How do Christians across the world celebrate Easter? Why? - Leeds and Broomfield
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Ages 4–11
Prayer
How domat designs across the world celebrate
Christians
Easter? Why?
Background knowledge Assessment
for the teacher for 4–11s
• Christianity is a global religion. This section shows some of the expected
• From the period leading up to Lent through to the end of outcomes achievable by pupils of different ages
Easter, many Easter traditions differ across the world. in the 4–11 age range. Adapt them for the age
of pupils you are teaching.
• Although there are differences and similarities in practice,
there are reasons behind the practices – many of which lead Expected for 5-year-olds
back to the Easter story and beliefs about the death and • Listen to information about Easter and respond
resurrection of Jesus. with relevant questions, comments or actions.
• The four countries in this unit give a taster of • Know and talk about signs of Easter and some
Christianity across the world. Although finding out things that people from outside the UK do at
about one festival in four countries is just scraping the Easter time.
tip of the iceberg when it comes to global Christianity,
it is a great start to understanding the richness and Expected for 7-year-olds
diversity of Christianity worldwide.
• Give at least three examples of how Christians
There are opportunities for cross-curricular links, but this unit is show their belief in the Easter story through
designed for RE learning and thinking that should not get lost in the their actions at Easter.
excitement of finding out about the different countries. Encourage
pupils to focus on the religious reasons for the Easter practices to • Recognise links between actions of Christians
ensure that this unit has a clear RE focus. in Kenya at Easter and belief in Jesus’ death
and resurrection.
This unit should be taught after pupils have some understanding of
Easter and knowledge of the Easter story, related Christian beliefs Expected for 11-year-olds
and some practices in the UK. • Make clear connections between Christian
There are fact files on Easter in Kenya, Italy and Greece on beliefs about the Easter story and practices of
pp. 18–20, while the fact file on Brazil can be downloaded Christians in more than one country at Easter.
(see eResources). These can form the basis of pupils’ research,
• Use evidence and examples to show how and
and teachers may wish to use them as the focus of shared or group
reading. However, there are many ways to find out about Easter in why Christians from more than one country
different countries, so teachers and pupils are encouraged to look put their beliefs into practice in different ways
beyond these fact files in their teaching and learning activities. at Easter.
Activities in this unit are designed for pupils throughout all stages
of primary education; teachers should select the most relevant for This unit helps pupils in Scotland to achieve
their classes. The activities are not numbered as we would usually RME 0–03a and 2–03b.
do. As all primary pupils can be involved in this learning, schools
could organise an ‘Easter across the world’ day with pupils focusing
on age-appropriate activities in class and coming together to share
learning and work at the end. With art, poetry, reading, writing
and discussion opportunities in the activities, the day is sure to be
a memorable one!
eResources
Go to www.natre.org.uk/inspiring-re/ to access
the resources below.
• A knowledge passport to print and use
Essential knowledge for the pupil in class.
• An additional fact file on Easter in Brazil.
Pupils will know: Members are able to download extra resources to
• that Christian traditions surrounding Easter differ across support this unit:
the world • Key pictures from each of the fact files.
• the ways that Easter is celebrated in other countries • A postcard outline for the activity on p. 17.
• some reasons behind the Easter practices studied
159
Activity for 4–6s Activity for 4–7s
Signs around us, signs in the church Pysanky
Discuss signs that Easter is coming – did anyone in Look at some online examples of these Ukrainian
the class: eggs with pupils. Although pysanky have their origins
before the Christian era, over time they have been
• see signs of spring outside?
incorporated into Ukrainian Easter traditions. The
• eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? eggs are created during the last week of Lent, and
pupils may be able to spot some symbols linked to
• notice hot cross buns in the shops?
Christianity on them, including:
Take an Easter walk with the children to spot signs that
• spots for Mary’s tears
the festival is coming – children may find instances
of new life, posters in shop windows, notices outside • nets for Jesus’ disciples who were fishermen
churches, etc.
• a cross for Jesus and his love
If possible, finish the walk with a visit to a church.
• fish for Christianity
During the visit, look at the way in which the church
is decorated during the period leading up to Easter, • a triangle for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
and discuss reasons for this. Although churches will
Help pupils find out about the symbolism and use
differ here, pupils may find minimal decoration, no
their knowledge to create their own pysanky linked
fresh flowers, and purple fabric on the altar and on
to Easter.
the vicar’s robes. Pupils should compare and contrast
their findings with images of the way in which a Pysanky are placed in Easter baskets in the Ukraine.
church is decorated on Easter Sunday, discussing Pupils can find out about the other items contained in
the differences they can see and explanations for the the baskets, and their symbolism, and even go on to
Easter Sunday decorations. recreate a basket.
Share the words said at many services on Easter
Sunday in the UK: ‘Christ is risen’ and ‘He is
risen indeed’.
Pupils should move onto learning Easter greetings from Activity for 5–7s
other countries on the fact files (pp. 18–20), or the
Ukraine’s ‘Khrystos Voskres!’ and ‘Voistyno Voskres!’ Easter poets
If you can’t take pupils out of school, do the work Share or write an Easter acrostic poem with pupils.
virtually with a series of pictures. For example:
Easter is a time when Christians think
about Jesus.
Activity for 5–7s A time when Jesus died on the cross.
Easter in Kenya Sad parts of the story are remembered
at Easter.
Look together at the flag on the fact file on p. 18.
There are such happy parts too!
Ask pupils to see if they can work out where it is from
before discussing the fact that Kenya is a country in Especially when Jesus rose from the dead.
Africa and locating it on the map.
Rejoicing happens at Easter.
Look at the image in the centre of the fact file and
Discuss features of the poem, including each line
explain that it is from the night before Easter Sunday
starting with a given letter from the word, lines all
in Kenya. People will light candles from a blessed fire
relating to the topic, and the fact that no rhyming
to symbolise eternal life.
is necessary. List the features as success criteria for
Read through the fact file together and ask children to pupils to focus on when writing their own acrostic
spot the words ‘family’ and ‘church’ (or their plurals). poems about Easter in Kenya, using the letters K, E,
Whenever pupils spot these words re-read the point N, Y, and A at the start of each line.
again carefully and give pupils the opportunity to
explain their meaning. Where necessary, further pupils’
explanations with relevant questions and comments to
ensure they have a full understanding.
Provide some sensory experience of Easter in Kenya.
For example, feel some palm fronds, as these are
waved in processions across Kenya on Palm Sunday, or
listen to some songs sung at Easter time in Kenya.
16
Activity for 7–11s Activity for 5–9s
Knowledge passports A postcard home
Show pupils the Easter knowledge passport from the Ask pupils to close their eyes and imagine
downloadable resources (for younger or lower-ability pupils, what it would be like to celebrate Easter in
reduce the amount of countries). Explain that they can receive a one of the countries they have learned about.
passport stamp for each country. They will do this by answering
• What would happen? Why?
three questions and giving adequate extra information about
Easter in that location. Most of the key questions are already • How would they feel?
included in the passport, but one for each country will be
• What would be the best part?
written by pupils.
Using their prior learning about Easter in this
Next, pupils must decide upon one key question of their own for
country and their thoughts when they had
each country. Display the key image for one country from the
their eyes shut, pupils should take on the role
downloadable resources. Ask pupils to discuss:
of a traveller in that country over the Easter
• what is happening in the image period. Their task is to write a postcard home
to the children at their school.
• what they would like to know about the image
On the back of the postcard: Alongside
Ask pupils to write a key question about the image in the space
the school’s address, pupils’ writing on the
on the country page of their knowledge passport. The question
back of the postcard should include:
might be quite a wide one about Easter in the country linked to
the image. Repeat this step for all the other countries about which • at least three things that happen at
pupils are learning, so that they have written their own question Easter (amend the number for age and
about Easter in each of the locations that they are studying. ability of pupils)
Using the fact files on pp. 18–20 and other relevant sources, • reasons for these practices
pupils should research Easter in each of the countries and record
• their thoughts and feelings when
their findings in the knowledge passports. After answering the
experiencing Easter in another country
three questions about each country, pupils need to record extra
‘fascinating facts’ on the bottom half of the page. On completion On the front of the postcard: Pupils
pupils can collect their ‘passport stamp’ in the space provided. should choose the part of the Easter practices
that they think would be the most important
To make this more active, set three or four stations around the
to Christians living in that particular country.
classroom, one for each country. Place the appropriate fact file
This should be the picture on the front of the
at each, alongside other helpful sources of information (including
postcard, with a sentence explaining why it
books, video clips, relevant web pages and even visitors!). Allow
was chosen.
pupils to visit each station and research.
Activity for 7–11s Activity for 9–11s
Marking Easter meaningfully Compare, contrast, create
Look at many ways in which one event from the Split the class into pairs. Ask each pair to focus on
Easter story is marked at the festival of Easter, e.g. Easter practices on Good Friday or Easter Sunday for
Jesus’ death: two or more countries. Pupils should put these into a
Venn diagram to see where practices are unique to one
• A church service focusing on the importance of
of the countries studied, or are shared by countries. If
Jesus’ death (Kenya).
pupils’ have extended their research beyond the fact
• A Way of the Cross procession led by the files, pairs can focus on other periods such as Palm
Pope (Italy). Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Lent.
• A symbolic funeral procession (Greece). Each pair should create one page of an ‘Easter across
the world’ scrapbook. The page should show similarities
Take one day of Holy Week and set pupils the
and differences in the ways that their given day is
challenge of creating a way of marking it that
marked. Crucially, it should also show similarities and
Christians from all over the world could find
differences in reasons behind the practices.
meaningful.
Pages could include photographs, the Venn diagrams,
Pupils should think of actions that could be carried
explanations of reasons behind practices, relevant
out, words that could be said and music that could
quotes, etc.
be used.
17
Kenya eResources
Most people
in Kenya are On Good Friday there
Christian. are processions in lots of
towns. These processions
end at churches, which
The Kenyan flag hold services. The services
help people to remember
why the story of Jesus
dying is so important.
On Easter Sunday
people often eat
a special Easter
meal with their When Easter
family. They may Sunday
have Kenyan-style arrives, you
chicken or beef stew. can hear lots of
Nyama choma is also people saying
a favourite food. the Easter
greeting ‘Heri
Jesuit Refugee Service
kwa sikukuu
ya pasaka!’
This means
‘Blessed be the
A late Saturday vigil Mass. Passover feast.’
The Washington Post/Matt McClain
After church on Easter
Sunday is family time. In some On Easter Sunday is a church
families, the husband washes service where people hear about
his wife’s feet. This is to how Jesus was resurrected. They
remember how Jesus washed sing songs about it too. The church
his friends’ feet in the Bible. service can last for three hours.
18 eResource and photocopiable by purchasing institutions © Copyright RE Today Services 2018
Italy Before Lent there is a period called
Carnevale. During this time there are
eResources
Language: street parades, parties and dressing
In Italian, Easter up. Lots of foods that people would
is Pasqua. not usually have during Lent are
‘Buona Pasqua’ eaten. The final day of Carnevale is
means ‘Happy Martedi Grasso, which means ‘Fat
Easter’. Tuesday’ – a lot of food is eaten on
this day, just like these frittelle!
The Italian flag
Frittelle are fried
fritters made
For food on from milk, sugar,
Easter Sunday flour, eggs and
lots of people eat baking powder.
eggs to symbolise
new life, lamb to
represent Jesus’
sacrifice and una
colomba (sweet Lent in Italy is called
bread shaped like La Quaresima. It begins
a dove) to remind The Pope's on the Wednesday
them of peace. procession after Martedi Grasso
with a and is named Mercoledì
torchlit delle ceneri (Ash
Wednesday). On Ash
REUTERS/Tony Gentile
cross on Wednesday, many
From the Good people visit their church,
afternoon Friday. where the priest makes
of Maundy the shape of the cross
Thursday to the on their foreheads with
morning of Easter ash. Just like in the UK,
Sunday church Lent in Italy is a time
bells are silent During Holy Week
In Rome on Good there are processions to remember the 40
in remembrance days that Jesus spent
of Jesus’ death. Friday the Pope leads to remember the events
a torchlit procession of the Easter story. in the wilderness, and
On the morning to prepare for Easter.
of Easter Sunday to remember the 14 Lots of churches have
they ring loudly Stations of the Cross. statues of Jesus and
to remember his Most Christians in Mary that are part of
resurrection. Italy are Catholics. The the processions. Passion Plays
Pope is the leader of are performed in
the Catholic Church. some parts of Italy,
often on Good
Friday. These are
plays showing
On Easter Sunday the Pope leads a the Easter story.
service inside St Peter’s Basilica, which is A Catholic ritual
a church in Vatican City. Although many of singing the
people will be inside the building, there is gospel in different
also a crowd outside. After the service, the parts on Good
Pope steps onto the balcony of the church, Friday has grown
where he can speak to and bless the crowd. into the modern-
Most other churches in Italy also have day custom
services on the morning of Easter Sunday. of performing
Passion Plays.
eResource and photocopiable by purchasing institutions © Copyright RE Today Services 2018 19
Greece Dates: Most Christians in Greece are
eResources
Orthodox Christians. As the Greek Orthodox
Church follows the Julian calendar,
Easter in Greece often falls on slightly
different dates to Easter in the UK.
From Palm
Sunday
Language: Many
onwards there
Greeks call Easter
are church
The Greek flag Pascha. This comes from
services every
the Hebrew word ‘Pesach’,
day to remember
which means ‘Passover’.
Red dyed eggs have lots of the last week
symbolism – the eggs themselves of Jesus’ life.
represent the sealed tomb of Jesus
while the red is the colour of life
and Christ’s blood. On Easter
Sunday (Pascha) people tap their On the Thursday
lenisecalleja.photography / Shutterstock.com
eggs together to try and crack of Holy Week
each other’s open, showing Jesus’ the church service
resurrection. The person with the focuses on the
last uncracked egg is said to have Last Supper and
good luck the following year. how Jesus was
betrayed. This is
also the day that
Lent fasting ends on Easter the Easter bread
Sunday. Many people eat roasted (tsoureki) is baked
lamb in honour of Jesus, who was and eggs are
sacrificed and rose again at Easter. dyed red.
A Holy Friday procession.
At midnight on Holy Saturday,
priests in churches say, ‘Christ has
risen from the dead and in so doing
has trampled on death and to those
in the tombs he has given life.’
People greet each other with the Friday of Holy Week is
phrase ‘Christos Anasti’ (Christ a day of mourning – a time
has arisen) and reply with ‘Alithos for Christians to show they
Anesti’ (Truly he has arisen). On Holy Friday, are sorry for Jesus’ death.
Church bells ring and fireworks light the death of Jesus Some Greek Christians will
the sky. Holy Saturday is over and is remembered by not eat or cook at all on
the resurrection is remembered. having symbolic Holy Friday; many others
funeral processions. will only have simple foods.
The epitaphios (an icon
showing Jesus after being
The Holy Fire is brought to taken down from the
Greece from the church of the cross – see picture above)
Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is put into a symbolic
on Holy Saturday. This fire decorated coffin. Church
is believed to have appeared bells toll, flags are at half-
from Jesus’ tomb. Priests take mast and funeral psalms
the fire to their local churches are said. People scatter
so that everyone in the perfume and flowers on
church can use it to light their the epitaphios during
candles just before midnight. the procession.
20 eResource and photocopiable by purchasing institutions © Copyright RE Today Services 2018
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