Easter

March 2024

During a whole school assembly, our wonderful, confident and articulate Language Ambassadors shared different traditions that occur in their countries of origin at Easter/Springtime.  We learnt that:

Germany –  fires are lit to burn away the darkness of Winter and to welcome in the Spring. 

Finland  - children dress as witches and knock on doors asking for sweets in exchange for twigs.

Bulgaria - eggs are painted red, the sign of the cross is made with the wet painted egg on people’s foreheads then they have a hard boiled egg fight.  The winning egg is said to bring good luck and is kept until the following year. 

England - thinking about the empty tomb in the Easter story, we love to eat 80-90 million chocolate eggs each year.

Ireland - hard boiled eggs are rolled down hills and whichever doesn't crack/cracks the least is the winning egg. Our assembly saw the Irish egg, aptly taking the winning title.

Epiphany

January 2024

A whole school assembly was delivered to show what traditions occur around the world during Epiphany on 6th January. We learnt how some countries leave treats inside children’s shoes overnight on 6th January. Also, in Italy children receive a piece of coal from La Befana (the good witch) or an orange depending on how badly/well they’ve behaved. In Turkey, they swim in freezing cold water to retrieve a crucifix. Finally, in various Spanish speaking countries, they eat a Roscon de Reyes cake, in which is hidden a porcelain figurine of Jesus – whoever gets the baby Jesus is said to receive good luck, unless they break their teeth of course…