Easter generally marks the end of the Lenten season for most Christians, and this annual moveable feast happens to be celebrated in different ways in many parts of the world. Typically in the United States, most families and individuals partake in Easter egg hunts and lavish dinner feasts after attending mass services. But how exactly is Easter celebrated outside of American shores? Go beyond the ubiquitous Easter egg and discover how Easter is celebrated around the world!
Don’t expect to be dry and comfortable in Poland once Easter rolls around because you’ll be having fun getting all wet and wild in the spirit of this holy holiday. Known locally as Smigus-Dyngus, this special activity involves people pouring water all over each other, which references the symbolic nature of water as a cleansing element essential to the resurrection of Christ.
While the rest of the world will decorate their eggs during Easter, the French are more practical—and gastronomic—when it comes to celebrating this moveable feast. In the region of Haux, the locals gather thousands of fresh eggs in order to make a giant omelet whereupon the humungous egg dish will be consumed with relish by the townsfolk as a means of gratitude for Christ’s rebirth.
rick-or-treating during springtime? When you’re celebrating Easter in Sweden, that’s definitely a fabulous possibility! A few days before Easter arrives—either Maundy Thursday or Black Saturday—Swedish parents dress up their kids in adorable witch costumes complete with witch props and accessories, and then encourage them to roam around the neighborhood to ask for treats.
Wouldn’t it be so much fun to enjoy your Easter holiday outdoors where there’s wind and sunshine? Well, if you happen to be in Bermuda when Easter is in town, you’ll get to experience their way of celebrating the holiday firsthand! Bermudans generally make an event of Easter by flying kites—which represents Christ’s ascension into Heaven—and feasting on specialty dishes like warm cross-shaped buns and codfish cakes.
You’ve probably heard about that annual tradition in Switzerland where the locals roll large wheels of cheese down the hills for fun. Well, Scotland utilizes their verdant and rolling landscape, as well. Except instead of cheese, the Scots use brightly painted Easter eggs! Easter is an important holy holiday for the Scots, and part of their rather fun gaming traditions is to roll Easter eggs down their steep hillsides and compete to see which egg can roll down the farthest without breaking apart.
The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic nation in Asia, and as such, the locals are deeply entrenched with holy festivals such as Easter. In fact, the Filipinos love to stage grand spectacles during the Lenten season, one of which includes the selection of a small young girl dressed as an angel who is suspended in midair on a specifically created harness. The angel girl will then sing the Regina Coeli (either in the original Latin or the local tongue) and dramatically remove the black veil covering her head to represent the end of the Virgin Mary’s grieving for the now reborn Christ.
Easter in the land down under can be quite the event, particularly if you’re interested in farming and agriculture! One of Australia’s notable Easter events revolve around a show called “The Royal Easter Show” which is held in Sydney every year. Here, farmers around the country proudly display their best produce and showcase their prized farm animals, which evokes a grand county fair in the US. The event is also marked with other special highlights such as parades, fireworks, joy rides, and food stalls.
You know the expression “rolling out the red carpet” every time a VIP arrives in town? Well, that expression takes on a curious twist in Brazil come Easter! When you think about it, Jesus is definitely a huge celebrity for devout Christians around the world, and Brazil’s devotees are nothing if not huge fans of Christ. So it stands that Brazilians literally decorate their streets every Easter with colorful carpets adorned with things such as flowers, wood shavings, coffee beans, and a myriad of other decorative objects so that the pathways will be ready the night before the traditional Easter procession will commence.