key Christian festivals

• What are the key christian festivals?

  • christmas
  • easter
• What does Christmas celebrate for Christians?


  • birth of Jesus
  • Protestants and Catholics celebrate on 25th of December
  • Orthodox christians celebrate it on the 6th
• How do christians celebrate Christmas?

  • church services
  • midnight mass
  • carols
  • nativities
  • national holiday
  • churches run events for those in need spreading love and peace
• How do christians celebrate Easter?

  • lent - 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert
  • holy week -week leading up to resurrection
  • Palm sunday
  • Maundy Thursday
  • good friday
  • easter sunday
• What happens on Palm Sunday?

  • Palm crosses are given out as a symbol of the event where people waved palm branches as Jesus passed by on a donkey in Jerusalem
• What happens on Maundy Thursday?

  • Jesus hosted the last supper and his arrest. This day marks a time of sadness and reflection for christians
• What happens on Good Friday

  • Jesus' crucifixion and death
  • christians would fast or end lent with hot cross buns
  • churches hold services in the afternoon when Jesus died (3pm)
  • some catholics hold a procession - reenactment of his final journey
• what happened/happens on Easter Sunday?


  • day of Jesus' resurrection
  • some churches hold a vigil on Saturday night before service on Sunday
  • celebration - cards, chocolate eggs (symbol of new life + shape of boulder that rolled from Jesus' tomb)