This document provides information about important Christian holidays around Easter, including dates and symbols. It details holidays like Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday. For each date, it lists the historical event being commemorated and any traditional symbols associated with that day, such as ashes, palm leaves, bread and wine, and Easter eggs. The holidays mark Jesus' last supper, fasting in the desert, procession into Jerusalem, crucifixion, resurrection, and the discovery of his empty tomb by Mary.

1. Information sheet for important Easter days for
Easter is Deadly
Name of the day Historical Event Symbol
8th March Shrove Tuesday (or Jesus ate a meal of milk, eggs and flour Pancakes are made on this day to symbolise
2011 Pancake Tuesday) before he went into the desert to fast for Jesus' last meal before fasting.
forty days.
9th March Ash Wednesday Jesus goes into the desert to fast. The first day of Lent. The use of ashes made
2011 by burning palm crosses from the previous
year's Palm Sunday.
Starts Lent Starts on Ash Wednesday and today goes for The colour purple is an important colour at
9th March forty days. It refers to Jesus' 40 days of this time. Purple symbolises people being
2011 fasting. aware of themselves, who they are and what
they do. Lent is often remembered by people
doing charitable acts (doing things for other
people).
Starts Holy Week Is the last seven days before Easter.
17th April Palm Sunday
Jesus walks back into Jerusalem triumphant The events of this week are referred to as
2011
following his 3 years of teaching and 40 days "the Passion". It is read at Mass. One Palm
of fasting. As he walked into Jerusalem, Sunday, people take palm leaves to mass
cheering people laid palms at his feet (It and there is sometimes a re-enactment of
should be noted that many of the people Jesus walking through the crowds. The Palm
who cheered Jesus' triumphant arrival would Sunday celebration asks people to consider
have been among the crowd calling for his times when they have been hypocritical and
execution a week later). unfaithfuly in their lives.
21st April Maundy Thursday At this meal (also called the Last Supper), The bread and wine symbolise Jesus' flesh
2011 Jesus sat with his twelve disciples. Here, and blood. It is re-enacted at mass each
they ate bread and drank wine. Later that week in a ceremony called the Eucharist.
night Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the
Garden of Gethsemane and was arrested
22nd April Good Friday The day of Jesus' crucifixion. He carries a On Good Friday, many people do not eat red
2011 cross through Jerusalem and is nailed to it to meat, but fish.
die.
23rd April Holy Saturday Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected Easter Saturday is the most important mass
2011 from the dead (he came back to life) and of the year and must take place after
that he became the Holy Spirit. sunset. It is when the Paschal (Easter)
candle are blessed at the Vigil Mass. Easter
Satursday is also the commencement of the
Easter Tide which goes for 50 days ending at
the feast of Pentecost.
Christians have set Sunday aside as a
24th April Easter Sunday Recalls the day that the women went to the
special day in their week. They remember
2011 tomb of Jesus but found it empty. An angel
that Jesus was raised to new life on a
appeared to them and told them that Jesus
Sunday and gather at the church to
had been raised from the dead. They hurried
celebrate this event. The gift of eggs is a
to tell the apostles.
symbol of new life.
25th April Easter Monday Easter Monday appears to have no religious
2011 significance but is a legal public holiday in
most countries that celebrate Easter.
1BL901E104 ©Blacklines (Updated - 2011) * Dates in first column are based on Australian timezones .