Devon is a haven for unique and unusual customs, many of which are associated with particular times of the year. It’ll probably come as no surprise then to find that Easter is celebrated with a number of curious traditions. Sadly, some of these are no longer carried out but many exist in some form at least into the present day.
As well as their religious connotations, throughout Devon, hot cross buns were widely thought to have curative powers for many conditions, including diarrhoea and whooping-cough! In a long-standing tradition, hot cross buns are given away on Good Friday in the seaside town of Sidmouth. This practice, which continues to the present day, dates back to around 1898, when the bakers of the town declared that they would not be cooking the buns on Good Friday. Local children have been known to get up in the early hours of the morning in order to be at the head of the queue when the giveaway starts.
If you don’t like hot cross buns, perhaps some traditional Devon Easter cakes will appeal more? In some areas, the parish clerk would visit each house, bringing white cakes as an Easter offering. These cakes, which were probably actually more like a biscuit, came in two sizes and had a mingled bitter and sweet flavour. In return for the cakes, the house made an offering to the clerk according to the generosity, or circumstances, of the householder. The exact reason for this custom isn’t clear, but presumably the aim was to bestow some kind of good fortune on the parishioners, while also collecting funds for the parish.
Easter is also thought to be a lucky time for a variety of activities, including tilling the soil (which is probably the origin of the modern-day custom of planting potatoes on Good Friday), moving beehives and even weaning children! However, according to a Tavistock custom, it is considered very unlucky to wash your clothes on Good Friday, and doing so will lead to a death within the family before the year is out.
While the giving and receiving of chocolate eggs might seem like a modern custom, the association of eggs with Easter goes back centuries. However, chocolate eggs were only introduced in the 1870s, although they quickly became popular. Many local visitor attractions now hold Easter egg hunts, with prizes of chocolate for participating children. If you fancy your eggs a little larger than usual, the RHS garden at Rosemoor is holding a giant Easter egg hunt. Follow the trail around the garden and find all of the giant painted eggs. Along the way, there are puzzles to solve and plants and wildlife to spot, and the Easter Bunny will also be putting in an appearance on selected days. Castle Drogo is also hosting an Easter nature trail, which follows the accessible walking trail around the grounds, so should be suitable for all the family. As well as learning about the wildlife that calls the castle and its grounds home, you’ll be able to design your own bug hotel and create a nature story to remind you of your day.
