On the first day of the Summer term in 2026, the children gathered for their Easter Festival. Hannah Harter, our Class 5 teacher, led the festival and talked with the children about the many festivals influenced by the phase of the moon at Spring time. This is what she said...
"Welcome back to school dear children..."
Did anyone see the moon over the holidays? I've been following the news of the astronauts who flew all the way around, right behind the moon and back to earth again. Just imagine being near the moon, and our own green earth looking tiny and far away!Since the end of last term the moon has been important to many different people all around the world, not just the NASA astronauts. There have been four very important festivals which are connected in some way to the moon, to the new moon and the full moon, from four different religions, and another festival as well.First of all, Hindus celebrated the new year. It started at the new moon after the spring equinox, which was on the day before we broke up, and the festival continued for ten days. It is a festival celebrating the goddess Durga and her battle to protect the universe from evil, and on the final day they celebrate Rama's birthday. This festival is called Chaitra Navaratri.One of the most important Islamic festivals was on our last day of term, Fri 20th March. This festival is on a different date each year, on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal. This festival can only begin when the new moon has been seen in the sky - so it might even be delayed if it's cloudy some years! Imagine if it was like that for Christmas, not knowing if it would definitely start or not, depending on when the moon was spotted in the sky! This special Islamic festival is called Eid al-Fitr. It is the festival of breaking the month-long fast for all the Muslim people around the world. The festival starts with early morning prayers, and then giving gifts, giving to charity, celebrating and feasting with family. Different sweets and other foods are shared, depending on which country you are from. It's a happy, joyous time for everyone.One of the most important Jewish Festivals is on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, which this year started at sunset on April 1st, and ended at sunset on 9th April. The festival always starts on the night of the first full moon of spring, after the spring equinox, when the days and nights are equal. This festival is called Passover, a time for family gatherings, reflecting on and being thankful for freedom, and passing down traditions. Families have a special meal together. They eat special food, sing and pray together, and share the story of how their ancestors gained their freedom and were no longer enslaved by the Egyptians. Many of you will have celebrated this festival with Yifat when you were in class 3.Just as the first full moon after the spring equinox tells us when Passover will be, it also influences when the Christian festival of Easter will be, on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring. Around the world Easter, the most important Christian festival, is celebrated. Although, some Christians, such as many in Greece, Ukraine and Russia actually use a different calendar and celebrated Easter day yesterday. Last year I told you about when I was a cathedral chorister and we had to sing at a special Easter service every year, that was after sunset the night before Easter day, and how it ended with fireworks to celebrate Christ's resurrection.Easter is celebrated in different ways around the world. In Malaga, in southern Spain, there is a huge parade that happens everyday for the whole week leading up to Easter. Hundreds of people carry huge glittering thrones covered in jewels, in enormous processions all around the city. There is music, dancing and singing and people wear costumes. Here you all know about the Easter Hare and looking for the eggs he hides! But did you know that in some parts of the world having a big water fight is part of how they celebrate Easter!Easter is a joyous time when Christians celebrate the transformation and rebirth that follows death, like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, like the bare trees growing their fresh spring leaves once more, like the flowers coming back after the cold days of winter. This year was rather a rare year. When Christians were celebrating Easter day, far away in China there were two far more ancient festivals being celebrated. On Sat 4th April it was Hanshi, the Cold Food Festival, and the next day it was the festival of Qingming, which means ‘clear and bright’, or ‘pure brightness’. It is a quiet time to remember your ancestors and where you have come from, all those who have lived before you, like grandparents, great grandparents, great great grandparents, and be thankful to them. This year Qingming was on the same day as Easter Sunday. It won't be on the same day again until 2083, when class 5 will be ancient 68 and 69 years old, and many of you will be grandparents!