Easter Garden

Easter Garden Round the Yew Tree in the Churchyard

The last year has been difficult and unsettling for our world and there is more turbulence to come. Some of us may have been facing struggles and hard times of our own. Easter’s focus is on hope, new life and new possibilities. Easter shows that negativity and darkness do not have the last say. Easter Day and the Easter Garden help turn our hearts and minds to new beginnings.

An Easter Garden traditionally tells the story of Jesus Christ stomping over death on the first Easter Day, and building the garden around the yew tree is symbolic because it was planted to mark the end of a turbulent time in world history– the Black Death in the fourteenth century, which wiped out over a third of the population of Europe.

The plan is that the Easter Garden will be blessed on Easter Day (31st March) at 11am. All are invited to bring a stone or pebble representing a personal hope which will be placed around the Easter Garden – you may want to write on the stone or paint it or simply leave it plain. After a short service around the yew tree when we will be reminded of the Easter story and offer our hopes for the future, coffee and cake will be served in the Churchyard. After refreshments, the celebrations will continue with Holy Communion in Church, to which you are invited. If you prefer to leave after the coffee and cake (and there will be simnel cake) this will be fine.

The Easter Garden will be constructed around the yew tree on Maundy Thursday (28th March) at around 11am and Ingrid (who is overseeing its construction) has requested plants to be brought at this time. If stones of hope could also be brought then, it would be very helpful. If this is not possible, they could be brought and placed before 11am on Easter Day.

Easter is celebrated around the world. Let’s make Easter in Wootton Courtenay our statement of hope and new life.

Reminder: we need to put the clocks forward one hour over the Easter weekend.

Brian Castle