Easter is almost upon us! Many of us celebrate the holiday by eating lots of chocolate and sharing this time with our family, but there are plenty of other springtime traditions to embrace.
Cornwall has a rich history of traditions and rituals – when it comes to Easter, this is no different!
A Luxury family holiday in Cornwall can be a great way to make the most of the period, giving everyone a chance to relax, rewind and have fun. While it still isn’t possible to travel yet, we hope to see you at The Valley in the near future.
In the meantime, we’ve put together a guide on all of Cornwall’s Easter traditions to help get you excited for Easter weekend!
Traditionally, Good Friday was a day of mourning for those celebrating Easter; but in Cornwall, the day was known as Goody Friday and was marked by the enjoyment of good food and the natural world.
Families would take this day to go for walks, soaking up the stunning local scenery with the ones they love. It was also common to bring picnics along or celebrate with a feast.
In the past, it was traditional for young people specifically to go on walks to beautiful Cornish locations like St Michaels Mount and Lamorna as it was a way for young couples to meet.
The Lamorna cliff path remains a go-to Easter walk destination for all ages.
Another ancient Good Friday tradition is dolly dunking. Children would ‘baptise’ their dolls in the waters of a well in West Penwith.
The practice was popular up until the 1920s, when it died out before being revived more recently by the Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network.
Venton Bebibell, the well where this ceremony originated, has been recovered, and you can now walk out to it today and take part in the tradition yourself!
Consols Pond in St Ives has seen generations of families sailing model boats over its waters during the Easter period.
Many believe that the tradition started over 100 years ago as a gesture to previous generations of sailors who would launch model boats as a way to ensure their safety at sea.
Another Good Friday tradition is ‘trigging’ or hunting for cockles at the Helford River.
During low tide, locals will scour the river banks with forks and hoes to rake the sand, collecting cockles as part of an ancient tradition. These can then be taken home and cooked for a tasty Easter treat!
Like any celebration in Cornwall, there are plenty of iconic foods to get stuck into during Easter! Revel buns are traditional treats for church events and special occasions like the Easter weekend.
They are a type of saffron bun containing dried fruit, spices and a sweet glaze. These are a Cornish staple and can be a great treat to make at home if you’re missing a taste of Cornwall.
Will you and your family be taking inspiration from any of these Cornish Easter traditions this year? We’d love to hear from you on our social media about how you’re celebrating this year.
Pask Lowen! (Happy Easter!)
THE VALLEY is proud to be the only 5 Star Gold Self Catering holiday village of its size in the whole of Cornwall
