Moravian Worship and Customs at Easter
Easter in the Moravian Church
Easter is hugely important in the life of the Moravian Church. Many of our Churches hold services on Ash Wednesday and many Moravians observe some form of discipline during Lent. This might be fasting from some food or donating money to charity or resolving to living more positively. During Lent, as during the rest of the year, most Moravian Churches follow the Anglican version of the Revised Common Lectionary to guide our Bible reading and preaching. Many of our Churches also mark Mothering Sunday in some way or another.
Find a Passion Week and Easter Service taking place near youPalm Sunday
On Palm Sunday, in Moravian Churches worldwide, we sing a traditional Moravian anthem, the Hosanna Anthem. This was written and the music composed by Christian Gregor in 1765. It is sung in two parts, usually men and women and is full of joy using the words of praise given to Jesus as he entered Jerusalem on the week before his death. Palm Crosses are often given out at our Churches, and some have a Palm Sunday procession. In some Churches Easter Gardens are also made and placed in the Church.
Holy Week
The weekdays following Palm Sunday are usually called Holy Week or Passion Week. During this time the Church members gather together, in Church or online, to read a harmonised version of the gospel accounts of the events of the last days before Jesus’ death on the cross. The readings are interspersed with hymn verses, and the readings are shared by members of the congregation. A harmonised version of the gospels was first used by the Moravians in Germany in 1757 and this practice has continued ever since.
Maundy Thursday
On Maundy Thursday we also celebrate Holy Communion along with using the harmonised readings. On Good Friday there is no preached service rather a special liturgy set out to use with the readings. It is very powerful to attend the readings each evening and draws the congregation into the depths of the narrative of those days. This corporate reading has been a custom of the Moravian Church for over 200 years.
Easter Morning
On Easter Sunday many of our Churches, particularly those with their own God’s Acre (Burial Grounds) gather for an early service where the account of the empty tomb is read and Easter hymns are sung. Then the congregation walks out to God’s Acre where the service continues with hymns, prayers and the naming of all people associated with the congregation who have died in the past year. It is a visible reminder that the resurrection of our Lord Jesus occurred in a burial ground and that we believe that our brothers and sisters in Christ who have died will rise to be with him because He has risen. This tradition started in Herrnhut in 1732.
Easter Sunday
Some Churches follow this early service with an Easter Breakfast and all our Churches have a mid-morning Easter service as well. Local customs vary at these services, some have Easter Egg hunts afterwards for the children and others decorate crosses with flowers to symbolise that the cross bringing death becomes, through the resurrection, a sign of life and hope for us all
Passion Week and Easter Services taking place 2026
Here is a list of some of the services taking place this year in our British Province.
Just click on the region to reveal the congregations.
Bedford
Palm Sunday: 10.30am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.30pm on Zoom (District Service)
Good Friday: 10.30am in Church
Easter Sunday: 10.30am in Church
Fetter Lane
Palm Sunday: 11.00am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 6.30pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: 6.30pm in Church
Good Friday: 11.00am in Church
Easter Sunday: 8.00am in Church and Burial Ground
Harlesden
Palm Sunday: 11.00am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.30pm on Zoom (District service)
Maundy Thursday: 7.30pm in Church
Good Friday: 11.00am in Church
Easter Sunday: 11.00am in Church
Harold Road
Sunday 29th Palm Sunday in Church 9.30am
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 7.30pm District service (Zoom)
Thursday, Friday 7.30pm Harold Road Service (Zoom)
Easter Sunday 9.30am in Church
Hornsey
Palm Sunday: 11.00am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.30pm on Zoom (District Service)
Maundy Thursday: 7.30pm in Church
Good Friday: 11.00am in Church
Easter Sunday: 11.00am in Church
Bath Coronation Avenue
Palm Sunday: 3.00pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: AT BATH WESTON
Easter Sunday: 3.00pm in Church
Bath Weston
Palm Sunday: 11.00am in Church
Maundy Thursday: 7.30pm in Church and online
Easter Sunday: 7.30am in Church and 11.00am in Church
Brockweir
Palm Sunday: 3.00pm in Church
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 7.00pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: 10.00am in Church
Good Friday: 7.00pm in Church
Easter Sunday: 9.00am in Church and Burial Ground
All services are also on Zoom: Meeting ID: 843 1587 2596, Passcode: 121411
East Tytherton
Palm Sunday: 10:30am in Church Followed by Easter Egg Hunt
Maundy Thursday: 7:30pm at Bath Weston
Easter Sunday: 8:30am in Church and Burial Ground
Swindon
Shared services with East Tytherton
Hall Green
Palm Sunday: 10.30am and 6.30pm in Church and on Zoom
Meeting ID: 976 7606 3052. Password: 713429
Good Friday: 6.30pm in Church
Easter Sunday: 10.30am in Church and on Zoom
Meeting ID: 959 4401 4733. Passcode: 977749
Leicester
Leominster
Ockbrook
Baildon
Fulneck
Palm Sunday: 10.30am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.30pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: AT GOMERSAL
Good Friday: 7.30pm in Church
Easter Sunday: 7.00am in Church and Burial Ground and 10.30am in Church
Gomersal
Palm Sunday: 10.30am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.30pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: 7.30pm in Church
Good Friday: 7.30pm in Church
Easter Sunday: 7.00am in Church and Burial Ground and 10.30am in Church
Horton
Palm Sunday: 10.30am in Church
Tuesday: 2.00pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: AT LOWER WYKE
Good Friday: 11.00am in Church
Easter Sunday: 10.30am in Church
Lower Wyke
Palm Sunday: 10.30am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.30pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: 7.30pm in Church
Good Friday: 7.30pm in Church
Easter Sunday: 7.30am in Church and Burial Ground and 10.30am in Church
Wellhouse
Palm Sunday: 3.00pm in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.30pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: AT GOMERSAL
Good Friday: 7.30pm in Church
Easter Sunday: 9.00am in Church and Burial Ground and 3.00pm in Church
Dukinfield
Palm Sunday: 11.00am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.30pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: AT FAIRFIELD
Good Friday: 11.00am in Church
Easter Sunday: 9.30am in Church
Fairfield
Palm Sunday: 10.30am in Church
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 7.00pm in Church
Maundy Thursday: 7.00pm in Church
Good Friday: 10.30am in Church
Easter Sunday: 7.00am in Church and
Burial Ground and 10.30am in Church
Royton
Ballinderry
Palm Sunday 10am Service
Easter Sunday 10am Service
Passion Week Readings Monday – Friday 7:30pm
Good Friday 7:30pm with foot washing
Belfast Cliftonville
Palm Sunday 11:30am Service
Easter Sunday 11:30am Service
Maundy Thursday 6:30pm Service (soup and bread with Communion)
Belfast University Road
Monday 30th Online
Tuesday 30th Online
Wednesday 1st Online
Thursday 2nd In Church @ 6pm (HC)
Good Friday 3rd In Church @ 1pm
Easter 5th April in church at 11am
Gracehill
Easter reading take place at 8pm
Monday through Friday
Sunrise Easter Morning Service is at 8am this is followed by breakfast and morning worship at 11am
Kilwarlin
Monday 30th At Home
Tuesday 31st In Church 8pm
Wednesday 1st At Home
Thursday 2nd In Church @ 8pm (HC)
Good Friday 3rd In Church @ 8pm
Easter 5th April in church at 8am
