WHAT DOES EASTER MEAN TO YOU?
Easter isn’t a big deal to me, I’m not religious however I was brought up in the Anglican church when Easter was a much bigger thing. Even roaming the streets on Good Friday about the crucifixion which even then I found really weird.
Even this last weekend, there was a man in Swindon Town Centre preaching loudly about God and I felt as uncomfortable now as I did back then.
As for the more commercial side of Easter, I’m not overly fussed about that either. I’m not that keen on Easter eggs. I find it’s like going overboard on chocolate and not all of that is very nice.
However, it’s a great opportunity for family time, although as our children are now getting older, and are now young adults, we may not see some of them over Easter either. The truth is that my birthday usually happens just before Easter and our son’s just after so we have a lot of personal celebrations around this time which we tend to care about far more.
My husband and I enjoy visiting lovely places, and we often go away for the Easter weekend in our caravan. What I particularly love about this time of year is seeing all of the plants, trees and flowers in bud, and all of the birds and animals. I do love the turn of the seasons and, when I was in the church as a child, the ebb and flow of religion does make you consider the turn of the seasons more fully.
Now I can appreciate that on a daily basis when I take our dog, Jess for a walk first thing in the morning. As it’s early I often feel I’m presented with nature at its best – when the sun is rising and it’s quiet. I take pictures of the flora and fauna, as I often see deer, or foxes and swans on the canal. At present, the cherry blossom trees are beginning to bloom, and they look beautiful.
With Easter comes, it’s time of daffodils, blossom, and if I’m really lucky I might see a jay or two. The countryside begins to be filled with beautiful scents and bright splashes of colour after the winter.
Easter is a bit of a movable feast though isn’t it? At the end of the 2nd century, Easter was celebrated at different times. Some congregations celebrated on the day of Passover, and others on the following Sunday. In 325 CE, the Council of Nicaea established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox.
In Western Christian terms, Easter starts on Easter Sunday and lasts for 50 days, until Pentecost Sunday.
This started me thinking – has Easter ever fallen on the same date? According to Statista, in 500 years, (from 1600 to 2099 AD), Easter was and will be most often celebrate on either March 31st or April 16th – 22 times each.
This year Easter falls on 9th April.
Easter can fall as early as 22nd March (the last was in 1818, so I don’t think many of us reading this know anyone who remembers that one! and the next one will be in 2285, which few of us will make either), or as late as 25th April. The last one the 25th was in 1943, the next 2038!
Here are a few tips for Easter stuff to do in my home county or nearyby:
*If you are looking for something which is free and fun, I’d suggest (weather permitting) walking or a picnic at Lydiard Park, Coate Water country part both in Swindon – or Savernake Forest near Marlborough – https://www.lydiardpark.org.uk or https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20077/parks_and_open_spaces/487/coate_water_park or https://www.forestryengland.uk/savernake-forest
*One of my favourite places is Cotswold Wildlife Park which is near Burford, about 18 miles from Swindon. Get there early though as it gets busy. If you are a Caravan & Motorhome Club member, you can get discounted tickets at the site by the entrance – you will need to pay cash though – https://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk
*Longleat is a lovely place to go – though it is pricey. I personally enjoy going and taking the double decker bus around the safari park, you can get to places your car cannot visit with none of the worry about those pesky monkeys! – https://www.longleat.co.uk
*Have a wander around Malmesbury and its independent shops and do visit the wonderful Athelstan Museum, it’s free though a donation really helps them keep going. This is a town which honours its history (I have to declare an interest here, I do PR for the museum) – https://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/towns-and-villages/malmesbury-p462443 and https://www.athelstanmuseum.org.uk
*Check out my Wiltshire – What’s On? Or Bath – What’s On pages on Facebook as many organisations share their Easter events. There’s plenty of choice! Details are here – https://www.facebook.com/groups/254135791417100 and https://www.facebook.com/groups/378531992342565
However, you celebrate Easter, I hope you have a good time.
