Happy Easter to you all!

Happy Easter to those celebrating Easter Sunday today.

Here, in my village in Spain, we have the Quema de Judas, the burning of Judas. A huge “tree” is built in our square out of wood and dressed with branches and greenery, with fireworks stuffed in it (health and safety doesn’t really come into it) and then a figure is hanged at the top of it and the whole thing is set alight – a bit like burning the “Guy” on Bonfire Night.

Here’s a photo taken from my garden of the very top of the “tree”.

Does your locality do anything special on Easter Sunday?

In Tudor times, people would go to church and the church candles and those around the Easter sepulchre were extinguished and then the church candles were re-lit by the priest from a fire. The Easter sepulchre that had been prepared on Good Friday, and which represented Christ’s tomb, was opened and the consecrated host and the image of Christ taken out. Christ’s resurrection, his triumph over death and his sacrifice for our sins, was then celebrated with a special mass.

Of course, Easter Sunday also brought the fasting of Lent to a close, so people also celebrated the day with feasting.