Sharing in Bermudian Easter Tradition

For Bermudians, the making and flying of the traditional, homemade Bermuda Kite is one of the key cultural foundations of Good Friday.  Local folklore claims that this tradition began many years ago when a teacher launched a kite to explain Christ’s Ascension to Heaven to his Sunday School Class.  While the name of that teacher seems to have been lost to history, Bermudians young and old have never lost the tradition of flying kites on Good Friday in recognition of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Bermuda kites are made with colored tissue paper, wood and string, with long tails designed to stabilize the kite as it flies through the air.  Kites can be made in virtually any size with some small enough to fit in the palm of your hand with others requiring several men to get it off the ground!  Some are constructed to emit a humming or buzzing sound, with a “hummer” made from glued paper attached to the top of the kite.