Secular Easter

I’m writing this so that locals can recognise their own traditions (and correct me where I’m wrong), and others can get an idea of how our year runs.

The four-day Easter break is one of the longest Australia-wide official holiday periods.  Its date varies each year and is determined by Christian Easter, which ensures that the two public holidays (Good Friday and Easter Monday) always straddle a weekend.  The range of possible dates for Easter Sunday is shown on the holiday wheel below, which also shows how Easter fits in with Commonwealth public holidays and public and school holidays in the states of south-eastern Australia. Working towards the centre, the outer circle is Commonwealth public holidays, then New SouthWales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.

Commonwealth holidays Christmas day 25-Dec-2012 Boxing day 26-Dec-2012 New year’s day 2-Jan-2012 Australia day 26-Apr-2012 Good Friday 6-Apr-2012 (in 2012) Easter Monday 9-Apr-2012 (in 2012) ANZAC day   25-Apr-2012

Despite these religious connections, the name Easter is thought to be an old Germanic name for a spring goddess, and the season of change.  Springtime brings new life, so in the Northern hemisphere symbols of Easter include chicks and bunnies, and daffodils. 

We too have chicks and bunnies, but because Easter arrives in autumn we are into harvest.  Just think of all the produce in the District Exhibits at The Sydney Royal (more commonly called the Easter Show). 

During the holiday we might have a last camping trip before the weather turns colder, watch AFL at “The G”, or go to the National Folk Festival in Canberra.

There’s sadness too.  With more road travel at Easter, and despite double demerits for speeding, there are more crashes.  News reports highlight the road toll, a point made more poignantly by the floral crosses we pass at the roadside.

Hot cross buns and peace marches straddle the secular/religious distinction. 

And there are eggs.  Fresh eggs.  Hard boiled eggs for decorating, rolling, or egg dumping.  Eggs to be hunted.  Chocolate eggs.

Chocolate everything:  chocolate bunnies, chocolate bilbies, chocolate in show bags from the Sydney Royal.