Starchild: How Malaysian children celebrate Easter with egg hunts

Clayra Bungan Yeoh Hui Qing, 8

Easter, which is celebrated on Sunday (April 20), is a special day for many Christians around the world. It is a time to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Lisa Ong, 8In Malaysia, Easter is not a public holiday, but most churches hold special services on Easter Sunday. Families may attend church together and enjoy a meal at home after that. Some children take part in fun activities like Easter egg hunts, where they look for colourful eggs hidden in the house or garden.

Easter eggs are a popular symbol of the holiday. They represent new life and new beginnings. In many places around the world, people decorate eggs with bright colours and give them as gifts.

Sometimes, the eggs are made of chocolate. Yummy! Children especially enjoy getting chocolate eggs and bunnies as Easter treats.

Another symbol of Easter is the Easter bunny. This cheerful character is said to bring eggs and hide them for children to find. While it is more common in Western countries, some children in Malaysia enjoy stories and cartoons about the Easter bunny too.

Easter is also a time to think about hope, love and kindness. It reminds us to be thankful for our family and friends, and to help others whenever we can.

Even if your family doesn’t celebrate Easter, learning about different festivals and traditions helps us understand and respect each other. That is what makes Malaysia special - a place where many cultures and celebrations come together.

Here are the letters from Starchild readers on the topic, Easter.

Clayra Bungan Yeoh Hui Qing, eight, says: “I love Easter because of all the colourful eggs! At my home in Kuching, my siblings and I painted eggs using watercolours and glitter. My mother also told us the story of Easter and why people celebrate it. I think it’s a nice time to remember love and kindness.”

Jayden Tan Li Sheng, 12

Jayden Tan Li Sheng, 12, writes, “Easter reminds us to embrace new beginnings with hope, joy and trust in God. My family and I celebrate by attending Easter mass at St Francis Xavier Church in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. We will also spend time with family and friends by inviting them for dinner. For fun, we will have a friendly competition where we decorate eggs using edible pens to show our creativity. To everyone celebrating Easter, I wish you a day filled with new hope, happiness and blessings through God’s grace.”

Michelle Tan Mei Kuan, 9

Nine-year-old Michelle Tan Mei Kuan plans to celebrate Easter at her cousin’s house. “We will enjoy a special dinner, share meaningful moments and appreciate the joy of being together. In addition, on Easter Sunday, I plan to give chocolate shaped like eggs or rabbits to some of my friends as a small gesture of kindness and to share this festive spirit.”

“Even though we don’t really celebrate Easter at home, I read about it in a book. I think the Easter Bunny sounds really cool! I like the idea of hiding chocolate eggs and finding them. If I were the Easter Bunny, I would hide eggs in tricky places like inside shoes or behind books,” says Lisa Ong, eight.

“Happy Easter Day to all Starchild readers!” says Ong Keat Ming, six.

ITEM: Mother’s Day is celebrated on May 11. It is a time to show how much we love and appreciate our mothers. Do you help your mother with chores, give her hugs, or make her laugh with your jokes? Maybe you’d like to draw a picture of you and your mother spending time together, or write her a special letter to say “thank you” for all that she does. Tell us why your mother is the best in the world!

Email your contributions to [e-mail] by May 2. Please put “STARCHILD: Mothers Day” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.