Easter is the Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Christ, but in many parts of the world religious rites are linked to pagan tradition. The holiday falls on different dates depending on the religion and calendar adopted: the Jewish Easter, for example, is celebrated on a different date than the Christian one.
In the Catholic-Christian tradition, Easter is a moveable date that generally falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Throughout the world, however, Easter symbolizes the awakening of spring where religious and pagan traditions intersect with different nuances from country to country.
When we think of Easter, we immediately imagine chocolate eggs, doves, unmissable Easter recipes and traditions to experience with the family. But you only need to travel a few hundred — or thousand — kilometers to discover that this holiday is celebrated in truly unusual and fascinating ways.
In many parts of the world, Easter is celebrated by remembering the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with folkloristic and theatrical representations that are intertwined with local cultures.
Whether it's flying bells, blossoming egg trees or shell battles, Easter around the world is an extraordinary mix of faith, folklore and popular creativity. If you've never seen them, the Easter holidays are the perfect opportunity to seize on the fly, literally.
From the battle of the eggs in Romania to the defeated devils of El Salvador, here are a few curious traditions that tell the story of Easter around the world through folklore, faith and ancient legends.
The Migrant Bells of France
In France, the ringing of bells stops on Holy Thursday. Legend has it that all the bells in the country fly to Rome to receive the papal blessing and hear the announcement of the Resurrection. Only on Sunday do they return to ring out joyfully through the streets and villages.
In the meantime, children have fun looking for chocolate eggs hidden in gardens or at home. Children are generally told that the bells flew to Rome, which is why many of them run to the window on Easter morning to see the bells fly home again. In place of the "flying bells", however, children will find chocolate eggs on the table!
And if you find yourself in the Southwest, you might come across a giant omelette being cooked outdoors, an ancient tradition born to use up the eggs accumulated during Lent and Holy Week.
Palms in Spain
In Barcelona, the centrality of Easter celebrations occurs during Palm Sunday, in memory of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem welcomed by olive branches and, of course, palms. Palms and "palmons", whole palm branches, are brought to church for blessing and can be decorated with sweets or sugar rosaries.
The same palms are hung on doors and windows to protect the house from evil spirits. The typical Catalan Easter dessert is the "mona", decorated with chocolate eggs or an image of a famous character for children and is given by the godfather to the godchild.
In Andalusia, the brotherhoods organize processions that are real theatrical representations that reproduce the Via Crucis of Christ. The most famous celebrations take place in Seville during the Semana Santa and attract tourists from all over the world.
Maxi-Eggs of Zagreb
Every year the square in front of the cathedral in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, becomes a sort of open-air museum during the Easter holidays. In fact, Easter Eggs
with a heart are exhibited, giant eggs painted by naive painters from the Koprivnica-Križevci region.
The maxi eggs, about two meters tall, have become a magnet for tourists, who never miss the chance to take a souvenir photo. But they can also be admired elsewhere, since they have become a symbol of Croatian naive art and are often hosted in other European cities during special events or demonstrations.
Colored Egg Trees in Germany
In Germany, Easter is a riot of color and nature. Among the most picturesque traditions is that of the Osterstrauch, real little trees or branches decorated with hand-painted eggs, which adorn homes and gardens announcing the beginning of spring .
Maundy Thursday, called Gründonnerstag, is observed by eating only green foods, such as a soup made from fresh seasonal herbs. It is an ancient custom, born to bring good health and luck.
In the northern part of Germany, the tradition of Easter fires is widespread, lit strictly with natural means using two pieces of wood, or silica or a lens. The "sacred fires" are then used to light the candles in churches during Easter celebrations, while the ashes are scattered across the fields to help the harvest. Easter lunch is based on lamb, while the typical dessert that in our country has the shape of a dove, in Germany takes the form of a lamb.
Witches and Birches in Sweden
In Sweden, too, Palm Sunday plays a central role in Easter celebrations. On this day, branches of white poplar and birch with buds that, resembling a cat's tail, are blessed, are called gattici.
Another ancient tradition dating back to the Middle Ages is that during the Holy Week preceding Easter Sunday, children go around the streets dressed as witches, to remember how the resurrection of Christ then chased them away, bringing back light and peace. Here too, it is customary to decorate eggs, preferably hard-boiled, to be eaten for lunch on Easter.
Battle of the Eggs in Romania
If in Italy eggs are eaten, in Romania they are challenged. On Easter day, the egg battle takes place, a game in which two participants hit their shells against each other. Whoever breaks the opponent's wins, and the loser must eat all the cracked eggs – like coccetta.
On Easter morning, moreover, people wash their faces with water containing a red egg and a silver coin, a good-luck gesture to ensure health and purity in the coming year. Easter in Romania, is also be the day of Incondeiat, the tradition of decorated Easter eggs.
El Salvador: The Struggle Between Good and Evil
In Texistepeque, El Salvador, Easter is characterized by the parade of the Talcigüines, men dressed as devils who walk through the streets symbolically whipping passers-by. This representation symbolizes the struggle between good and evil, with the Talcigüines finally surrendering to Jesus, kneeling in submission.
Maundy Gifts of England
In England, Easter tradition dictates that Maundy Thursday be dedicated to charitable work. In London, Westminster Abbey commemorates the Royal Maundy Gifts, the gift of bags of money to the poor by the sovereign who, after the religious ceremony, distributes them from a silver tray.
On Good Friday, however, there is the custom of sweets. According to an ancient legend, a widow who was waiting for her son, a sailor lost at sea, never gave up on the idea of having lost him and continued every year to prepare the classic Hot-cross-buns, sweets in the shape of a cross to remember the Passion of Christ, with cinnamon and raisins.
Paasbrod in Netherlands
Even in Holland, Easter tradition requires parents to hide eggs in the house or garden to trigger a sort of treasure hunt by the children. The colored and decorated eggs can be hung on a tree in the garden or at home. The typical Dutch Easter dessert is Paasbrod, a sweet bread made with raisins.
Omen of Fertility in Hungary
In Hungary, the Easter food par excellence is smoked ham (húsvéti sonka), while on Easter Monday, a rather amusing and characteristic ritual is celebrated: boys spray girls with water pistols, water bombs, and even buckets of water. The meaning? An omen of fertility.
All About Beer in Denmark
In Denmark, too, adoptions are decorated for the holidays - sometimes with real "Easter trees" - and children go on a treasure hunt to find as many Easter eggs as possible. Adults, on the other hand, enjoy the pleasures of the table while sipping a Påskebryg, the special Easter beer that is only produced during this holiday.
The Ghost-Chasing Bonfire in Finland
In Finnish Easter, Holy Saturday is the night of bonfires. According to tradition, evil spirits roam freely on this day and the only way to keep them away is to light large bonfires in the countryside and villages. Here, too, children actively participate, often dressing up as witches.
Sunday, on the other hand, is dedicated to the classic chocolate egg hunt — to be found strictly in the snow, because in Finland spring is always a bit late in arriving.
Parades in United States
In the United States, where many Easter traditions are similar to those of other Anglo-Saxon countries, New York is the "Easter capital". In fact, every year a colorful parade is organized along Fifth Avenue in the Big Apple, where participants show off the craziest hats in the world.
This custom originates from the fact that originally the faithful went to mass carrying flowers from the church of St. Thomas to that of St. Luke. For the occasion, they dressed in elegant clothes and hats, which over the years have become increasingly strange and original.
Blessings of Vatican City
On Easter Sunday, thousands of people gather in St. Peter's Square to hear the Pope's blessing from the balcony overlooking the square. The blessing is known as "Urbi et Orbi," which means "To the city (Rome, where the Pope is bishop) and to the world."
Kite Flying in Bermuda
In Bermuda, people fly homemade kites on Good Friday. The kite tradition is believed to have begun when a local teacher had difficulty explaining the resurrection of Jesus to his class, so he made a kite to explain the concept.
Banging Eggs in Greece
The most representative symbol of Easter in Greece are the eggs painted red. According to tradition, the red color represents the blood of Christ. Another tradition is the game tsúgrisma, that is, banging an egg against another.
Burning of Judas in Mexico
The journey through the various ways of celebrating Easter in the world ends in Mexico, where religion is a very important aspect among some sections of the population and therefore Easter celebrations are still very popular today.
In addition to the various masses and religious functions, the Burning of Judas is particularly evocative, the traditional bonfire of Holy Saturday during which a cardboard figure is set alight that is supposed to represent the disciple who betrayed Christ.
To conclude the roundup, it is worth remembering that in Denmark at Easter everything is colored yellow, in Bulgaria the days before Sunday there is a big cleaning of the houses, while in some countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, during Easter, young people celebrate an ancient fertility rite by sprinkling spring water on girls. In Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala on Good Friday, works of art called alfrombras are made from colored sawdust.
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