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<\/p>\nThe holidays I have experienced here most times have coincided with the period where I have one or two deadlines to submit, as such, I am always working frantically to meet up before the start of such holidays. This Easter holiday is no different.<\/p>\n
Easter holiday is always a very quiet period on campus as almost all the undergraduate students will be away for about a month. This always makes the University seem bigger, and obviously empty. That can be expected when about 12,000 people vacate an area suddenly, but the joy I get in the serene environment is I could focus more on my work, while enjoying the walks around campus. It is always amazing as the flowers start to bloom all around campus making the whole scenery more beautiful. Other holidays are similar, but unlike the Christmas holiday when the whole country will be experiencing cold weather, Easter period is always nicer due to the warm weather and preparation for summer months.<\/p>\n
Easter traditions and observations in the family I grew up starts quite early, almost 40 days early to be honest, with the fasting\/lent period where we are encouraged to give up food, basically for the day, and say some prayers in the evening shortly before breaking our fast. The end of fast coincides with the Good Friday, and Easter weekend, generally. I must state that it wasn\u2019t compulsory to observe this, especially as kids. We only look on for guidance and try to imitate what our parents and older family members did.<\/p>\n
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I have learned from my time in England, that the lent is a period to give up something which we are somehow used to. For example, this year, the British Heart Foundation encouraged people to \u2018Dechox\u2019, i.e. give up chocolate for a month. While it might not be an Easter-themed event, it somehow fits the mood of the nation at this moment. Even the Prime Minister talked about giving up crisps during this period. I am always fascinated by the work of different charities in UK when it comes to raising funds and giving back to the society, both locally and globally.<\/p>\n