Easter Smiles
The Joys of Easter
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April 13th, 2009UncategorizedEaster Holidays in Malta
Author: ClaireThis article provides information about Malta and things to do in Malta during your Easter Holiday.Easter time is the most important time of year for the Roman Catholic Church and is thus a very exciting and colourful time for the Maltese due to their deeply rooted religious values. Being in Malta during this period allows you to see the Maltese culture come alive as it celebrates the resurrection of Christ. It comes as no surprise that visitors to the island would be busy clicking away at their cameras in order to capture on film these creative and emotional scenes as it is an experience that is unique and worth viewing.
Easter Maltese Traditions
After the close of the colourful carnival celebrations that take place right before Lent, the Easter period begins. The start of Lent takes place on Ash Wednesday where burnt ashes of the palms are rubbed on the forehead of the faithful as a sign of repentance. In Maltese, this period is known as ‘Ras ir-Randan’, where the word ‘ras’ means head – linking it to the rubbing of the ashes. Lent is marked by fasting, generally of meat and sweets either during the entire period or on select days of the week, and repentance. In fact, Ash Wednesday is such an important day for the Maltese calendar that it is a school holiday for all children.
It is common that in all villages there would be a ‘Wirja tal- Mejda tal- Apostli’ which is an exhibition of ‘Apostles Tables’ ranging from miniature to life-size models of the apostles having the Last Supper with Christ. The models are often very artistic and life-like and vary according to village. Furthermore, people would also display figurines of Christ and the apostles on their window sills. Many signs are put up for both Maltese and tourists in order to find their way to the exhibitions.
During this period the decorations within the 100s of churches scattered across the Maltese islands take a different approach in both colour and design and are filled with ornaments, flowers and candles. On Maundy Thursday the churches remain open in the evening and families come together to attend the traditional ‘Seven Visits’. Here, families would travel to seven different churches of their choice to pray and kneel before Christ. Another tradition related to Maundy Thursday is that the church bells, which are often heard chiming in the villages, are not rung again until Easter Sunday.
Traditionally, on Good Friday there would be a homily which lasts 3 hours! This, however is no longer commonplace. On Good Friday, the decorations change once more and the churches remain rather bare, until Saturday evening, when the flickering of candles begins the resurrection celebrations that lead up to the Easter Vigil at around 11am on Easter Sunday. There are several processions and pageants that take place all day, all over the island!
On Easter Sunday, unlike the bare and dark mood of Good Friday, there is an explosion of light and candles. The processions are led by a statue of Jesus Christ holding a flag and sometimes include entire biblical stories. It is also common for people in penitence to join the procession by carrying heavy weights or walking barefoot. This procession is then followed by a large Maltese family lunch, traditionally made up of lamb, baked potatoes and local vegetables.
Traditional Maltese Sweets
During their Malta vacations, tourists can also experience an array of traditional food as shops and vendors are filled with local delicacies. The ‘figolla’ is probably the most popular and it was traditionally given to every child after Sunday lunch. However, it is now distributed during the entire Easter period to every child and adult! The figolla is a baked sweet pastry filled with almond paste, covered in icing. These are made into Christian symbols such as birds and fish but other shapes such as cars, bunnies and hearts have also become popular. Easter eggs and rabbits are also given to children during this time of year. During lent ‘Kwarezimal’ is also popular and is made up of almonds, milk, flour, black honey and spices. There are two types of bread that are traditionally attributed to this period, the ‘Sfineg’ and the ‘Qaghaq’. The former is a type of flat, circular loaf made from flour and meal flour mixed together, then coated in honey and fried in oil. The latter is a circular loaf with a hole in the middle that has almonds scattered on top. Hot cross buns and caramel sweets are also very popular during this period.
About the Author:
Mrs Claire Zammit Xuereb manages a number of luxury hotels in Malta and writes various topics about Malta and things to do during your holidays. If you would like to experience a special Easter holiday, then stay at one of the leading Malta Hotels and enjoy a selection of superior Accommodation in Malta.
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_853717_27.htmlMarch 23rd, 2009UncategorizedLuxury Gifts: An Easter Alternative
Author: Thomas Freeman
As of writing this, Easter feels as if it is drawing ever nearer. Lent is less than a week away, the religious period which signals the countdown to Easter, which will leave only weeks in which to prepare. Easter is another gift giving season, be it chocolate eggs for children and adults alike, or more refined goods. It is these luxury gifts which I will focus on.
Traditionally Lent itself is meant to be a time of soul searching, prayer, fasting and repentance, but in a more modern context lent has evolved; for example this lent I am giving something up, and this year it is chocolate which has to go. My decision itself has little to do with actual religious practices, but has more to do with the evolved culture which seems to have developed over the years. Of course there is a heavy religious following connected to lent, but this religious period for many has became more than that. In many families these ideas have even merged. Easter eggs are one example. During Easter the decoration of eggs is meant to represent the bringing of new life, as in the rebirth of Jesus by Easter’s end. Chocolate eggs are again a combination of this religious element and an evolved ideology. Regardless of religious views or what you personally celebrate through the Easter period, this celebration is still very much an important date in the calendar this year.
In recent years, the giving of gifts over Easter has become more and more popular. Luxury gifts for loved ones has become a common practice, decorative eggs, luxury soaps, a great array of luxury gift products have seen movement over these Easter weeks. As a luxury gift enthusiast, and with Easter just around the corner, I just cannot help myself from mentioning the Gianna Rose luxury gift soaps collection. Gianna Rose describes itself as the leader in luxury bath soap and gift soap products, creating a uniquely personal signature and hallmark scent. Their gift boxes aim to re-define the prestige soap category, their uniqueness being deemed their primary attribute. A selection of robin’s egg soaps are one highlight, beautifully decorated and presented in unique and interesting ways. Luxury egg soaps are one of Gianna Rose’ most popular Easter items, but why are eggs, decorative or chocolate in design, so important?
The practice of giving decorative eggs as gifts at Easter originates from several locations, the most commonly recognised is as the symbolism of new life, the idea of a chick hatching from the egg mirroring Jesus and his revival from death. An egg is also eaten at the end of Easter. Whilst forbidden over lent, egg stockpiles would stack up, meaning that a large quantity of eggs would have to be eaten to avoid the stock from spoiling. One other legend involves Mary Magdalene, whose eggs turned red upon seeing a revived Jesus, thus why eggs are decorated to celebrate rebirth. As a luxury gift, the decorative egg is thus a perfect design for Easter. Varied in fragrance and design, these designer egg soaps are a perfect luxury gift for that Easter holiday.
Easter has become an event which is truly open to everyone, for its religious connotations and the themes that it represents. As a holiday, maybe the buying of a luxury gift is not the first thing thought of, such events being reserved for Christmas, birthdays and weddings, but for that air of style, there is better alternative than the uniqueness of Gianna Rose.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gifts-articles/luxury-gifts-an-easter-alternative-782682.html
About the Author:
Thomas Freeman is an employee of Amara, an online UK and International retailer of luxury home gifts. Visit Amara for a great selection of Luxury Gifts, including the Gianna Rose brand.January 8th, 2009UncategorizedEaster - Its Origins and Relationship to Pagans and Passover
By Arthur LevineI’m confused about Easter, how about you? There seems to be much scholarly discourse that links the Christian tradition of Easter to the Jewish tradition of Passover and to certain Pagan rituals and beliefs that came before them. There is even some dispute over the actual date of Christ’s death and resurrection, but the faith that each of us hold in our hearts cannot be in dispute. This I believe.
The name Easter may have first been associated with an ancient Goddess, The Venerable Bede, (672-735). She was the mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe who was known as Eastra.
Many Pagan religions in the Mediterranean area had a major seasonal day of religious celebration following the Spring Equinox. Cybele, the Phrygian fertility goddess had a fictional consort named Attis who was believed to have been born in a virgin birth and to have died and been resurrected each year during the March 22 to March 25th period around 200 B.C. Wherever Christian worship of Jesus and Pagan worship of Attis were active in the same area at around the same time, Christians and Pagans used to quarrel about which of their gods was the true one.
Some religious historians believe that the death and resurrection legends were first associated with Attis many centuries before the birth of Christ. One theory is that they were simply grafted onto stories of Jesus’ in order to make Christian theology more acceptable to Pagans.
My own opinion is that we shouldn’t worry too much about what the experts say. I think its what you feel in your heart and soul that counts at this holy time of year. I think it’s your family traditions, your personal beliefs, and the religious rituals you have grown up with that really matter.
Easter has Judeo-Christian origins. The life of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospels includes the Christian version of this theme. Good Friday is observed in remembrance of Jesus’ execution by an occupying Roman army, and his burial in a cave. Easter Sunday is the date when a group of his female followers first noticed that the tomb was empty, and concluded that he had been resurrected.
The timing of the Christian celebration of Easter is linked to the Jewish celebration of Passover. The name Passover was derived from the angel of death passing over homes of Jews, which were marked, with the blood of a lamb thus sparing the first born of such homes. Liberal Theologians link Passover to ancient pre-Israelite Pagan rituals practiced by wandering Semitic shepherds in celebration of an agricultural harvest using unleavened bread.Passover was the most important feast of the Jewish calendar, celebrated around the 22nd of March. The Synoptic gospels of Mark, Mathew, and Luke stated that Jesus’ last supper was a Seder or Passover celebration.
Most Christians believe that Jesus Christ was executed and buried just before the beginning of Passover on Friday evening. A minority believes that the execution occurred on a Wednesday or Thursday. Some liberal Christians have suggested that the early Christian Church arbitrarily selected Passover as the time thus allowing them to link the most important religious days in Judaism and Christianity.
Whatever your personal beliefs are, whatever the actual dates are, don’t let the skeptics amongst us deter you from celebrating your religious beliefs and traditions. Don’t let those of little faith keep you from believing.
Easter is a Christian Festival, which celebrates Christ’s Resurrection. Today eggs are decorated and exchanged with friends and family to commemorate the unification of all God’s children. In ancient times eggs were exchanged to symbolize the continuance of life after death. Early Christianity is thought to have adopted the idea and incorporated it into their Easter celebration. Let the celebration continue.
Please feel free to use this article as long as credit is given to the resource box.
© Copyright Arthur Levine – 2007
Credits and References:
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Author: B.A. Robinson
The Pagan Origins of Easter
The Christian Origins of Easter
Updated 2006 – Mar - 29Arthur Levine is the author of the Search For God Stories and The Magic of Faith. To read some of the stories that will enable you to discover new evidence of God’s existence and how we got here for yourself, access http://www.faith123.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arthur_Levine
http://EzineArticles.com/?Easter—Its-Origins-and-Relationship-to-Pagans-and-Passover&id=503092December 31st, 2008UncategorizedEarly Easter Means Early Travel by Roger Munns
An early Easter holiday provides a nice jumpstart for tourists beginning their yearly treks.
Easter is a popular time for travel. People love getting out and being able to enjoy the sun after several months of winter. Several people choose Florida as their Easter-time destination because of the warmer climate.
Easter is always celebrated the second Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. The holiday is usually in early April and provides a break for students as well as working adults. However, in 2008, Easter was on March 23 and provided an earlier spring break than usual. To many people around the world, Easter marks the beginning of spring. It is also one of the most travelled holidays. An early start to spring means an early start for tourism.
During Easter 2008, the British airports for example saw a dramatic rise in business. Manchester airport alone saw more than 200,000 travellers over the holiday weekend. In the London area another 400,000 departed from Heathrow, 250,000 from Gatwick, 170,000 from Stansted and 60,000 from Luton. An estimated 2 million Brits had big holiday plans. Most travellers were either headed to the mountains for skiing or to the Spanish islands for sunbathing.
Scotland saw a big winter freeze over the Easter holiday weekend. Many Scots booked flights to warmer locales to escape the freezing weather for the weekend. Some of the most popular destinations for Scots escaping unfavourable weather were Dubai, Alicante and Tenerife. Those who decided to stay home for the Easter weekend were advised to bundle up and stay warm.
For those passengers seeking sunshine, the Balearic and Canary Islands were very popular destinations. Some chose to go further abroad and ventured to Florida in the USA. Most airlines reported holiday flight schedules sold out for the holiday weekend.
The Canary Islands have a lot to offer the winter-weary traveler looking for a nice beach to hang out on. They are located just north of the Western Sahara desert in Africa and southwest of Spain and Portugal. The flight from England is only a few short hours and very worth the time spent. The Canary Islands consist of seven large islands, two smaller islands and several islets. The climate is perfect nearly year round with more than 300 days of sunshine per year.
Tenerife, is the largest and perhaps most visited of the seven large islands. It has a surface area of 2,034 km. (785 sq. mi.) and a population of fewer than 1 million. It is a very well-known and highly sought-after holiday destination, especially for Brits.
Many resorts and country clubs on Tenerife offer a variety of sporting events, including golf, squash and tennis. Diving is very popular among visitors because of the crystal clear waters and abundance of marine life. Other water sports are also very popular on Tenerife. Several of the resorts and country clubs on the island also have first class golf courses.
In order to please more visitors, Tenerife opened a new water park in April. The enormous water park is only the beginning of improvements and additions to the island for 2008. The park is the largest water park on the Canary Islands and features Siamese themes. The park cost an impressive 52 million Euros to construct. Some of the rides include The Volcano, The Dragon, Wave Palace and Jungle Snake.
One of Siam Park’s largest attractions is the Jungle Snake: four water slides that follow the park’s terrain. The Lost City, a play area with 120 fun and exciting games, is expected to receive rave reviews, especially from smaller children. To add to the fun there is a sea lion pool near the park’s main entrance and a fully equipped amphitheater.
A travel and accommodation guide for holidays in Tenerife is available via yourtenerife.net
As well as holidays the guide has a map of Tenerife with airport information and cheap flights to Tenerife
Article Source: KalingAR.com - Articles