Pilgrimage and Festivals
Two Christian practices: pilgrimage to holy places such as Lourdes and Iona, and the festivals of Christmas and Easter, with the reasons each matters to Christians.
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Pilgrimage and festivals
Christians show their faith through practices, not only through beliefs. Two important practices are pilgrimage, a special journey to a holy place, and festivals, days that celebrate key events in the Christian story. This module looks at the pilgrimage sites of Lourdes and Iona, and the festivals of Christmas and Easter.
Pilgrimage terms
Learn these four terms before you study Christian pilgrimage and festivals.
Two places of pilgrimage
Christians visit different holy places for different reasons.
Link the practice to why
To reach the top grades, link a practice to why it matters to Christians. Christians do not just travel to Lourdes; they go to pray, to ask for healing and to grow closer to God. Easter is not just a holiday; it celebrates the belief that Jesus rose from the dead.
Match the term
- pilgrimage
- Lourdes
- Iona
- festival
- a journey to a holy place for religious reasons
- a French town where pilgrims pray for healing
- a Scottish island used for quiet prayer and retreat
- a special day that celebrates a religious event
Match the festival
- Christmas
- Easter
- Good Friday
- Advent
- celebrates the birth of Jesus
- celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
- remembers the death of Jesus on the cross
- the time of waiting and preparing before Christmas
Which answer scores higher?
Four students are asked why Easter matters to Christians. Whose answer would earn the higher mark?
- It marks the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe shows that death is not the end.
- It is the busiest weekend of the church year, with services held early on Sunday morning.
- It comes after weeks in which many Christians choose to give something up.
- It is a holiday when families gather at home and share a large meal together.
Why go on pilgrimage?
Select the TWO reasons a Christian might go on a pilgrimage.
- To pray and grow closer to God.
- To ask for healing.
- To buy a new house.
- To stop going to church for good.
Order a pilgrimage
Put the steps of a Christian pilgrimage in order, earliest first.
- A Christian decides to make a pilgrimage
- They travel to the holy place
- They pray and worship there
- They return home with stronger faith
Pilgrimage and where it leads
A journey to a holy place for religious reasons is a _____. Christians travel to _____ in France to pray for healing. The quiet Scottish island used for retreat is _____. The festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus is _____. The festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus is _____.
From Ascension to Pentecost
Christians mark Ascension Day 40 days after Easter Sunday and Pentecost 50 days after Easter Sunday. How many days after Ascension Day does Pentecost fall?
Tap the festivals
Tap the TWO Christian festivals.
- Christmas
- Lourdes
- Easter
- Iona
Pilgrimage or festival?
Decide whether each thing is a pilgrimage, a festival, or neither.
- Travelling to Lourdes to pray for healing
- Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus at Easter
- Playing a game of football with friends
Explain a practice
Explain why Christians go on pilgrimage to a place such as Lourdes or Iona, and give one reason the journey matters to them.
- Say what a pilgrimage is
- Name a Christian place of pilgrimage
- Give one reason the journey matters to a Christian