Easter traditions around the world
Easter is an important celebration on the Christian calendar, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, three days after his crucifixion. Many people will go to church over Easter celebrate.
There are lots of different traditions to celebrate Easter around the world. Here in Australia (and in the United Kingdom and USA), we often have Easter bonnet parades - and eat lots of chocolate eggs and bunnies! With rabbits known as pests here in Australia, we also have chocolate bilbies for Easter! Sales of chocolate bilbies often raise money for wildlife charities so it's a win - win!
In Bermuda, people fly homemade kites on Good Friday. Apparently this tradition started when a teacher was trying to explain Jesus’ ressurection to his Sunday school class.
In Romania, they have an egg challenge! After painting the eggs, they knock 2 hard boiled eggs against each other and the one with the hardest shell wins! The loser has to eat all the boiled eggs that the winner breaks!
In some parts of north western Europe, people light bonfires called Easter Fires on Easter Sunday and Monday. These fires were built to chase away winter and signal the welcome of spring! The bonfires are social and bring communities together to celebrate Easter.
In Sweden, children dress up as Easter witches and wear old clothes. Similar to Halloween, the kids walk around their neighborhoods but they trade their artwork for candy.
Residents of Haux, France, serve an enormous omelet on Easter Monday. They use more than 4,500 eggs and feed up to 1,000 people.
In Greece, Easter is celebrated through the Orthodox church and often at a slightly different time to Christian Easter. Greek people dye eggs red which symbolises Jesus' blood.
In Ethiopia, Christians celebrate 'Fasika' in the 55 days before Easter, during which time they only eat a vegan diet.
In Antigua, the town covers the streets in colourful carpets made from flowers, coloured sawdust, fruits, vegetables and sand. The artists who create these carpets have only 24 hours to do so, before the Good Friday procession!
On the Greek island of Corfu, people throw pots, pans, and other containers often filled with water out of their windows where they crash down to the street below. This is to welcome spring and is symbolic for getting rid of the old, and welcoming the new!
In Poland, there is an Easter tradition called Śmigus-dyngus, or Wet Monday! People gather on Easter Monday to drench each other with buckets of water, squirt guns, or anything they can get their hands on. Sounds like a massive water fight! FUN!
Let us know how you celebrate Easter via Contributors Corner, or drop us an email - hello@zown.app!