TOPIC

Easter

Easter
Easter is a Christian festival marking the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Preceded by Lent - a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance - Easter begins on Maundy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper of Christ and his disciples. Good Friday symbolises Christ's crucifixion and subsequent death while Pentecost Sunday celebrates the day Christ rose from the grave. Families traditionally attend church services and Easter parades during this period, and children join in egg hunts and receive chocolate eggs.
Mainland tourists visit Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong economy

Will Hong Kong firms bear the brunt of Labour Day ‘golden week’ exodus?

Expectations low among business leaders, as some residents likely to set off on five-day getaways.

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Italy

Vatican recounts Pope Francis’ final words and his ‘discreet death’

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Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong Easter holiday box office revenue drops by 65%

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Lessons to learn from Hong Kong exodus at Easter

Hong Kong businesses must think of better ways to attract customers if they are to survive what appears to be an intensifying economic restructuring.

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People departing Hong Kong are seen at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port Passenger Clearance Building on the first day of the Easter holiday. Photo: Nora Tam
Pope Francis

Trump says he will attend funeral of Pope Francis in Rome

In what will be Trump’s first trip abroad since taking office in January, president said he and wife Melania ‘look forward to being there!’.

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Ukraine war

Putin proposes direct peace talks with Ukraine, says open to more ceasefires

Ukraine’s Zelensky said Kyiv was ready for any form of discussion to end attacks on civilian targets.

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Hong Kong society

Hong Kong’s Catholic Church recalls ‘inspirational leader’ Pope Francis

Tributes flow for late pontiff who always kept ‘the people of Hong Kong and Macau’ in his ‘thoughts and prayers’.

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Worshippers gather at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Hong Kong to remember Pope Francis. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong tourism

Easter exodus bites hard as Hong Kong restaurants report 50% drop in business

Local eateries left reeling despite arrivals reaching 522,000, a 20 per cent increase compared with same period last year.

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South Africa

South Africa church holds mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous

Sunday’s ceremonies would see some men marry their sixth or seventh wives, a church spokesman said. Other grooms would marry multiple brides.

United States

Vance meets Pope Francis amid row over Trump’s migrant plans

Vance’s motorcade was on Vatican territory for 17 minutes. The Vatican said there was an ‘exchange of opinions’ including current conflicts.

Pope Francis meeting with US Vice-President J.D. Vance in The Vatican. Photo: AFP
Africa

Ethiopians mark Easter with call for peace and charity

Christians of all denominations vowed to embrace sacrifice in a country facing armed conflict and still recovering from a war ended in 2022.

Ethiopian Orthodox Christians gather to pray during Easter celebrations at St. John Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday. Photo: AP
Religion

Language Matters | Where the word ‘Easter’ comes from and how only 2 European languages use it

‘Easter’ is found in English and German but in most other European languages the word for the festival comes from old words for ‘Passover’.

Hong Kong society

What crowds? Hong Kong geopark hotspot quiet on Easter holiday after warnings

Worries about crowds at High Island Reservoir’s East Dam in Sai Kung appear to have put some visitors off, while others soak up the serenity.

Religion

Easter’s date remains divisive 4 centuries on, but change may be coming

Different calculations and calendars by the Catholic and Orthodox churches have meant that Easter dates can coincide or be several weeks apart.

Penitents from a local religious confraternity known as “confratelli”, take part in the traditional Holy Week procession in Orte, central Italy, on Friday. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Philippine man nailed to cross for 36th time to mark Good Friday

The man, 64, was nailed to a cross for his 36th time amid warnings of temperatures reaching dangerous levels.

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Ruben Enaje kneels on the ground during his reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday, in San Fernando, Philippines. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Hongkongers make over 705,000 trips out of city on first day of Easter holiday

Good food and affordable fun high on agenda, as number of residents leaving on Thursday just before Good Friday rises 15 per cent against last year.

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Hong Kong economy

Where to go and what to do for an egg-citing Easter weekend in Hong Kong

The Post spotlights cultural events, immersive Easter installations and shopping deals available for those spending the holiday in the city.

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Hong Kong tourism

More Hongkongers choosing Easter breaks in mainland China over Japan

Warnings about potential massive earthquakes in Japan have Hongkongers looking at holiday destinations elsewhere, tour agencies say.

Tourists visit the Yadan landform, a landscape formed by wind erosion, in the Xinjiang region. Photo: Imaginechina
Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong food guide for Easter weekend: April 18-21

Enjoy an Italian Easter celebration, embrace Hong Kong’s pistachio obsession, indulge in a classic Sunday lunch and top it all off with berry baked goods.

Food and Drinks

6 signature egg dishes worth celebrating with in Hong Kong this Easter

From carbonara to coddled eggs, we highlight 6 ‘egg-cellent’ must-try creations that go beyond the traditional Easter fare.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong restaurants to face 20% drop in business over Easter holiday: expert

Many residents are travelling during the break while visitors are spending less, industry leader Simon Wong says.

A restaurant in Kai Tak’s Airside Mall. Photo: Edmond So
Food and Drinks

13 Hong Kong Easter treats, from themed brunches to hot cross buns

As the Easter long weekend approaches, expect a smorgasbord of sweet treats and holiday activities in Hong Kong.

At Somm, guests can indulge in an array of breads and pastries, including the holiday-exclusive Easter Cross Bun. Photo: Somm
Pope Francis

Pope Francis back home after 5-week hospital stay for double pneumonia

The 88-year-old pope made his first public appearance since February 14.

Food and Drinks

Why your Easter eggs and Eid ul-Fitr treats will cost more in 2025

Years of poor harvests have led to ‘unprecedented cocoa cost inflation’, and 2024’s sugar crop was hit too. Better buy soon for Easter, Eid.

Sri Lanka

UN calls for justice 5 years after hundreds died in Sri Lanka’s Easter bombings

Islamist bombers hit three churches and three hotels in 2019, killing more than 279 people, but grieving families say they are still awaiting justice.

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A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard outside St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo in May 2019, a week after a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels rocked the Indian Ocean island nation. Photo: AFP
Food and Drinks

Mouthing Off | How Hong Kong Sevens showed need for change in city’s tourism strategy

The changing fortunes of Hong Kong’s bars and restaurants, from Easter to the Rugby Sevens, showed why tourism officials need to switch their focus to once again attracting Western visitors to the city.

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Rugby fans in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai neighbourhood on the eve of the 2024 Rugby Sevens. After a grim Easter the week before, the sporting event provided relief for bars and restaurants, and highlighted why the city’s tourism strategy must change. Photo: May Tse
Hong Kong tourism

Surge in mainland tours as Hongkongers make 1.76 million outbound trips at Easter

Most sought-after mainland destinations include Greater Bay Area cities such as Foshan, Dongguan and Huizhou, travel agency boss says.

Hong Kong society

Editorial | Hong Kong businesses must adapt as residents ‘go north’

Hong Kong shops and restaurants, already suffering, lost out as hundreds of thousands of citizens ventured to mainland China to take advantage of the long Easter weekend.

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