Avis-Ann Kydd- 89383

Amy Badal- 88845

Reanna Mahabir- 89509

Reesa Biltoo
Kyle Stoute- 89086

The History Of Easter

In Trinidad & Tobago
Brief History Of Easter

Easter is one of the principal holidays, or feasts, of Christianity. It

marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by
crucifixion. For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end
to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence. They believe that
Jesus, the son of God, died for everyone's wrong-doings and then
came back to life three days later to defeat death and evil: so if
you believe in Him you will live forever in Heaven.

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What Does Easter Mean?

The meaning of Easter is Jesus Christ's victory over

death. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that
is granted to all who believe in Him.

The meaning of Easter also symbolizes the complete

verification of all that Jesus preached and taught
during His three-year ministry.

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When Did Easter Start?

The earliest Christians celebrated the resurrection on

the fourteenth of Nisan (our March-April), the date of
the Jewish Passover.

Some of the Gentile Christians began celebrating

Easter on the nearest Sunday to the Passover since
Jesus actually arose on a Sunday.

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Holy Week

This is the most important religious feast of the

Christian liturgical year. Christians celebrate Holy
Week beginning with devotions on Palm Sunday
Holy Thursday- Evening mass of the Lord's supper
with the priest washing the feet of twelve persons,
symbolic of the twelve disciples.
Good Friday- Celebration of the Lord's passion and
death.
Glorious Saturday- Begins with the Easter Vigil
Easter Sunday- Ends with the Resurrection of the
Lord on Easter Sunday.
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When Is Easter Celebrated?

Easter Sunday and related celebrations, are considered

“moveable feasts,” although, in western Christianity,
which follows the Gregorian calendar, Easter always
falls on a Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th.
Easter typically falls on the first Sunday after the first
full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox. In
Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which adheres to the
Julian calendar, Easter falls on a Sunday between April
4th and May 8th each year.

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Origin & History Of The Easter
Lamb
Of all Easter symbols, the lamb is probably the most
strongly Christian. The fact is that lambs are young
animals born in springtime. The lamb comes from the
Jewish Passover, where each family killed a lamb as a
sacrifice. When Christ became the Passover Lamb for
everyone, the lamb became a symbol for His
sacrifice.

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Origin & History Of The Easter
Bunny

There are several reasons for the rabbit, or hare, to be

associated with Easter The most obvious is the hare’s
fertility. Easter comes during spring and celebrates
new life. The Christian meaning and a general
emphasis on new life are different, but the two
merged. The hare is also an ancient symbol for the
moon. The date of Easter
depends on the moon. This
may have helped the hare
to be absorbed into Easter
celebrations.
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Origin & History Of Easter Eggs

Many Ancient cultures viewed eggs as a symbol of

life and believed the world began with an enormous
egg. Early Christians looked at the connection eggs
had to life and decided eggs could be a part of their
celebration of Christ’s resurrection. In addition, in
some areas, eggs were forbidden during Lent;
therefore, they were a delicacy at
Easter.

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Origin & History Of The Easter
Lilies
Easter lily is another new addition to Easter
celebrations. Mrs. Thomas Sargent brought Bermuda
lily bulbs back to Philadelphia. A local nurseryman,
William Harris, saw the lilies and introduced them to
the trade. A more practical consideration was that they
were easy to force into bloom
in time for the Easter season.
From there, the Bermuda lily,
now the familiar Easter lily,
spread throughout the country.

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How Is Easter Celebrated In
Trinidad & Tobago?
Easter is celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago with a
myriad of activities and delight with the added bonus
of ‘Easter Tuesday’ celebrations in Tobago.

Locals and visitors go to popular beaches like Mayaro

and Maracas in Trinidad and Store Bay and Pigeon
Point in Tobago to relax, swim and enjoy popular
street foods like doubles, bake & shark and curried
crab and dumplings. Also children fly kites and join
in the fun of Easter Bonnet parades, Easter egg hunts
and other community based activities.

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Easter Foods In Trinidad & Tobago

Provision
&
Fish/ Saltfish

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Traditions To Experience In
Trinidad & Tobago (Good Friday)

It wasn't until the fourth century, that Churches began

observing the Friday before Easter as the day
associated with the crucifixion of Christ (Good
Friday). Some observe the day by re-enacting the
rituals of stations of the cross, which depicts the final
hours of Jesus' life in a street procession.

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Traditions To Experience In
Trinidad & Tobago (Good Friday)
In Trinidad and Tobago and in many other parts of the
world, hot cross buns on Good Friday are a staple.
The tradition dates back to the 12th century when an
Anglican monk baked buns and marked them with a
cross in honour of Good Friday. There is no clear
reason why and when it became so popular.

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Traditions To Experience In
Trinidad & Tobago (Good Friday)
Another tradition on Good Friday is the beating of the
“bobolee”, an effigy, symbolic of Judas Iscariot, the
disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ.

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Easter Egg Hunt (Easter Sunday)

This is a game during which decorated eggs or Easter

eggs are hidden for children to find. Real hard-boiled
eggs, which are typically dyed or painted, artificial
eggs made of plastic filled with chocolate or candies,
or foil-wrapped egg-shaped chocolates of various
sizes are hidden in various places.

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New Clothes At Easter

New clothes have long been associated with the idea

of newness and a fresh beginning. The familiar
custom of having new clothes for Easter probably
began with early Christians wearing new white robes
for baptism during Easter Vigil services.
Later, the custom expanded
to everyone wearing new
clothes in celebration of his
or her new life in Christ.

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Traditions To Experience In
Trinidad & Tobago (Easter Sunday)
The tradition of making your own kite for an Easter
Sunday kite flying competition has become
entrenched in Trinidadian culture. This began as a
religious event, with the kites being made to look like
a cross to represent Jesus’ ascension into Heaven.

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Traditions To Experience In
Trinidad & Tobago (Easter Monday)
In the weeks preceding Easter, Bonnet parades and
competitions for young girls are held. This tradition
grew from the ladies habit of getting a new hat for
mass on Easter Sunday.

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Traditions To Experience In
Trinidad & Tobago (Easter Monday)

Easter Monday is also a holiday, which allows locals

to rest on this day. Many also take this time to go to
the beach.

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Traditions To Experience In
Trinidad & Tobago (Easter Tuesday)
Tobago’s in on the action with their annual goat
racing event on what some deem as ‘Easter Tuesday’.
Started in 1925 and deemed ‘the poor man’s horse
racing’. What began as racing on the streets has
evolved into a full-fledged event attracting visitors to
the Buccoo beach facility.

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 References

McDougall, H. (2010). “The pagan roots of Easter.” TheGuardian.com.

Sifferlin, A. (2015). “What’s the origin of the Easter bunny?” Time.com.
Barooah, J. (2012). “Easter eggs: History, Origin, Symbolism and tradition.” Huffington
Post.
Chapman, E. and Schreiber, S. (2018). “The history behind your favorite Easter traditions.”
Goodhousekeeping.com
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter
https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Easter

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