Easter Comes Early This Year March 2024

The smell of Easter is in the air, the bakers are busy baking Hot Cross Buns and the chocolate specialist have been organising lots of special treats for the Easter Egg surprises. Easter comes early this year, Good Friday is 29 March, and it is only one week away, and now is a good idea to plan for next week’s long weekend.

My first thought when I think of Easter is Hot Cross Buns, Easter means the bakers have long hours at work, preparing tasty Easter treats and those delicious Hot Cross Buns. My husband Stephen has been baking for almost 50 years, I am sure everyone has been enjoying his baking from Hot Krust Bakery. All the bakers will be cooking up many baker’s treats for the Norfolk Island community and the visitors. Please order your Hot Cross Buns and treats early, call 23747 to place your orders at Hot Krust Bakery.

The Easter treats on the top of most of our list is Easter Eggs and a yummy chocolate creation. Foodland Supermarket and P&R have had a variety of Easter treats for the past few weeks, also Sweeties, Serious Chocolate and other stores in town have chocolate eggs. The smell of homemade chocolate Easter baking is always great for those who create their own Easter indulgences.

Easter Bunny is visiting the Bounty Centre in town on Easter Saturday between 10am and 11am. I am sure he will have a basket filled with Easter Eggs to share, and more. The Bounty Centre has Easter treats, and Easter baskets, bunny footprints, decorations and activities along with soft toys for the children. The Bounty Centre will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday. (Please note the Walk in the Wild and Mini Golf is closed for maintence).

The local churches will have special services over the Easter weekend. Listen to the Radio Public notices for church services and events.

There will also be an Easter play “Women of the Cross” performed at Kingston near the Salt Mill on 28 March Thursday evening, 6pm to 7.30pm.

www.Facebook.com/norfolkislandchurch

Check out the Church of England Facebook pages for service times and updates.

Looking forward to Easter we celebrate the life that is found through God's triumphant king, Jesus Christ, on the cross. Here is what we have coming up at church. All are welcome and we would love to see yorlie there.

Good Friday 29 March, 9am service – All Saints Church Kingston – (Combined Churches)

Easter Sunday 31 March, 6am - Dawn Service up Mt Pitt – (Combined Churches)

Easter Sunday 31 March, 9am Service – All Saints Church, Kingston - Followed with Easter Egg Hunt

I have taken photos of the wonderful artwork in the Catholic Church. I also found out that our Aunty also knew the Nun from Wellington New Zealand who painted the “Station of the Cross” paintings.

This year the public holidays are Easter Friday 29 March and Monday 1 April is also a Public Holiday. Remember it is also the start of the school holidays.

I checked out why Easter’s date changes every year.

“Unlike most days in the Christian calendar, Easter does not have a fixed date. The normal Gregorian or Julian calendars follow the cycle of the sun, but Easter is determined by the lunar calendars, which follows the phases of the moon. Because of this, Easter is scheduled to fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox (basically a fancy way of saying first day of spring/autumn), which occurs around March 20. This means that the date will always fall between March 22 and April 25.”

The skies are always magical at Easter, the date will always be on or near the Full Moon. If the skies are clear, I hope to capture a few photos of the moon and the Norfolk Island starry skies.

I have followed Facebook pages and read that the “Salty Beer Garden” will be open over Easter. Check out their Facebook page for details.

Hip hop hippity hop Easter is almost here and Salty is open for the whole long weekend. More details about EASTER SUNDAY coming soon but think FREE Easter egg hunt and live music all afternoon!

Have fun planning your Easter with family and friends and remember to think of the bakers when you bite into your delicious Hot Cross Buns.

Betty Matthews

22 March 2024