christians thank God for his gift of Jesus. Christmas is a national holiday and many Christians, as well as many non-religious people and people of other faiths, have parties with food and gifts.
Christian churches often run events for those in need over the Christmas period, as the idea of Christmas is to spread love and peace. For example, a church might provide a space to give food and temporary shelter to people in need.
Easter
Easter begins with Lent, which is the name given to a period of 40 days leading up to the day of resurrectionThe Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after the crucifixion. The rising from the dead of believers on the Last Day in a new, or risen, life..
The week leading up to the resurrection is known as Holy WeekFor Christians, the week before Easter Sunday that recalls the suffering and death of Jesus. and there are special services held in Christian churches across the week:
- Palm Sunday - On this day, the four gospels state that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. The people were overjoyed to see him, and they showed their love for him by waving palm branches as he passed by. Palm crosses are given out during Christian services as a symbol of this event.
- Maundy Thursday - On this day, Jesus hosted the Last SupperThe meal that Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died where he gave them bread and wine to symbolise his body and blood., which was followed by his arrest in the Garden of GethsemaneThe garden close to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where Jesus spent the night before his capture and crucifixion.. This day marks the beginning of a time of sadness and reflection for Christians.
- Good Friday - Jesus鈥 crucifixionRoman method of execution by nailing someone to a cross, often until they die of asphyxiation; used on Jesus and many others. and death. Traditionally, some Christians commemorated this with a day of fasting or by ending the Lent fast and eating hot cross bunsSpiced buns containing dried fruits and baked with a cross marked on the top. These are traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the UK to break the Lent fast, and to remember Jesus鈥 death on the cross. . Today, many churches hold services during the afternoon at a similar time to when Jesus died (3pm). Some Catholics may hold a procession called the Stations of the Cross, which re-enacts the final journey of Jesus when he carried his cross to his crucifixion. There is a series of 14 stops, all of which remind Catholics of the events that happened during Jesus鈥 final day.
- Easter Sunday - Jesus鈥 resurrection. Some churches hold a vigilStaying awake to keep watch over the sick, to pray or protest during hours usually given to sleep. on the Saturday evening before a service on the Sunday. For Christians, Easter Sunday is a day of joy to celebrate what God has done for humanity. Cards are swapped and in the UK, chocolate Easter eggs are given and eaten by Christians. The eggs symbolise new life and, for some Christians, they remind people of the shape of the boulder that rolled away from the entrance of Jesus' tomb. People of other faiths and those who do not hold religious beliefs may also enjoy exchanging chocolate eggs because they are freely available in shops.