What Happened During Easter in the Middle Ages?

Easter in the Middle Ages was full of celebration. Why was Easter so special?

During Easter, people feasted on all the things they couldn’t eat during lent and watched plays about Jesus Christ. Throughout the week, they played games and enjoyed their break. Easter in the Middle Ages was a fun break, a time of celebration, and a welcome week of feasting. It also payed homage to the Savior of the world. Hocktide came the Monday and Tuesday of the week after Easter.

What happened before Easter? After Easter, what came next? And what was Easter itself like?

What Was Lent?

Today many devout Catholics give up alcohol, chocolate, sugar, or another food they love for the forty days of Lent. They sometimes give up something that gives them a pleasure as well. During the Middle Ages, Lent was far more strict.

People had to give up things like meat, which included venison, bird, pork, and other meats. People gave up dairy too. Eggs were left off the menu, but they were saved for Easter. Hard-boiling them would preserve them, so we have eggs as part of our celebrations in modern times. They could have fish, but many people got very sick of it. Forty days of fish wasn’t their favorite.

Performing marriages were against the rules of Lent. They had to limit their travel; they abstained from other things. Thankfully, they got to feast and enjoy themselves on Easter.

What Happened in the Days leading up to Easter in the Middle Ages?

The three days before Easter were still part of Lent and weren’t much fun. People went to Mass on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. They were denied the Eucharist or sacrament.

On Maundy Thursday, the service would be solemn. Afterward, the cloth would be removed from the altars; sticks would be put on top. It symbolized Christ and what the people did to him right before he died. Good Friday was a day to mourn. Most people would not use iron tools or nails, as it was terrible luck.

The cross would be unveiled and set on the altar for people to ‘creep up to the cross’. They would crawl barefoot up to it. Then they kissed it. Finally, it went into an Easter sepulcher.

Priests would read the Passion story from the Gospel of John. It was usually in Latin, which few ordinary people understood. The service happened in almost complete darkness to symbolize the dark falling on the world.

One candle remained to represent the light of Christ. His death brought light and hope to the world.

Easter in the Middle Ages and the Week After

After forty long days of fasting, Easter was a huge, enjoyable feast. For a long time throughout history, eggs have represented rebirth and fertility. During spring, pagan cultures celebrated fertility with eggs.

By the Middle Ages, they represented the rebirth of Christ. Meanwhile, people painted the eggs to symbolize different things. Some colors held special meaning to the church, like red for Christ’s blood and blue for love.

Other times, they painted bible scenes on the eggs. The children had to tell stories depicted on their eggs. Gold-shod eggs were expensive.

Another use for the eggs was to hide them. It entertained the kids and taught them a religious lesson: it represented the disciples finding the risen Christ in the tomb. Then the kids could play with their eggs if they wanted.

The tenants would give the lord of the manor eggs. He would then provide a dinner for them.

Many plays depicted the story of Christ’s trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. Because the church services were always in Latin, and most peasants couldn’t speak Latin, it was easier to learn about Christ thru the local plays.

The lord gifted a set of clothes to some of his higher-up tenants. They would then give clothing to someone below them. Then they would wear their new clothes. Besides trading clothes and eating eggs, people enjoyed a week full of games, feasting, and fun. Some people even enjoyed playing in the water near their homes in homemade boats.

Hocktide

After Easter came the two-day holiday of Hocktide. The Monday after Easter was Hock Monday. On Hock Monday, the women and girls of a town would go around capturing and tying up the men.

The women charged a fine to release the men. That fine was usually a little bit of money or possibly a kiss. The cash payment raised would go to the church or occasionally stay with the girl.

Hock Tuesday was much the same but with the men and boys tying up the girls. Whether the demand was a kiss or money, it didn’t really matter. The ransom, chosen by the capturer, was paid.

As with the women, most, if not all, of the proceeds went to the church. Sometimes the order was reversed. The men would have their turn on Hock Monday, and the women would take over on Tuesday.

Whichever day they went on, the women raised more money than the men did. Another custom was to tie ropes across highways. The people on the road had to pay a ransom too. The money went to the Parish fabric funds.

This practice was illegal, but people permitted it. Besides, even royalty joined in the fun of Hocktide. King Edward the first (and King Edward the second) didn’t even have a choice. At least one year per king, their Queen’s ladies caught them in bed.

That sounds like a bad start to the day. Sometimes husbands and wives beat each other on their particular day of Hocktide. Personally, that sounds even worse than everything else.

Easter in the Middle Ages was a huge holiday full of rich tradition. What are your Easter traditions? Do you share any with the Middle Ages? Let me know in the comments!