How do British and Irish celebrate their Easter?

Simnel Cake for Easter (Photo credit: Jessicastjohn)

Author: Adam Simonds
Often it is found that Easter in England and Ireland is celebrated in private parties and family gathering. During the hay days of Christianity, Easter was known as Pascha and the word derived from the Hebrew term Passover. Later on during the Anglo Saxon era the same celebration got a new name "Easter"; and this time it came from Eostre, the Anglo Saxon goddess of fertility during springtime.

Things to Do in London For Easter

Kenwood House (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By []James M. Peterson

With Easter just a few weeks away, it's time to make last minute plans for Easter and what better way to have a marvellous holiday then to take an Easter break in London. Whether you're visiting the capital as a family, couple or single traveller, London has such a lot to offer there is something for everyone.

This article is aimed at families who are going to be coming to London at Easter.

ARRIVING

If you're planning to come down to London by car, the general advice is not to take one. London is one of the best connected cities in the World, and has a massive underground network, making travel in the centre very easy. In the centre there are also traffic restrictions in place which a) stops you coming into town unless you have purchased a congestion charge ticket, and b) makes parking using meters very expensive - a car park near Oxford Street can charge up to �20.00 for three hours parking. Forget about it, get a travel card and take the occasional taxi to lighten the load on those days you go shopping!

So once you've arrived in London, what's there to see?

Top 3 Places for Easter in London

Why Do We Celebrate Easter?

Easter eggs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Renee Goodrich


Easter is an ancient holiday that is celebrated in many countries. For Christians, it is the commemoration of the death and rebirth of Jesus Christ. However, Easter has deep roots and traditions that go back well before Christianity (which is 2000 years old).
The word Easter comes from Eostre, the ancient Germanic goddess of spring (popular from the 6th century BC). Eostre found a colorful bird that was too injured to be able to fly again, so she turned it into a rabbit. Amazingly, the rabbit kept the ability to lay eggs. To say thank you, the rabbit gave Eostre a basket of her colorful eggs as a gift. In kind, followers of Eostre honored spring with gifts of colorful bird eggs. This tradition spread throughout Europe and did not change until the mid 1800's when European manufacturers began to produce chocolate eggs. The chocolate was very popular and the custom evolved, so that today it is common to give baskets of chocolate Easter eggs. Migrants to the United States, Australia and other countries brought the folk tale and tradition with them.
If you look even further back than the legend of Eostre, you can find plenty evidence of ancient cultures decorating and giving eggs in Spring. For more than 3000 years, the Chinese have been painting eggs red for spring festivals, the Zorastrians (Middle East - 2500 years ago) offered colored eggs on their New Year's Eve which is at the start of spring, and the Druids (Western Europe - 6000 years ago) used them in ceremonies held on the spring equinox (when day and night are of equal length). Incredibly, a large stash of 60, 000 year old ostrich egg shells found at Diepkloof Rock Shelter in South Africa had detailed patterns scratched onto them.
Today, Easter is celebrated in many countries, in many ways.

Discover the Delicious Pizzelle Cookie

Pizzelle in a loose stack. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Carrie Tyler


Pizzelle is an Italian waffle cookie that is especially popular around Easter and Christmas. They are fairly large, at around five inches, and are usually made one or two at a time. It is traditionally made with a pizzelle maker, similar to a waffle iron, held by hand over a stove burner. With the creation of electric irons, they are becoming a popular snack for people who lack the time to prepare them in the old fashioned way. The irons leave a snowflake pattern on the cookies.
If you are going to make these cookies by hand, you'll need flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, margarine, or vegetable oil. You'll also need flavoring. Common flavorings include anise, vanilla, lemon zest, chocolate, cinnamon, and orange. If you don't have the time or inclination to cook but still want fresh cookies, you can also buy a pizzelle mix. In some grocery stores, you can buy premade pizzelles.
There are many comparable cookies in various regions. Krumkakes from Norway are quite similar. The pizzelle is thought to be based on the crustulum, which is an ancient Roman cookie. Although pizzelle is the most common name, in the Lazio, Italy area they are called ferratelle and in Molise they might also be called cancelle.
Pizzelles can be eaten in a variety of ways. Sometimes they are had as flat cookies. They are often crunchy, but they can also be prepared in a way to make them chewy and soft. A wooden dowel can be used when they are fresh to roll the pastry into a cone shape. This pastry can then be filled with cannoli cream or another filling. A filling can also be spread on them while flat to make a sandwich cookie.
While they can be eaten year round, they are mostly known for special occasions. These include the Christmas season and Easter weekend. Italian weddings are also a common place where these are found. However, since technology makes it easier to cook fresh ones at home with little effort, they are gaining popularity as a treat that can be eaten at any time.
Though they may always be most prevalent in Italian households, they are gaining mainstream appeal. If local grocery stores don't carry them prepackaged, they can always be purchased over the internet. Pizzelle bakers have made it simply for anyone to make up a stack of cookies on a Sunday morning. They are good both fresh and after they have cooled.
The best way to have these cookies is freshly baked. If you are looking for a pizzelle cookie maker that will save you time in the kitchen, consider the VillaWare pizzelle maker.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carrie_Tyler


http://EzineArticles.com/?Discover-the-Delicious-Pizzelle-Cookie&id=4473258

Events and Festivals in Italy (Spring Season)

Easter Sunday (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Kristie Haller


SPRING
The Italian spring begins early, particularly in the south. City streets and main sights are rarely over crowded (except at Easter in Rome). The weather, however, can be unpredictable and wet in the central and northern parts of the country.
Spring specialties, such as asparagus, spinach, and rocket, begin to feature on restaurant menus. This is a season of great celebration; festivals and fairs abound, especially in Sicily, and the Easter papal address always draws massive crowds to St. Peter's.
MARCH
Mostra Vini Spumanti, (mid- Mar), Madonna di Campiglio, Trentino-Alto Adige. Fair celebrating sparkling wine.

Easter in Italy: Festivals, Feasts and Slow Food

Easter Bread of Sardinia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Ashley Bartner


In Central Italy's region of Le Marche we are all abuzz for Easter! The butchers began taking orders for lamb days ago, our neighbor Pia has made dozens of the traditional Easter bread slowly cooked in a wood burning oven and the villagers are ready for the festivals of Holy Week.
Slow Food
Le nonne (the grandmother's) are busy baking crescia di pasqua, a local Marche Easter bread in two types: sweet or dolce and the more common savory, brusca. What is becoming an annual tradition of mine, I stopped off early Wednesday morning at our neighbor Pia's house to visit with her and marvel at the 50 + loaves she had rising about the house (using over 200 eggs and about 6lbs of cheese). The most incredible scene was in the bedroom: the special dolce (sweet) bread was snuggled up, wrapped tightly under layers of blankets (including an electric blanket) in their bed! Kept warm, safe & sound to rise slowly. Before electric blankets they used coals from the fire.
Other pots were nestled about the house around the fireplaces, stove & couch all huddled together. After a day of rising I returned that afternoon, Olavio had built the perfect fire for the bread in their outdoor wood burning oven. Twenty five loaves of bread in at a time - now that's an oven! I had timed it just right, arriving as they are pulling out the first loaf of bread! Pia admired her work & the beautiful toasty golden color - brava!

Easter Traditions Around the World

Image via Wikipedia
By Mandy Waters


Easter, the holiday surrounding Christ's death and resurrection, is celebrated in Christian communities across the world. However, not everyone celebrates in exactly the same way. Different countries have evolved very different Easter traditions, from decorating eggs to flying kites and reading mystery books. In many countries, Easter has also become more secular, creating the traditions of Easter breaks during the school year and chocolate rabbits for children. Here are five Easter traditions from around the world.
Kite Flying
In Bermuda, people traditionally fly kites for Easter. This practise is said to have begun when a British teacher had trouble explaining Christ's Ascension to a church class so he made a cross-shaped kite to help illustrate the event to his students. Now people make colourful paper kites with long tails for Good Friday every year. Most of these kites are hexagonal, with wheel-like spokes, instead of cross-shaped, while some are octagonal in shape. Several Bermuda kites hold the world record for length and height of flight.
Egg Breaking

Easter In Venice

Image via Wikipedia
Author: sandhya jain

As with most parts of Italy, Easter in Venice is an important festival for reflecting and renewing faith and especially for families to come together.
The Easter holiday period is a time for the enjoyment of children and families visiting the city will find that kids take centre stage and are to be cherished. This is best illustrated at the Easter Monday fair on Via Alvise Pisani in the heart of central Venice. It features funfairs, sports and activities for children of all ages. A popular day out for locals, there are circus performers, street musicians and drama shows depicting biblical scenes all done with a sense of fun and freshness.
Church services and concerts across the city
Churches across the city welcome all visitors to celebrate the meaning of Easter from the famous St Marks Basilica to countless charming Gothic and Baroque churches that are themselves wonderful works of art. The old austere cathedral of San Pietro, the pretty 13th century Sant Elena or the spectacular San Rocco are just some of the churches that offer compelling Easter services. There is even an Anglican church in the heart of the city. The enduring sound of bells ringing out on Easter Sunday offers a melodic symphony across the city as streets are filled with solemn torch lit processions and music. Similarly a brightly illuminated flotilla of vaparetto boats leisurely cruise the waterways to St Marks filled with elegantly dressed local dignitaries prior to Easter mass. Everywhere at Easter one can feel the sense of cultural pride and faith that the occasion brings that makes it should an uplifting time of year for a visit.
Relaxation in the warm spring sunshine
Churches and museums open their doors at Easter for a series of choral and classical concerts often with free entrance and there is a special Easter proms season at the renowned Teatro Goldoni. Many cultural centres also provide children’s events such as the Scuola Grande di San Rocco which hosts a children's theatre during the holidays.
Easter in Venice is also a time for relaxation and there are several havens in the city where visitors can escape the crowds and enjoy a peaceful afternoon in the warm sunshine. The Papapodoli Gardens is a secluded park ideal for a picnic or stroll along the Riva di Biasio which is a picturesque promenade offering lovely views of the Cannevegio Canal. This time of year sees an increasing active cafe society with pavements filled with diners and coffee drinkers enjoying the fine weather and colourful Venetian street life.
Easter activities are just a way of having fun. Do not tax your brain too much and do not relegate Easter activities into some sort of a headache. Keep Easter activities simple and enjoyable. Let everyone enjoy Easter with the Easter activities you plan. And try to involve everyone in all the Easter activities. So, take special care of adults and old ones who generally feel left out in these Easter activities.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/easter-in-venice-1868943.html
About the Author

Sandhya jain is an online marketing expert for CityVacations, with a particular interest in travel and hotel reviews, also associated with the CityVacations a leading travel agent from UK provides Holidays in Venice and International Destinations around the world.

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Easter Time In Florence - Relive The Traditions Of Italy

Image via Wikipedia
Author: Steve Perillo

Florence, Italy, fondly known as the cradle of renaissance is one the best places to celebrate Easter. Though the Easter traditions here are centuries old, they are still practiced with great pomp keeping up with the age old customs.

Florence Easter weekend is probably the best time of the year to visit this city as it takes you through a nostalgic trip over the medieval times. The week long Easter traditions start from palm Sunday and lasts until the Easter Monday. The holy week as it is called is celebrated in class and style special to the traditions of Florence.

Special Events and Festivals in Italy

Image via Wikipedia


By John Dulaney

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