By Beaudesert Historical Museum
Easter 2026 is almost upon us.
Known as a moveable feast, the date of our annual Easter celebrations varies from year to year.
Calculated by the phases of the moon, it occurs on the first Sunday after the March equinox; it can therefore never occur before March 22, and never later than April 25.
Easter traditionally is a time of great reverence in the Christian world, commemorating as it does the passion and crucifixion of Christ.
However, the move away from strict religious observance and the four-day break has led to a holiday atmosphere.
While the traditional rituals still take place, the emphasis has changed. In the school and university world, Easter represents the end of the first term or the mid semester break – holiday time for all.
In the sporting world it also conjures up the change from cricket to football, the closure of swimming pools, and the end of daylight saving, the transition from summer to winter.
Schools and day cares will be holding Easter activities, drawing competitions, and perhaps an Easter bonnet parade. These activities will most likely feature Easter bunnies with chocolate and marzipan eggs.
The bunnies stem from a German tradition celebrating new life and the arrival of spring. This tradition is somewhat at odds with the solemn nature of the Easter story. Easter bonnet parades on the other hand began as a commercial festivity in New York in the 1870s.
Many schools also perform their own passion play to give students an insight into the real meaning of the holiday.
This is still commemorated in the Scenic Rim with the annual Moogerah Passion Play.
This event which has now run for 30 years draws large crowds to contemplate the traditional meaning of Easter.
