We all have our own Easter traditions. The ones that is they were practiced in out childhood home, or the one that is you may have now, in your own home, with your spouse and kids. In Europe, where I grow up, we did things one way, where , here in United States that is I line now, things looks a little different. There is absolutely nothing wring in taking the best of both worlds and making it our own. Well, today, on the Good Saturday I want to take all f you on a short trip, to check some other easter traditions , you probably did not know exist. If you did, do not worry, I have learned a few new ones, while writing this post. so, it is all good. As long we can all discover something we did not know, and learn something new and interesting, we are all for a benefit. So, lets check come new facts, right now.
I worth getting to know Easter traditions that apply abroad. Italians, for example, are not in the habit of pouring water over themselves on Easter Monday. Most often, they spend Christmas outside the home, and the most important element of it is a traditional dinner, during which the popular mutton or lamb is served. In Great Britain, the symbol of the holidays is the hare. It is a remnant of hunting these animals that used to start the holiday season. Nowadays, various fun competitions are held in many parts of the country – such as the competition in rolling hard-boiled eggs. In distant Australia, it is popular to organize traditional Easter breakfast in churches among the poor and the poor. On Easter Monday, however, children collect sweets hidden in the garden – chocolate eggs and bunnies. This custom is also popular with our western neighbors. In some regions of Germany, as in all of Poland, there is a custom of ordination. However, this does not apply to eggs, but fires that are lit in front of churches. Priests bless the fire and the faithful light their paschal candles from it.
Whipping the herring in Ireland
Ireland can boast one of the most interesting Easter customs in Europe. On Holy Saturday, there is a procession in the cities where people demonstrate their fatigue with long fasting and the desire to start celebrating. The march is led by a local butcher. The most interesting, however, is the fact that it carries a herring suspended on a stick, and the inhabitants beat it with sticks, clubs and whatever else they can. The herring, battered in this way, symbolizing a fast, is thrown into the river. The butcher then places a leg decorated with sheep’s flowers on the same stick, which is to herald the feast.
Cleansing of evil in Mexico
In Mexico and throughout Latin America, the Easter holiday is a chance to cleanse oneself of evil. On Holy Saturday, it is typical to re-enact the burning of Judas by hanging a statue and burning it at the stake. Theatrical renditions of the rest of Easter’s tales, called passion plays, are performed, too. One of the largest and most elaborate of them all is in Iztapalapa, a borough of Mexico City, which has 5,000 participants and 150 speaking roles. The tradition began in 1843 to rejoice the end of a cholera epidemic. Now, the performances begin on Palm Sunday and last through Holy Week.
Easter bonnet Parade in New York in USA
Easter Monday there is a huge social event. It is a parade day , where the crowd of people is marching in 5th ave on Manhattan. But it not just any parade. It is Easter Bonnet parade. What does it mean ?? Well, the whole idea is to wear huge, festively decorated hats. The bigger, the fancier, the better. The colorful hats feature eggs, rabbits, chickens, and many other decorations.
Finland – attack of the little witches
For the people of northern Europe, Easter is a repeat of Halloween. On Palm Sunday (Eastern Finland) and Holy Saturday (Western Finland), children dress up as witches to knock on their neighbor’s door and cast a spell on him. Do not worry, it is not a curse, because the little Easter witches want to wish you a healthy and happy year. In exchange for a decorative twig, they expect a bit of pleasure and compensation in the form of Easter eggs, chocolate, or coins. A broom, a bunch of willow twigs and decorative feathers are a permanent element of each disguise. The scarier the costume the better.
In some parts of eastern Finland, it is a tradition to light a bonfire. According to a Nordic legend, the campfire is designed to ward off the witches who fly on brooms between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
France (Haux) – a giant omelet for the whole city
In Haux, a town in the south of France, a giant omelet is served every year on Easter Monday in the town’s main square. When I say giant, I mean an Omelet made of over 4,500 eggs that can be eaten by up to 1,000 people. The genesis of this tradition dates back to Napoleon’s times, when his army, traveling through the south of France, stopped in this small town, where they were served omelets. Napoleon liked the dish so much that the next day he told the townspeople to gather eggs and make a giant omelet for his army.
The Great Easter Bunny Hunt in New Zealand
While the rest of the world hunts for Easter eggs hidden around the house, the good folk of Otago grab their guns for the annual “Great Easter Bunny Hunt’”. The idea is to rid farmlands of ‘invasive pests’, with over 500 hunters vying for the coveted trophy and the $NZ 3,500 prize money. With over 10,000 rabbits meeting their maker each year, the Easter Bunny sensibly gives this corner of New Zealand a miss.
The masked men processions in Spain
In many cities of Spain and especially in Andalusia, brotherhoods hold processions and dramatic performances carrying the Cross of Christ. All of the participants wear sorrowful robes, as well as pointed tip hoods and masks which conceal their faces. Known as “Nazarenos”, the participants walk the city barefoot and sometimes wear chains on their feet as penance.
Watch your head on Island of Corfu in Greece
In Greece, Easter is celebrated with a bang. Every year on Holy Saturday, the day starts with the traditional “pot throw”. What does it mean? People throw pots, pans, and other pottery from the windows, smashing them on the street. This custom is observed by Venetians, who also like to throw items out of the window and on New Year’s Day they get rid of worn objects. Others believe that throwing pots welcomes spring, symbolizing new crops to be harvested in new pots. A highly effective tradition, but who will clean it up later? Some say the custom of throwing of pots welcomes spring, symbolizing the new crops that will be gathered in new pots. Others say it derives from the Venetians, who on New Year’s Day used to throw out all of their old items.
The Vatican – the capital of all Christian holidays
When describing Easter, it is impossible not to mention the Vatican, the capital of the Christian religion. Holidays begin on Holy Thursday with the Holy Cross Mass in St. Peter. Then, on Good Friday, the Pope commemorates the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) in the Colosseum: a great cross with flaming torches illuminates the sky, and the 14 stations of the cross are described in several languages.
Mass is celebrated on Holy Saturday, and on Easter Sunday thousands of people gather in St. Peter’s Square to receive the blessing from the balcony of the church known as “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the city and to the world”). Entrance tickets are required for all celebrations attended by the Pope (except the Way of the Cross) and must be booked well in advance at the Papal Prefectural Office. Tickets are free.
Florence – explosive cart
Let us move less than 300 km from the Vatican, where the inhabitants celebrate Easter with a real flourish. The Florentines have a 350-year-old Easter tradition called Scoppio del Carro, which loosely translated means “cart explosion”. An ornate 30 feet long cart called “Brindellone” is pulled through the city by a pair of white oxen. The route starts near the Il Prat warehouses, then the oxen head to Piazza Duomo to leave the cart between the cathedral and the baptistery. Around 11:00 a.m. as part of the Easter Mass in the Cathedral, the Archbishop of Florence lights the “Colombina”, a dove-shaped rocket (symbolizing the Holy Spirit) at the altar, which runs along the cable attached to the Brindellone. The igniter starts the fireworks mounted on the trolley and the spectacular fireworks display begins. The importance of this practice dates back to the First Crusade and is intended to ensure a good harvest.
Osterbaum ( Easter tree) in Germany
people decorate live trees or bushes in their yard with colored eggs tied on with ribbon. Unlike Christmas trees, these trees are living, and do not require a special stand or lights. Because it can still be grey and cold in the spring, these colored eggs add a festive atmosphere to neighborhoods and towns. The eggs can be plastic, wooden or real painted eggs that have been hollowed out. Easter Trees are also set up inside the home. Branches with buds are put into a vase and decorated with Easter egg ornaments. Sometimes the buds will even bloom, making it even more beautiful!
Paaskekrimmen – reading crime novels in Norway
In Norway, it has become a tradition to read detective stories that publishers release with special “ Easter thrillers”. It all started in February 1923, when two young Norwegian authors, Nordahl Grieg and Nils Lie, came up with the idea: to write a catchy detective story and launch a book ad in the newspaper on the Sunday before Easter. The ad has the same title as the book. “The Bergen train was robbed at night” (original name Bergenstoget plyndret i natt). The promotion was so credible that no one distinguished fiction from truth, and the book became a bestseller. From then on, the Norwegians, taking advantage of the longer break, enjoy spending time at home reading about crimes and solving criminal riddles.
Skeleton dance in City of Verges in Spain
Not only northern countries have dark traditions. In the Catalan city of Verges (Girona), the traditional dance of death “dansa de la mort” takes place every year on Holy Thursday. To recreate scenes from the Passion, everyone dresses up in skeleton costumes and parades through the streets. The procession ends with a macabre dance that starts at midnight and lasts until morning. The dance is to be associated with the “Black Death” in the fourteenth century, which claimed as much as 30-60% of the then European population. The cause of death for so many Europeans was the plague that came from central Asia via the Silk Road. It is said that the scale of the plague was so great that it took 150 years to recover from before the epidemic. The dance shows the passage of time and the inevitability of death that comes to all living things.
Colorful carpets of Flowers in Guatemala
Antigua, Guatemala, is the site of the largest Easter celebration in the world, commemorating the Passion, Crucifix and Resurrection of Jesus. From Friday to Sunday, there are marches of colorful processions. This tradition was instilled by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century. The entire city is involved in the preparation of the event. One of the most impressive aspects of Easter (Semana Santa) is the “Alfombras” (Arabic for carpets) that adorn the processional route. The processional “carpet” is made of sand, which is to level the pavement. Then the collected sawdust is put on it, colored in shades: yellow, red, blue, green, purple, and black. Pine needles and flowers are added for decoration and fragrance. Carpet patterns reflect Mayan tradition, biblical symbolism, and natural scenes. The art of making carpets is considered sacrificial due to the intense detail and amount of time spent creating them. Additionally, after each passage of the procession, the work should be immediately recreated before the next march. In this way the people give something of themselves and commemorate Christ’s death.
Bilby rabbit social campaign in Australia
In 1991, Australia launched a campaign to replace the Easter bunny with Bilby’s Easter bunny or with the bunny Bandicoot. This is due to the poor reputation of “grays” that were brought to Australia by European settlers and caused the destruction of native animals and habitats. Chocolates and Bilby-shaped goods are widely available in Australia and some producers donate the proceeds of their sales to charities.
Friendly Easter spanking in Czech Republic
If you plan to spend Christmas in, for example, the popular Czech Prague, watch out for spanking! One of the Easter traditions is the symbolic “whipping” of women with a hand-made bunch (Pomlazska) of willow and decorative colored ribbons. According to legend, the willow is the first tree to bloom in spring, so the branches are supposed to convey the tree’s vitality and fertility to women.
Kite Flying in Bermuda
The people in Bermuda aim high for Easter: kite flying is everyone’s favorite pastime during the holidays. Bermudians make their own kites with wooden sticks, colorful paper, and intricate designs. All of this is topped off with a special tissue called “hummers” that then makes a buzzing sound, aka the sound of Bermudian Easter. Everyone gathers and lets their beautiful constructions fly – or goes to Horseshoe Bay Beach to attend the annual Kite Festival on Good Friday.
Easter egg Roll in Washington USA
For over 130 years, the “Easter Egg Roll” has been held on the southern lawn of the White House. The highlight is rolling a colorful Easter egg with a large wooden spoon. Over time, there were more entertainment such as performances by musicians or egg hunt.
Easter in Jerusalem Israel
Easter in Jerusalem lasts from Saturday – this is when the most important mass of the year is celebrated. The reason is an agreement between the individual religions administering the Jerusalem Basilica, which can hardly ever come to an agreement. Sunday is a normal working day in Jerusalem, therefore not all Christians are allowed to participate in the morning resurrection. Some of them will only pray during the evening masses in churches in the city.
Devil in Sicily Italy
In Prizzi, Sicily, “ Abballu de daivuli” is a representation of devils made up of locals wearing scary masks and red robes. Those who are in disguise torment as many “souls” as they can (which actually means forcing them to pay for drinks) in the morning, when the Virgin Mary and the risen Christ save the world by chasing away devils with the help of angels.
Egg fight in Bulgaria
Here people do not hide their eggs — they have egg fights – and whoever comes out of the game with an unbroken egg is the winner and assumed to be the most successful member of the family in the coming year.
In another tradition, the oldest woman in the family rubs the faces of the children with the first red egg she has colored, symbolizing her wish that they have rosy cheeks, health, and strength.
You are a very smart person!