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Hot Cross Buns and Easter Eggs

Special Easter foods

by the Revd Catherine Williams (revised, originally published in 2005)

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To explore the Easter story using popular Easter foods.

Preparation and materials

  • Familiarize yourself with the Easter story so that you can retell it during the assembly or else have a children’s Bible available to read out from if you'd prefer.
  • You will need a hot cross bun and an Easter egg. The Easter egg should be hollow or have sweets inside, so a Cadbury's Creme Egg is not suitable.
  • You may wish to have appropriate images of the different parts of the Easter story and the means to display them during the assembly, but this is optional.

Assembly

  1. Are there any particular foods that you associate with Easter?

    Listen to a range of the children's answers.
  2. I want you to think about two special treats that are often seen in the shops at this time of year - hot cross buns and Easter eggs.
  3. Show the children the hot cross bun.

    Can anyone think why we eat hot cross buns at Easter?

    Listen to a range of answers, then point to the cross on the top of the bun.

    The cross here reminds us about the death of Jesus. Christians believe that, even though Jesus had done nothing wrong, he was killed on Good Friday on a cross. Many years ago, a cross was drawn on top of the buns to remind people about this.
  4. Show the children the Easter egg.

    Does anyone know why we have chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday?

    Listen to a range of answers.

    Christians believe that, after he had died, Jesus was placed in a tomb and a large stone was rolled across the entrance. Christians also believe that Jesus came back to life again on Easter Sunday and the stone was rolled away. Eggs are a symbol of new life so remind us that Jesus died, but rose again. Also,  Easter eggs are hollow as this reminds us that the tomb of Jesus is empty because he came back to life!
  5. Retell or read the Easter story.

    The people who visited the tomb and many of Jesus’ friends had the best surprise ever when they realized that Jesus had come back from the dead and was alive again!

    Maybe you could remember this story of the first Easter when you are eating your hot cross buns and Easter eggs.

Time for reflection

Let's sit quietly now, close our eyes and imagine that first Easter.

There would have been many people who felt sad because Jesus had died. Imagine how Jesus’ friends must have felt on Easter Sunday when they realized that Jesus was alive again!

Sometimes we feel sad and sometimes we feel happy. Christians believe that God is with us no matter how we are feeling.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for hot cross buns and chocolate Easter eggs!
Please help us to remember their special meaning - that Jesus died on the cross and then was raised to life for all of us. 
Amen.

Song/music

‘Jesus in the garden’ (Come and Praise, 129)

Publication date: March 2016   (Vol.18 No.3)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
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