Easter – time for old and new traditions

Happy family colouring eggs for Easter.

For many people around the world, Easter is their favourite holiday, for a variety of reasons. Foremost, it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, but it is also a celebration of spring and new beginnings; celebration of family and friends; of tradition and values; and of the bonds we share. However, these celebrations differ from country to country, so if you are on the lookout to establish some new Easter traditions with your family or friends this year, here are some ideas.

Easter traditions around the world

Knowing how people in other countries celebrate Easter is a good way to feel connected to other cultures and a great way to add new traditions to your Easter celebration. So, what else will you try this year besides lighting the Easter fire, dying eggs and eating as much chocolate as your stomach can endure? Here are some interesting celebrations from around the world to inspire you.

In Sweden, children dress up as Easter witches by wearing colourful clothing and painting freckles on their cheeks. Then they go door-to-door singing songs to warn off evil spirits in exchange for chocolate eggs – kind of like Halloween trick-or-treating. And while we are on the subject of dressing-up for a holiday, in the Spanish town of Verges, people dress in skeleton costumes then parade the streets until early morning. In Norway, people read mystery books and watch series. In Slovakia and Hungary, boys throw buckets of water at girls. Girls get their ‘revenge’ the next day when they throw buckets of water back at the boys or squirt them with water guns. The legend says that girls who get wet will marry within one year (here’s your hint where to take your fiancé on holiday, if you are unsure when he will be ready to tie the knot). On the Greek island of Confu it is a tradition to throw pots and pans out of windows and from balconies to smash them on the streets. Apparently, this symbolizes gathering new crops in the new pots. A more pots-and-pans-friendly Greek tradition involves that when people meet, they knock their eggs together and say ‘Cristos anesti.’ In Germany, it is a custom to decorate tree branches with painted eggs and to wear colourful clothes. In the French town of Bessières, volunteers cook a giant omelette with thousands of eggs. In some Italian towns, people celebrate Easter with processions that include rampaging ‘devils’ and life-sized wooden sculptures. As part of Easter rituals in the Philippines, some Catholics whip their backs with blades and bamboo sticks as a form of worship (not sure we would recommend making this your new family tradition, though). In Bermuda, the Good Friday is celebrated by flying home-made kites and in Haiti, people organize colourful parades. If you adore chocolate, don’t visit Papua New Guinea on Easter. The warm weather makes it difficult to keep chocolate from melting, so the people decorate trees and branches with tobacco and cigarettes. And if you are in the mood for a crafty holiday, you can make Easter bonnets like the Americans and decorate them with flowers, rabbits and other symbols of spring.

friends get-together

Easter foods around the world

Easter celebrations are not the only thing that differs around the world. Traditional foods eaten on this special holiday differ, too. If you are looking for ideas beyond eggs and chocolate and want to add some international spice to your Easter menu this year, you can try roasted lamb or tsoureki bread, both typical in Greece. Or a simnel cake decorated with marzipan balls they love in the U.K. Or the Polish braided chalka bread. Or the iconic Italian tart filled with ricotta cheese and candied orange peel. What’s that? You want us to stop because you are already too hungry and ready to explore Easter recipes online? Got you! Just one more thing before you go … warm up the oven. All the recipes mentioned above will need one. Our Gorenje Easter bunny recommends the built-in oven BA737EXUK or the built-in compact steam oven BCS589S20X with MultiLevel function that allows baking many dishes at once so you can try many recipes in one go.

From country to country, culture to culture, and family to family, Easter is a holiday as diverse as the people who celebrate it. It is what you make it … so make it happy. Happy Easter!

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