Introduce children and teens to the French Easter custom of the flying bells. On Holy Thursday, church bells across France become silent. Mourning Jesus' death, they fly off to Rome. On Easter Sunday, the bells return, joyously ringing and delivering chocolate eggs to gardens across France!

Being a traditionally Catholic country, this custom involves a lot of religious content. You can pick and choose among activities, some of which are more secular than others. But please be aware that there is a lot of reference to the Easter story, as well as an extensive vocab reference sheet of relevant Biblical characters and religious terms. If you teach at a parochial school, this download is perfect for you! If not, be prepared to use your own judgment about what/how you can present the material at your particular school.

Here's what's included:

1. An elementary-level handout briefly explaining the custom in English, along with a short coloring page.

2. A novice-level reading in French. (Lots of religious content). The reading also includes a vocabulary exercise, comprehension questions, and an answer key.

3. Directions for an Easter bell craft.

4. Easy Easter Bell songs, both in French and English.

5. Extensive Easter vocabulary lists, both secular and religious

6. Secular French Easter vocabulary word search and answer key.

7. Secret French message (alphabet code) with answer key.

17 pages in all, including 12 possible class handouts.