Did you know that church bells ring out every day throughout France – apart from Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday?
Every single church bell throughout France stops ringing on this day in remembrance of the death of Christ. If you’re used to hearing the village bells chime out, their silence is deafening.
Children commenting on the silence (in the days before Playstation and ipads) were told that the Bells had flown to Rome to see the Pope. These flying bells return on Easter Sunday morning and bring with them lots of chocolate and eggs before returning to their towers on Friday to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
Some Easter Vocab
Pâques – Easter (NB spelt with an S but pronounced Pack)
Joyeuses Pâques! – Happy Easter!
La Semaine Sainte – Holy Week
Un défilé Pascal – Easter Procession
Vendredi Saint – Good Friday
Dimanche/lundi de Pâques – Easter Sunday/Monday
Les cloches sont passées – The Easter eggs have arrived (the bells have been)
Vacances de Pâques – Easter holidays
Un lapin de Pâques – Easter bunny
La chasse aux oeufs – Egg hunt
DID YOU KNOW?
The word “Maundy” as in ‘Maundy Thursday’, the day before Good Friday, comes from the Latin “mandatum,” meaning “commandment.”
