For Christians Easter Sunday is the high point of the year. They celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As in many other European and New World countries, eggs and rabbits (signs of fertility and new life) are traditional symbols of Easter in the British Isles. Chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs, often adorned in colorful foil wrappers, are given to children as presents or are hidden for the Easter morning "egg hunt."

The tradition of decorating real eggs for Easter dates back to the Middle Ages. In 1290 the English king, Edward I, ordered 450 eggs to be covered in gold leaf to be given as Easter presents. It is thought that the bright hues used to decorate Easter eggs were meant to mirror the colors of the reawakening spring growth.

Aside from eggs, the best- known English Easter food is probably the hot cross bun. Dating back to medieval times, the buns were traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but they are now popular all around the Easter season. These sweet treats, fragrant with fruit and spices, are marked with a cross, either slashed into the dough before baking, or drizzled on in icing afterwards.

The history of hot cross buns dates far back to the pre-Christian era. It is thought that they are descendants of the small cakes offered to Eostre, the goddess of spring. They may have been marked with a cross even in ancient times, to represent the four quarters of the moon

Easter is a Christian holiday in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is celebrated by the Catholic Church in the first full moon Sunday after the vernal equinox between 22 March and 25 April. At this time tulips, crocuses and daffodils appear in the UK.

Easter was originally a pagan holiday in honor of the goddess of dawn and spring, Eastre. Easter was a holiday of revival of nature after winter. In the second century missionaries, professing Christianity, attempted to convert the pagans to Christianity. They did it gradually, allowing the pagans celebrate his holiday in the Christian manner. Pagan Eastre held at the same time as the Christian holiday in honor of the resurrection of Christ. Gradually pagan holiday gave way to Christian.

Palm Sunday precedes Easter, the beginning of Holy Week in many churches. Palm Sunday symbolizes the coming of Christ into Jerusalem, when he was met by his supporters, waving willow branches. Good Friday - this is the last Friday before Easter. On this day it’s traditional to treat each other hot cross buns - sweet rolls with raisins, marked with a cross. They eat like buttered toast.

Easter eggs give each other on Palm Sunday. Easter egg - a symbol of new life. The tradition of Easter eggs probably originated at a time when the church forbade eating them during Lent, 40 days preceding Easter. But custom of paint eggs were laid by ancient Egyptians and Persians, who did it during their spring holiday. However, today in Britain extended another tradition with Easter eggs - to give to friends and relatives not real eggs, but chocolate, with caramel or any other sweets inside, and various souvenirs in the form of Easter eggs.

On Good Friday the church bells fall silent and start ringing again only on Easter Sunday. Churches hold religious services. Organ concerts hold in Catholic churches. On this day people wear new clothes to symbolize the end of the season of bad weather and the coming of spring.

Easter baskets, filled with eggs, bread and other food people take with them to the Easter service to consecrate the church. It’s a tradition to give candy and toys to children on the streets in Easter Monday. Schools are closed for the Easter holidays for 2 weeks. Children look forward to Easter Sunday, when the Easter Bunny will leave for their baskets with sweets and eggs, which they painted last week.

There are traditional games for Easter In Britain. Adults hide eggs, and children waking up in the morning and search them. Someone who finds the largest number of them will get a prize. Kids also play Egg- shackling: the child's name is written on the raw eggs. The winner is the child whose egg, toss in a sieve, the longest not break.

Another old game is rolling eggs with from the mountains in the morning. It is believed that an egg rolling from the mountain symbolizes the stone rolled away from the Holy Sepulchre. In Lancashire, for example, open air celebrations take place, culminating by " Egg Run" : coming down the hill hard-boiled eggs, and the winner is the one whose egg sunk to the bottom of the hill first. In some places there is a tradition to play football at Easter, where the ball is used instead of a small wooden barrel filled with ale. El drunk when the game ends.