Easter Sunday was a day of reflection and fun for many Australians as ski resorts reported a good dusting of snow and people braved chilly conditions to mark one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar.
Melbourne was on track to have had its coldest Easter Sunday in decades, with temperatures sinking to a low of 11C and expected to reach a top of 15C.
Mt Buller in Victoria’s east showed off snow falling at the resort to its social media followers, while Perisher across the NSW border also woke up to white.
The NSW ski resort called the snow dusting an “extra special Easter treat”.
“The first snow of the season is here,” the resort said.
“With cold temperatures overnight, we woke up to a fresh dusting of snow, filling us with excitement for the season to come!”
Sydney faced chilly, strong southwesterly winds which were expected to decrease to between 15km/h and 25km/h into the evening.
Canberra was mostly overcast but dry, with a low of 8C and a high of 15C, while sunshine graced Brisbane, with a low of 16C and a balmy high of 27C.
Perth began the day with a morning low of 15C, with Adelaide on 12C, Hobart on 6C and Darwin on 25C.
Most capital cities had daily temperatures around the mid-teens or higher on Easter Sunday, although the chill didn’t put a dampener on celebrations.
Families marked the occasion with get-togethers and plenty of chocolate.
Australians buy an estimated 154,500 tonnes of chocolate a year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with most consumed over Easter as well as Christmas.
Thousands turned out to Easter masses held at churches and cathedrals across the country, including at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral and St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, to acknowledge the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
About 44 per cent of people in Australia identify as Christian and one in five are Catholic, one in 10 Anglican, and 14 per cent “other”, according to the bureau.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wished Australians a safe, happy and holy Easter, noting that the variety of services, vigils and ceremonies across the country spoke volumes for the nation’s diversity.
“Our nation is home to Christians drawn from all parts of the world and from all traditions,” he said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said it was a time for Christians everywhere to reflect on the profound impact of the teachings of Jesus.
But in South Australia and Tasmania, there were some rumblings over penalty rates for retail and hospitality workers because Easter Sunday is not a declared public holiday in either state, unlike the rest of Australia.
The Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association said thousands of workers in SA were missing out on hundreds of dollars in pay.
Meanwhile, police are also urging drivers to slow down and obey the law with several people already losing their lives on the roads this Easter long weekend.
