10 Unique Ways Easter Is Celebrated Around The World
Are you a culture lover? Well, so are we! Easter celebrations, like most religious/cultural celebrations around the world, is unique in its own right, and a delight to share in!
We will be going on an exciting journey of discovering 10 amazing ways people all over the world celebrate their own unique Easter, but before we kick-off, we will need a very important tool!
Tick off all your favorite Easter spots with our Newverest map, as we go along, to remind yourself of just how beautiful diversity makes life.
Haux, France
In Haux (France), Easter celebrations are a yummy one! Over 4500 eggs are cracked, and a giant omelet that is on record to feed over 1000 people, is cooked on Easter Monday! This giant omelet is served in the heart of town, and everyone is called to dig in!
Legend has it that when Napoleon and his army was passing through the southern part of France, he stopped in one of the towns, where he enjoyed a delightful omelet.
He loved the omelet so much that ordered that all the eggs available in the town, be brought together to make a giant omelet for his army a day after.
Verges, Spain
In this little town in Spain, Easter takes on a macabre twist. The traditional death dance, also called “dansa de la mort”, is performed in the streets on Holy Thursday.
This dance is typically a reenactment of the passion of Christ. Dressed in skeleton costumes; this dance is kicked off at midnight, up until 3 am. Then, the parade is closed off by terrifying skeletons bringing forth boxes of ashes.
Germany
Good Friday and Easter Monday are both public holidays in Germany, and they celebrate by lighting bonfires around sunset on Holy Saturday.
Some places have turned the "osterfeuer" (Easter bonfire) into mini-festivals with stands selling sausages, wine, and funfair rides while other communities stuff huge bales of straw into a wooden wheel, set it on fire and roll it down a hill (known as the Osterrad).
Florence, Italy
In Florence, locals celebrate a 350-year-old Easter tradition known as Scoppio del Carro, or "explosion of the cart."
An ornate cart packed with fireworks is led through the streets of the city by people in colorful 15th century costumes before stopping outside the Duomo; the Archbishop of Florence then lights a fuse during Easter mass that leads outside to the cart and sparks a lively fireworks display.
The meaning behind the custom dates back to the First Crusade, and is meant to ensure a good harvest.
Corfu, Greece
Easter in Greece features a belief in the saying that old things are passed away, and all things becoming new.
During the Easter celebrations, people on the island of Corfu throw out their old pots and pans from their windows and have them crash and break on the street.
The people believe that by throwing these things out and having them destroyed, they correctly welcome the springtime, and all the new blossoming and healthy plants to come forth.
Bulgaria
Ready to do battle during Easter? If your answer is yes, then let’s head over to Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, there is no Easter egg hiding also, but an egg fight.
During this fight, whoever comes out of the fight without his or her egg cracking or breaking, is the winner of the egg fight! It is also believed that whoever wins also, would be the very successful one in the family.
Also, in some areas, the oldest lady in the family would color a red egg, the first red egg she paints is then broken, and rubbed on the faces of the children. This also signifies, health, wealth and rosy cheeks.
Norway
If your favorite past time is binge-reading crime novels and watching crime shows, then celebrating Easter in Norway would be a treat for you. Easter is celebrated in Norway by everyone coming together to read crime thrillers.
Also, crime novelists typically publish their special Easter thrillers tagged paaskekrimmen. This crime thriller tradition kicked off in 1923 after a crime novelist/publisher promoted a new crime novel splashed across the front pages of popular newspapers.
The crime novel ad was placed on the front pages to take on the likeness of your daily news, and no one suspected that it was just a publicity stunt.
Poland
If you don't mind getting wet during Easter, then you will absolutely love Easter in Poland. And nope, it doesn't rain, but boys do open Easter Monday with a water celebration. Here, they try to drench as many people as possible with the buckets of water, or anything they can carry their water in.
It is believed that the girls who are drenched during this water throwing would likely get married not long after. This fun tradition is said to have gotten its origin from the baptism of the polish prince Mieszko, which took place in 966AD on Easter Monday.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic's Easter celebration is a wild one. On Easter Monday, the men go about spanking women gently with their hand made whip, which is crafted from willow, and finished off with pretty ribbons.
The belief here is that since the willow tree is the first to kick off blooming in the spring season, using the whips made from its branches on women would make the women whipped to take on even more vitality and fertility (wow!)
Vatican City
I mean, would it really be an Easter list without mentioning the Vatican City? Good Friday in the Vatican City sees the pope commemorating the via crucis, which translates to the “way of the cross”, at the colosseum.
While the 14 stations of the crossed are spoken in various languages, a mighty torch with carries burning torches, is made to illuminate the sky.
The holy Saturday evening features a mass. Easter Sunday, sees an incredible number of visitors come together at St. Peter's Square, waiting for the pope to bless them from the balcony of the church. this tradition is known as "to the city and to the world" or "urbi et orbi"
If given the chance, which of these places would you enjoy visiting during Easter, or which have you visited before?
