adminMany businesses in Zimbabwe such as supermarkets, vehicle dealers, and vehicle parts suppliers are offering Easter specials, characterised by price cuts.
Easter has certain foods attached to it, but they differ from country to country and from family to family. Some families have hot cross buns on Good Friday.
These sweet yeast buns are flavoured with spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves) and loaded with currants (or raisins) and candied fruit.
They are distinctive in that the tops of the buns are marked with a cross which symbolically represents the cross of Christ and the Crucifixion. The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eastre.
When the second-century Christian missionaries encountered the tribes of the north with their pagan celebrations, they attempted to convert them to Christianity.
They did so, however, in a clandestine manner. It would have been suicide for the very early Christian converts to celebrate their holy days with observances that did not coincide with celebrations that already existed.
To save lives, the missionaries cleverly decided to spread their religious message slowly throughout the populations by allowing them to continue to celebrate pagan feasts, but to do so in a Christian manner.
As it happened, the pagan festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of the year as the Christian observance of Easter. It made sense, therefore, to alter the festival itself, to make it a Christian celebration as converts were slowly won over. The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.
The Easter bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess Eastre was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.
The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The hare and the rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the spring season. Easter has its own symbols and meanings and below is some of them.
The Cross: This is the symbol for the Christian religion as Jesus was nailed to a cross but then came back to life.
Easter Bells: They are rung in France and Italy throughout the year but they are not rung on the Thursday before good Friday. They are silent as a way to remember
the death of Jesus. They are then rung on Easter Sunday as a way of telling people that Jesus is alive again.
The Easter Lily: The lily was a reminder to the Christians of how Jesus came back to life. The white Easter Lily is used in many Easter services. It is supposed to be a
symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary.
Easter Flowers: Flowers such as the daffodil, narcissus and the tulip are Easter flowers. They bloom in the spring.
Pussy Willows: These are especially picked at Easter in England and Russia. People would tap each other on the shoulders with a branch of the pussy willow for good luck.
Rabbits: Rabbits are a reminder of spring and new life. They were the favourite animal of the spring goddess Eastre.
The Egg: It is a symbol of spring as well as Easter. It is a sign of new life.
Chicks: The chicks are born from eggs and are a reminder of spring and Easter.
Candles: Candles give light in darkness. Jesus is seen as “the eternal light” showing Christians the way from death to life.
Palm Branches: These are used as a symbol of peace.
Bread: Unleavened flat bread is eaten to remember Jesus’ sacrifice.
Wine: Red wine is drunk to remember Jesus shedding His blood.
Fireworks: These are believed to frighten away evil spirits. They also show that out of darkness comes light.
Online Reporter