How our ancestors celebrated Easter after 40 harsh days of Lent

In the past, Lent was a time of denial of many pleasures at once and many basic foodstuffs too: meat, eggs, dairy products, alcohol (obviously) and even sex were all off the agenda

Butchers in Cork city, looking forward to a revival in business, held a procession heralding the final day of Lent known as ‘whipping the herring, as seen in Nathaniel Grogan's painting from the 1800s. Picture: Crawford Art Gallery

These days in Ireland, Easter is as much about chocolate eggs and a long weekend as it is a major religious festival. It’s all a big contrast to the way it was celebrated by people, mainly a religious festival marked with some unusual festivities and customs. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is a major event in the Christian calendar and marks the end of Lenten season of fasting.

But how did Irish people in the past celebrate Easter? The short answer is that Easter was a sigh of relief at the end of 40 harsh days of Lent. Lent loomed larger than it does today over most Irish people’s lives. A period of religious fasting and denial, reflecting the sacrifice of Christ, it begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.