Easter Time - 2025

What does Easter mean to you? Is it family gatherings, lovely meals and sweet whetles, the smell of hot cross buns warming in the oven, or the look on children’s faces when the Easter Bunny leaves lovely chocolate treats and Easter Egg hunts. This weekend is Easter, Good Friday is 18 April, and I hope you have planned some fun and some relaxation activities for the 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 about 50 years, I am sure everyone has been enjoying his baking from Hot Krust Bakery. 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. All the bakers will be cooking up many baker’s treats for the Norfolk Island community and the visitors. If you need extra bread or Hot Cross Buns, for the weekend, please order your Hot Cross Buns and treats, call 23747 to place your orders at Hot Krust Bakery, the next bake is on Saturday or check out Foodland Supermarket in the bakery corner.

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.

Norfolk Island Government House has organised an Easter Egg Hunt for Sunday 20 April from 10am to 11:30am. This is an invitation for all young sullen, see you all on the front lawn, down the town in Kingston. Have fun at the Easter Egg Hunt, sharing a few Easter eggs.

This year the public holidays are Easter Friday 18 April and Monday 21 April is also a Public Holiday.

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

www.Facebook.com/norfolkislandchurch

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

On Thursday evening there was an Easter play “Women of the Cross” performed at Kingston near the Salt Mill on 17 April Thursday evening, 5.30pm to 7.00pm. I am sure those who attended enjoyed the entertainment. (I hope the rain cleared for the Easter play)

The Easter story, with a difference. Come and join us for Women @ the Cross, 5:30pm down at the Salt House. See yorlie there.

Here is what we have coming up at church.

All are welcome and we would love to see yorlie there.

Good Friday 18 April, 9am service– All Saints Church Kingston – (Combined Churches)

Easter Sunday 20 April, 6am - Dawn Service up Mt Pitt – (Combined Churches)

Easter Sunday 20 April, 9am Service - St Barnabas Chapel – Followed with Easter Egg Hunt

I have taken photos of the wonderful religious artwork in St Philip Howard’s Catholic Church. I also found out that our Aunty also knew (Julia B Lynch) Sister Mary Lawrence, the Nun from Wellington New Zealand who painted the “Stations of the Cross” paintings.

The skies are always magical at Easter, the date will always be on or near the Full Moon. This year, the Full Moon was earlier this week on Sunday 13 April 2025. If the skies are clear, I hope to capture a few photos of the moon and the Norfolk Island starry skies.

Remember, Good Friday is a public holiday, and many places maybe closed. For Easter trading details, please check with businesses or listen to the Norfolk Island Radio news updates.

I have been following Facebook and social media to check who is open over the Easter weekend. Here are a few details if you are looking for somewhere to have a meal or relax with family and friends.

Bounty Bar and Grill

• CLOSED ALL DAY GOOD FRIDAY

• EASTER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

OPEN FROM 9AM - ALL DAY, COFFEE - LUNCH - DINNER

Olive Café - “Opening times over Easter to Nomes Discretion.”

*Public Holiday surcharges apply *

Good Friday CLOSED

Holy Saturday Open 6.30am to 1.30pm *

Easter Sunday Open 7am to 1.30pm *

Easter Monday Open 7am to 1.30pm *

Olive Branch Kitchen @ Norfolk Island Golf Club

Easter Friday, Sunday and Monday – Closed

Saturday Open 10am to 2pm

Salty Beer Garden - Easter Weekend - open 12pm to 8pm

Check out the Facebook page Salty Beer Garden for more details:

Good Friday – Open 12pm to 8pm - Live Music 5-7pm

(food purchase is compulsory with Alcohol purchases)

Saturday Open 12pm to 8pm – Live Music from 4pm

Live Music - Charity Jam Night – Fundraiser- NINA see below

Easter Sunday Open 12pm to 8pm - Live Music 5-7pm

Easter Monday Open 12pm to 8pm

The Norfolk Island Netball Association (NINA) is having a fundraiser at the Salty Beer Garden on Saturday 19 April, from 4pm”. This is a major Fundraiser for the Junior State Aged Girls, “Live Music Jam” with local musicians, plus, Fish’n’chips and Raffles. Come down and support the JSA girls!

I expect there will be the annual Norfolk Island Lions fundraiser for Child Cancer on Easter Monday. If you are down at Kingston please support the Norfolk Island Lions fundraiser for Child Cancer, they always cook up a treat for the Biggest BBQ.

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. Here are a few Easter photos I have taken of Easter treats and the local Norfolk Island Churches.

Betty Matthews

18 April 2025