Why do Christians go on pilgrimage and celebrate festivals?
The role and importance of pilgrimage (including Lourdes and Iona) and the major festivals of Christmas and Easter for Christians.
A focused answer on Christian pilgrimage and festivals for OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625), covering the meaning of pilgrimage and sites such as Lourdes and Iona, the festivals of Christmas and Easter, and why these practices matter, with sources of wisdom and authority.
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What this dot point is asking
OCR wants you to explain the role and importance of pilgrimage (including sites such as Lourdes and Iona) and the major Christian festivals, above all Christmas and Easter. These are practices that mark out sacred places and sacred time in Christian life. The topic feeds the evaluation question on whether pilgrimage is the best way to grow closer to God, so you need the content, the range of views, and the sources.
Pilgrimage
Christians visit a range of sites, each with its own character:
- Lourdes (France). Where a girl, Bernadette, reported visions of Mary in 1858. A great Catholic site of healing, where pilgrims, including the sick, bathe in or drink the spring water and pray for cures.
- Iona (Scotland). A small island where Saint Columba founded a monastery. A place of quiet, prayer and retreat, associated with the Iona Community and Celtic Christianity.
- Jerusalem. The city where Jesus was crucified and rose; pilgrims walk the Via Dolorosa (the way of the cross) and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
- Rome (the centre of the Catholic Church) and Walsingham (an English Marian shrine) are also widely visited.
Pilgrimage matters because it gives time away from daily life to focus on God, a sense of community with fellow pilgrims, and often renewal or healing. But it is more important in some traditions than others: Catholics and Orthodox value it highly, while many Protestants see no special holiness in places, pointing to Jesus' teaching that true worshippers worship "in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24), anywhere.
The Christian year and festivals
Christians mark sacred time through the liturgical year, which re-lives the life of Jesus. The two greatest festivals are Christmas and Easter.
Festivals matter because they renew faith by re-living the key events, build community through shared celebration, and pass on the story to the next generation. Easter outranks Christmas in Christian terms because, as Saint Paul says, the resurrection is what makes the faith true: "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile" (1 Corinthians 15:17).
Try this
Q1. Which festival is the most important in the Christian year, and what does it celebrate? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Q2. Explain why a Christian might go on pilgrimage to Lourdes. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Lourdes is associated with healing; pilgrims, including the sick, go to pray, bathe in or drink the spring water, and seek healing or spiritual renewal, often travelling with a supportive community.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J625 20192 marksName two places of Christian pilgrimage.Show worked answer →
This is the 2-mark AO1 question, 1 mark per point. Give two distinct sites, for example Lourdes (in France, linked to healing) and Iona (in Scotland, a place of Celtic Christian quiet and prayer). Other acceptable answers include Jerusalem, Rome, Walsingham, Santiago de Compostela or Taize. Markers want two correct, separate places, so do not repeat or invent sites.
OCR J625 20216 marksExplain the importance of Easter for Christians. Refer to sources of wisdom and authority in your answer.Show worked answer →
This is the 6-mark extended AO1 question. Explain that Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, the most important festival of the Christian year, marking his victory over death and sin and the hope of eternal life. Develop with the practices: Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday remembering the crucifixion) leading to Easter Sunday joy. Anchor in sources: the resurrection accounts (Luke 24, John 20) and Paul's "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile" (1 Corinthians 15:17). The top band rewards developed points with accurate sources.
OCR J625 202315 marks"Pilgrimage is the best way for a Christian to grow closer to God." Discuss this statement. In your answer you should: refer to religious teachings and sources of wisdom and authority; give reasoned arguments to support this statement; give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view; reach a justified conclusion.Show worked answer →
This is the 15-mark AO2 evaluation question. Argue both sides. Arguments for the statement: pilgrimage to a holy site (Lourdes, Iona, Jerusalem) offers time away from daily life to focus on God, a sense of community with other pilgrims, and sometimes healing or renewal, so it can deepen faith powerfully. Arguments against: many Christians, especially Protestants, see no special holiness in places and grow closer to God through prayer, worship and serving others at home; pilgrimage is costly and not possible for everyone; Jesus taught God can be worshipped anywhere (John 4:21 to 24). Use specialist terms (pilgrimage, Lourdes, Iona). A justified conclusion weighs whether pilgrimage is uniquely valuable or one helpful practice among many.
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