Did you know that church bells ring out every day throughout France – apart from Maundy Thursday evening until Easter Sunday
From the evening of Maundy Thursday, church bells across the country fall silent in remembrance of the death of Christ. If you’re used to hearing village bells marking the hours, their sudden absence feels almost eerie.
Children who noticed the silence (in the days before PlayStations and iPads), were told a magical story: the bells had flown to Rome to see the Pope. They return on Easter Sunday morning, joyfully ringing again—and bringing with them chocolate and eggs, which are hidden for children to find.
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’, referring to Christ’s commandment to love one another.