Презентация на английском языке для внеурочных мероприятий Счастливая Пасха

In the UK Easter is one of the major Christian festivals of the year. It is full of customs, folklore and traditional food. However, Easter in Britain has its beginnings long before the arrival of Christianity. Many theologians believe Easter itself is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn and spring - Eostre.

Symbols of Easter

• Many of the symbols and traditions of Easter are connected with renewal, birth, good luck and fertility. These symbols are Easter Eggs, The Cross, The Easter Bunny and so on.

The Cross

Of course as it is a Christian festival one of the main symbols is a cross, often on a hill. When Jesus was crucified, the cross became a symbol of suffering. Then with the resurrection, Christians saw it as a symbol of victory over death. In A.D. 325, Constantine issued a decree at the Council of Nicaea, that the Cross would be the official symbol of Christianity.

Palms

The week of Easter begins on Palm Sunday. Why Palm Sunday? Well, in Roman times it was customary to welcome royalty by waving palm branches, a bit like a ticker-tape parade. So, when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on what is now known as Palm Sunday, people welcomed him with palm branches carpeting the streets and waving them. Today, on Palm Sunday, Christians carry palm branches in parades, and make them into crosses and garlands to decorate the Church.

Easter Eggs

Easter eggs are a very old tradition going to a time before Christianity. Eggs after all are a symbol of spring and new life. Exchanging and eating Easter eggs is a popular custom in many countries. In the UK before they were replaced by chocolate Easter eggs real eggs were used. The eggs were hard-boiled and dyed in various colors and patterns. The traditionally bright colours represented spring and light. Sadly, nowadays if you gave a child in Britain a hard-boiled egg on Easter Sunday, you would probably end up wearing it!Nowadays people give each other Easter eggs made of chocolate, usually hollow and filled with sweets.

The Easter Bunny

Rabbits, due to their fecund nature, have always been a symbol of fertility.The Easter bunny however may actually be an Easter hare. The hare was allegedly a companion of the ancient Moon goddess and of Eostre.

In the UK children believe that if they are good the "Easter Bunny» will leave eggs for them.And children hunt for Easter eggs hidden about the home or garden by the Easter bunny.

Dressing Up For Easter

Easter was once a traditional day for getting married, that may be why people often dress up for Easter. Women would make and wear special Easter bonnets - decorated with flowers and ribbons. Even today in Battersea in London there is a special Easter Parade, where hand-made bonnets are shown off.

Easter food

Hot cross buns, now eaten throughout the Easter season, were first baked in England to be served on Good Friday.

The Simnel cake is a fruit cake with a flat layer of marzipan (sugar almond paste) on top and decorated with 11 marzipan balls representing the 12 apostles minus Judas, who betrayed Christ.

Morris Dancing

In many parts of England, professional troupes of dancers perform Morris Dance on Easter Sunday. These troupes of dancers, almost exclusively male, perform old spring dances to frighten away the veil spirits of winter. The dancers clad themselves in beautiful white shorts, red sashes, black trousers and straw hats, with lots of flowers and streamers. Red and green ribbons and little bells are tied onto the dancers, to complete the look.