Easter traditions at St Michael and All Angels' Church Pancakes, Ashes, Palms, Buns and Eggs
14 January 2015
During the next 2 months at St Michael and All Angels we are celebrating the church season of Lent.
This is a time of quiet reflective simplicity leading up to Easter.
Easter traditions are familiar to most people but there are quite a few other traditions associated with the weeks leading up to the great celebrations around Easter, the high point of the Christian year.
Firstly, just before Lent there is Pancake Tuesday (17th February), sometimes called Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. This was a day to use up all the rich foods before the simpler, more limited time of Lent. Eggs and milk made pancakes which were enjoyed as the last rich foods to be consumed before Easter. We will be having a Shrove Tuesday celebration at St Michael's from 6.30pm. All are welcome.
After Pancake Tuesday comes Ash Wednesday (18th February), the first day of Lent. There will be a short service at 7.30pm at St Michael's when those who wish to do so may receive a cross of ash upon their foreheads with the words of scripture, "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return" and "Repent and believe in the Gospel." Do you know where the ash comes from? Read on to find out.
Lent lasts for 46 days, 40 fasting days and 6 Sundays. Those who fast from Monday to Saturday for these weeks typically give up something self-indulgent, take up something of value, or both.
Finally the week before Easter is called Holy Week. The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday (29th March), which recalls Jesus' entry into Jerusalem when the people waved palm branches. All those at the Sunday service at St Michael's will receive a woven palm cross. Palm crosses from the previous year are traditionally burned to provide the ash for Ash Wednesday.
The Thursday of Holy Week is Maundy Thursday, which recalls the Last Supper.
The Friday of Holy Week is Good Friday when the three church congregations in Hall meet with their friends at 11am at the Victoria Street carpark, near the Barton Highway to walk the Stations of the Cross through Hall village, remembering the story of the first Good Friday. On Good Friday families also enjoy hot cross buns to recall Jesus' death on the cross.
Finally we have Easter Day (5th April) - a joyful celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Easter eggs remind us of new life. At the Holy Communion service at 11am that Sunday morning we will have an Easter egg hunt for the children.
You are most welcome at any or all of our celebrations. More details will appear on the church notice board.
Add these dates to your calendar:
Shrove Tuesday Free Pancake celebration – 6.30pm Tuesday 17th February
Palm Sunday Service - 11am Sunday 29th March
Good Friday Stations of the Cross Walk – 11am Friday 3rd April
Easter Sunday Service – 11am Sunday 5th April