WITH STRONG FOCUS ON EASTER IN NIGERIA
Lesson 1 : By the end of this lesson, you will be able to talk about Easter and dates using EASTER VOCABULARY and NUMBERS
“The great gift of Easter is hope.”
Basil C. Hume, Cardinal and Archbishop of Westminster
🐣˚˖𓍢ִ🌿˚.🌸🕊️˚˖𓍢ִִ໋🌼=
Step 1: What is Easter?
What is Easter? When and where do we celebrate it? What do you think when you see all these words?
I personally think that:
- Easter is a religious holiday in spring.
- People celebrate Easter with their family.
- Families go to church on Easter Sunday.
- The Easter bunny brings eggs at Easter.
- People have egg hunts in the garden.
- Children eat these chocolate eggs.
- People decorate eggs in many countries.
- Easter is in March or April.
- Easter is always on a Sunday.
- Families eat special food together.
Your Turn: Try to make 3 sentences using some of the words in the picture.
Sample Description
Easter is an important Christian holiday. It celebrates that Jesus Christ came back to life three days after he died.
It comes after a period called Lent, when people spend time thinking, praying and sometimes fasting.
Easter is always in spring. Its days are not fixed like Christmas. This means that we can celebrate Easter in March or in April. This year, Easter Sunday will be on April 5th, 2026.
Many people celebrate Easter around the world: Africans, Europeans, North Americans, South Americans and Asians.
Most of the times, people go to church and then go back home to enjoy a special meal with their family.
Easter is also a happy time for children in Europe. They paint eggs, go egg hunting and eat a lot of chocolate.
There are also many public celebrations such as festivals, parades, masquerades and other interesting traditional events.
Step 2: When is Easter? (With Ordinal Numbers)
| ORDINAL NUMBERS | LETTERS | ORDINAL NUMBERS | LETTERS |
| 1st | First | 17th | Seventeenth |
| 2nd | Second | 18th | Eighteenth |
| 3rd | Third | 19th | Nineteenth |
| 4th | Fourth | 20th | Twentieth |
| 5th | Fifth | 21st | Twenty-first |
| 6th | Sixth | 22nd | Twenty-second |
| 7th | Seventh | 23rd | Twenty-third |
| 8th | Eighth | 24th | Twenty-fourth |
| 9th | Ninth | 25th | Twenty-fifth |
| 10th | Tenth | 26th | Twenty-sixth |
| 11th | Eleventh | 27th | Twenty-seventh |
| 12th | Twelfth | 28th | Twenty-eighth |
| 13th | Thirteenth | 29th | Twenty-ninth |
| 14th | Fourteenth | 30th | Thirtieth |
| 15th | Fifteenth | 31st | Thirty-first |
| 16th | Sixteenth |
We use ordinal numbers to talk about dates.
Here are 2026 Easter dates:
Palm Sunday:
- 29/03/2026
- Sunday, March 29th, 2026
- Sunday, the twenty-ninth of March, two thousand and twenty-six (British English)
- Sunday, March the twenty-ninth, two thousand and twenty-six
- Sunday, March twenty-ninth, twenty twenty-six
Holy Thursday:
- 02/04/2026
- Thursday, April 2nd, 2026
- Thursday, the second of April, two thousand and twenty-six (British English)
- Thursday, April the second, two thousand and twenty-six (formal)
- Thursday, April second, twenty twenty-six (informal)
Good Friday:
- 03/04/2026
- Friday, April 3rd, 2026
- Friday, the third of April, two thousand and twenty-six (British English)
- Friday, April the third, two thousand and twenty-six
- Friday, April third, twenty twenty-six
Holy Saturday:
- 04/04/2026
- Saturday, April 4th, 2026
- Saturday, the fourth of April, two thousand and twenty-six (British English)
- Saturday, April the fourth, two thousand and twenty-six (formal)
- Saturday, April fourth, twenty twenty-six
Easter Sunday:
- 05/04/2026
- Sunday, April 5th, 2026
- Sunday, the fifth of April, two thousand and twenty-six (British English)
- Sunday, April the fifth, two thousand and twenty-six (formal)
- Sunday, April fifth, twenty twenty-six (informal)
Easter Monday:
- 06/04/2026
- Monday, April 6th, 2026
- Monday, the sixth of April, two thousand and twenty-six (British English)
- Monday, April the sixth, two thousand and twenty-six (Formal)
- Monday, April sixth, twenty twenty-six (Informal)
Your Turn: Memorise the dates and practise saying them out loud to someone.
Step 3: Where is Easter Celebrated? The Example of Nigeria
Nigeria is a country that is located in West Africa. Its capital city is Abuja. The are about 240 million people in Nigeria. These people speak many languages, including English, Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba.
In Nigeria, Easter is a big and joyful celebration. Many people look forward to this special time of the year.
Often, Christians take part in the Easter Vigil. This is a special evening service that takes place on Holy Saturday. It happens at night and includes light, music and prayer.
It is an important moment before Easter Sunday and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On Easter Sunday, many people also go to church. They attend services and sing in choirs. People pray, listen to music, dance and watch Easter plays.
After church, families go home and spend time together. They eat special meals and enjoy good food. It is an important time to share, relax, laugh and celebrate.
People often wear colourful or traditional clothes. They like to look nice for this special day. Clothes are usually bright and beautiful.
In some places, people enjoy themselves outside with friends, neighbours or family.
Your Turn: How do you celebrate Easter? Whom do you celebrate it with? What are your favourite Easter activities?
Well done!
You can find more Easter vocabulary in this lesson:
Thank you for your attention.
Do check this page for more Easter lessons.
Until next time!
Further Exploration: Beginner English Vocabulary—Easter (Lesson 1): What is Easter and When and Where Do We Celebrate It? (Level A1-A2) 🐣🌿🌸🕊️
Download:
- Beginner English Vocabulary—Easter (Lesson 1): What is Easter and When and Where Do We Celebrate It? (Level A1-A2), March 2026
- Easter and Ordinal Numbers, Learn English With Africa Vocabulary, Level A1-A2, March 2026
More about Easter
Short Stories:
- Easter Bunny Outsmarts a King
- Surprising Adverbs of Place!—A STRANGER IN OUR TOWN, English Short Story (Level A1-A2), Learn English With Africa, September 2023
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Course Title: Beginner English Vocabulary—Easter (Lesson 1): What is Easter and When and Where Do We Celebrate It? (Level A1-A2) 🐣🌿🌸🕊️ © Learn English With Africa, March 2026
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