Easter Vocabulary in English
Eggs. Bunnies. Chocolate. And the “what does that mean?” church words. Let’s hop through it.
Easter English can be religious, springtime-y, or just chocolate-motivated. You might celebrate it, ignore it, or only show up for the snacks. All valid.
Below are the most common Easter words and phrases you’ll hear in movies, shops, conversations, and holidays calendars. Every term has an example sentence you can steal.
Yak Snark Easter is 20% tradition, 80% “how many eggs can we hide before someone gives up?”
Section 1: Visual Cards
Fast, useful, and easy to remember. Tap “Hear” to practice out loud.
Happy Easter!
Common greeting (friendly and simple).
A classic phrase people say on Easter day or during Easter weekend.
For example: Happy Easter! Did you do anything fun this weekend?
Easter Bunny
A holiday character (like Santa, but with ears).
A bunny that “brings” Easter eggs and treats, especially for kids.
For example: The kids were convinced the Easter Bunny visited last night.
Easter egg hunt
A game: find hidden eggs.
People hide eggs (real or plastic) and others search for them.
For example: We’re doing an Easter egg hunt in the garden after lunch.
Easter basket
A gift basket (often for kids).
A basket filled with candy, small gifts, and sometimes eggs.
For example: I made an Easter basket with chocolate and stickers.
to decorate eggs
Verb phrase (do something fun and messy).
To paint, dye, or add stickers to eggs for Easter.
For example: We decorated eggs with dye, markers, and glitter.
chocolate bunny
A chocolate rabbit (cute and dangerous).
A bunny-shaped chocolate treat sold around Easter.
For example: I bought a chocolate bunny and it did not survive the afternoon.
hot cross buns
Spiced buns with a cross on top.
A traditional sweet bun often eaten around Easter in many places.
For example: We toasted hot cross buns for breakfast.
Easter Sunday
The main Easter day (calendar term).
The Sunday when Easter is celebrated.
For example: We’re having a family lunch on Easter Sunday.
Section 2: Table of Easter Words and Phrases
More vocabulary, more power. Mix and match.
| Word or phrase | Meaning | Example sentence | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| springtime | The season feeling: warmer weather, flowers, new beginnings. | For example: Easter always makes me feel like springtime has officially started. | |
| pastel colors | Soft, light colors often used for Easter decorations. | For example: The store is full of pastel colors and bunny decorations. | |
| to dye eggs | To color eggs using dye (often bright or patterned). | For example: We dyed eggs blue, pink, and green. | |
| plastic eggs | Hollow eggs used for games; they often contain candy or notes. | For example: We filled plastic eggs with candy for the kids. | |
| jelly beans | Small, colorful candy beans popular at Easter. | For example: She ate all the jelly beans and left the chocolate for later. | |
| marshmallow chicks | Soft marshmallow candy shaped like little chicks (also called Peeps in the US). | For example: He bought marshmallow chicks because nostalgia is powerful. | |
| Easter parade | A public event where people walk, celebrate, and sometimes dress up. | For example: There’s an Easter parade downtown with music and costumes. | |
| Easter bonnet | A fancy or decorated hat, traditionally worn for Easter. | For example: Her Easter bonnet had flowers, ribbons, and zero subtlety. | |
| egg rolling | A game where you roll eggs (often down a hill) without breaking them. | For example: The kids tried egg rolling, and the eggs lost immediately. | |
| egg and spoon race | A race while balancing an egg on a spoon. | For example: We did an egg and spoon race at the school picnic. | |
| Lent | The 40-day period before Easter for reflection; some people fast or give something up. | For example: During Lent, she gave up sugary drinks. | |
| to give up something for Lent | To stop eating/doing something for Lent (like sweets or social media). | For example: I gave up chocolate for Lent, and I regretted it by day two. | |
| Holy Week | The week leading up to Easter in Christian tradition. | For example: Some churches have events every day during Holy Week. | |
| Palm Sunday | The Sunday before Easter; an important day in Christian tradition. | For example: They went to church on Palm Sunday. | |
| Good Friday | The Friday before Easter; a significant day in Christian tradition. | For example: Good Friday is a public holiday in some countries. | |
| church service | A religious gathering at a church. | For example: We attended a church service on Sunday morning. | |
| sunrise service | An early morning church service (often on Easter Sunday). | For example: They woke up at 5 a.m. for a sunrise service. | |
| Resurrection | In Christianity, the belief that Jesus rose from the dead. | For example: The Resurrection is the central message of Easter for many Christians. | |
| to rise from the dead | To come back to life after dying (religious or dramatic storytelling). | For example: The story says he rose from the dead on the third day. | |
| Easter Monday | The Monday after Easter; a holiday in many countries. | For example: We’re taking a short trip on Easter Monday. | |
| Easter break | Time off school/work around Easter (common in many places). | For example: The kids are on Easter break, so the house is louder than usual. | |
| family gathering | A meal or meet-up with relatives (common around holidays). | For example: We’re having a family gathering with way too much food. | |
| Easter brunch | A late morning meal combining breakfast and lunch (very Easter-coded). | For example: We booked a place for Easter brunch with pancakes and coffee. | |
| spring cleaning | A deep clean people do in springtime. | For example: I did spring cleaning and found socks I thought were gone forever. |
Section 3: Optional Variants and Extra-Useful Notes
Same idea, different wording depending on country, context, or how fancy you feel.
| You might hear | Also means | When to use it | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter holidays | Easter break / time off | Common wording in many places for school/work time off around Easter. | |
| egg hunt | Easter egg hunt | Shorter, casual version when context is already Easter. | |
| to hide eggs | to set up an egg hunt | Use this when you’re the behind-the-scenes mastermind. | |
| church on Easter | Easter service | Simple and conversational if you’re chatting with friends. | |
| seasonal treats | Easter candy | Polite, neutral wording when you’re not sure what someone celebrates. | |
| Enjoy the long weekend | Happy Easter (neutral) | Great if you want to be friendly without assuming religion or traditions. |
Quick “chat-ready” mini phrases
Try these when you don’t want a long conversation but you still want to sound human.
Yak Snark If someone says “I gave up chocolate for Lent,” you don’t have to understand it. Just respect it… quietly… while holding a cookie.
