Anyone else annoyed by how Easter falls this year?

[Pyjamapyjamapyjama]

Easter is a big deal in my culture (I'm not British) and we always travel to my parents to celebrate. I cannot drive for a medical reason and usually take my kids there by train (it's a good 3 hours away), going on the Thursday before and returning the Tuesday after. However this year the schools go back on the Tuesday directly after Easter Monday which is incredibly irritating as no trains are running over Easter weekend and I have 0 desire to drag two kids and a baby on replacement bus services. I can't host myself as my home isn't large enough.

So annoying!!

So sorry for your loss OP. In this situation I would have my children miss the first day back. Some things are more important ❤️

I agree OP. This is more important than school. Take the Tuesday off.

Er it can't can it?

The first Sunday in April is different dates in different years.

I know people are wondering why the OP is so put out, but in the Orthodox Church Easter is actually more significant than Christmas so I can sort of understand.

Easter is the most important festival in Christianity, Orthodox or not.

Our schools go back the week after so easter falls in the middle of the two weeks off. Be annoyed at the school not at where easter falls

I'm just annoyed with the situation, people are taking me a bit literally.

It's MN, if people can't jump on your for something legitimate (e.g. I killed someone) they'll pick your posts apart to try and find a tiny flaw (e.g. we can't take what you're saying seriously because you misplaced a semicolon).

Sometimes things are annoying without it particularly being anyone’s fault.

There’s a rational reason why most schools have to have the Easter weekend at the end of the two-week break this year instead of in the middle. It would mean the March term would be 7 weeks instead of 6 and the May term would only be 4 weeks (it was already a short 5–week term this year due to how the calendar fell). This is because the second of the May Bank Holidays HAS to fall in the May/June half-term week (otherwise the government would be paying teachers for an extra day off work which the public would probably seeth at). The May/June half-term also has to fall slap bang in the middle of the GCSE exams (it’s the even split between the Paper 1 and Paper 2 exams). It’s always been 3 weeks of GCSEs before the half-term and 3 weeks of GCSEs after the half-term. The break needs to be in the middle for the students benefit.

So in other words, the decision to have most state school students going back on Tuesday 22nd instead of Monday 28th is to do with the impact of the length on the two terms either side of it and due to the May/June half-term date being set in stone nationwide because of the GCSE timetable as all students have to sit the exams on the same date. It’s not to be difficult deliberately. It’s just unfortunate Easter fell late this year but it’s nobody's fault,

Easter is the bigger celebration in all Christian denominations. Christmas happens to be more jollification because it's a fire festival to lighten the darkness, but the whole point of Christianity is Easter. Without Easter there could be no Christmas.

Our Easter hols is first 2 weeks in April and then they go back for 4 days and have Easter weekend off. I’m not unhappy with it actually.

Going to in-laws for “Easter”, which involves traveling and can’t be done in a weekend, so it will be in the school holidays and then I get actual Easter weekend at home (which is also my birthday so I’m happy about it!).

Can you have “fake Easter” at your parents house the week earlier? That’s what we’ll be doing. If you’re not religious (we’re not) then does the exact day matter as much instead of the general season? We’ll be having a roast lamb lunch and Easter eggs and hunt etc for the kids at my in-laws 2 weeks before actual Easter. I get it’s annoying with the bank holidays though for those working.

Bl**dy Jesus and the moon.... so frigging inconsiderate!

You’ve misunderstood my point. Culturally, Easter is more important to orthodox Christians. My DH family is Greek and while Christmas is important, Easter for them is celebrated more like others might celebrate Christmas. Easter in the western church is much more sombre in comparison. Coupled with the OPs bereavement which coincides with Easter, I expect this is why for them it is very important to spend it with their family.

Aren’t they just!

No though than in 2025 they’d make life difficult for Op, not a fucking ounce of forward planning!

I'm gobsmacked people don't realise that it was orignally a pagan festival - Eostre.

Christmas is definitely piggy backed onto the Pagan Winter Soltice.
Easter less so because it moves away from the Equinox

The school holidays always used to have Easter in the middle, it’s only more recently some areas went to evenly spaced terms which mean some bank holidays are followed by a school day. I think it makes the bank holidays a lot less convenient for working parents.

I expect this is so. My point was only that Christians, of whatever denomination, hold Easter as the greater feast. Western Christianity does celebrate sombrely, with an emphasis on the cruxifiction and passion, as well as the resurrection. I didn't misunderstand, I was just pointing posters to the general Christian viewpoint re Easter.

It's not a matter of how Easter falls, or how rational/secular/religious we are. It's an issue of public transport.

My children broke up 28th back 14th then break up the Thursday till the Tuesday it's silly really why not just have then extra days off all my children go to different schools which is nightmare but I manage but for sake of few days it's lot messing about I say

Easter is in the middle of the holidays here.

Schools in my area are off easter monday and back in on Tuesday (also Scotland)