1. What does it mean to belong to a Christian family at Easter?
Come and meet Samuel!

2. This is Samuel. He is 6 years old.

3. Samuel belongs to a Christian family
Samuel belongs to a Christian family. Samuel’s daddy is a curate at the local church.

4. Samuel has a big sister and a mummy, too. They all go to St
Samuel has a big sister and a mummy, too. They all go to St. Andrew’s Church.

5. Sam’s family are preparing for Easter
Sam’s family are preparing for Easter. This is some of the things they do to prepare for Easter. This time of preparation is called Lent.

6. Shrove Tuesday
On Shrove Tuesday, Samuel and his family make pancakes. Sometimes, this day is called Pancake Day.

7. Shrove Tuesday
Pancakes are made from eggs, milk, butter and flour. In the past, people made pancakes to use up these rich ingredients in their cupboards. This meant they went without those rich ingredients during Lent.
For Christians, Lent is a time
to think about what is important.
Sometimes, Christians give something up for Lent to help them focus on God.

8. Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent.
Lent lasts for 40 days. This is the time when
Christians prepare for Easter.
Easter is the most
important time of
year for Christians.
Easter is the story
of Jesus dying and
rising to new life.

9. Palm Crosses
Christians like Sam believe that Jesus died on the cross for them, so they use the cross to help them think about Jesus. At Easter time, some Christians have Palm Crosses.
These crosses are
made from palm
leaves, just like
the palm leaves
the crowd waved at
Jesus as he rode
in to Jerusalem
on a donkey on
Palm Sunday.

10. Ash Wednesday
Sam and his family go to church on Ash Wednesday. The Vicar puts a cross on their foreheads with ash. The ash comes from last year’s Palm Crosses that have been burned.
The ashes are not hot, though!

11. Holy Week Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter Sunday.
It begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday.
Sam and his family are excited as this is a time of great celebration in their church.

12. Palm Sunday Sam reads about the Easter story in his Bible.
On Palm Sunday, Christians remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Everyone shouted, ‘Hosanna!’ and waved their palms.

13. Holy Week
Sam and his family make some hot cross buns. Yummy!

14. Maundy or Holy Thursday
Sam and his family go to
church on Maundy Thursday.
They remember the
things Jesus said and did
the night before he
died on the cross.
They wash one another’s
feet to show they will serve
one another, just as Jesus
did.

15. Maundy or Holy Thursday
Then Sam and his family share in the special Christian family meal of bread and wine called Communion.
Christians remember
Jesus saying,
‘Do this in
remembrance of me.’

16. Good Friday
Sam and his family go to church to be quiet on Good Friday.
Sam thinks about Jesus dying on the cross.

17. Easter Day
Sam and his family get up really early on Easter Day and go to church! They want to remember Jesus rising from the dead and appearing to Mary early in the morning.

18. Easter Day
Sam and his sister Megan eat their Easter eggs. The spring flowers, eggs, bunnies and chicks help them to remember Jesus’ new life at Easter.

19. PowerPoint by Julia Watts
Rochester Diocesan Adviser
2009