Easter Traditions All Around the Globe

In Christianity, Easter is considered to be a big occasion as it marks the Resurrection of Christ. On this day, people all over the world come together to celebrate victory of life over death, by carrying out various traditions and activities all day. The day of Easter represents feelings of hope, life, victory, happiness, and more. Let’s read the history of Easter below, and how different people around the world celebrate this joyous day.

Origin of Easter

Easter majorly begins on a day called Ash Wednesday, and lasts till the Holy Week. You must have seen the Christian Cross symbol, but what does it mean? As per the Bible, it is believed that Jesus Christ died on a Cross on the day of Good Friday. He was then buried for three days, but after that, he resurrected (came back to life). Since then, the day of resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated as Easter, every year. These Easter traditions have been existing worldwide for more than 2000 years now, and they are celebrated with a lot of joy every time. Every culture has their own way of celebrating this special occasion, but the feeling is always the same.

How is the date determined every year?

In all these years, you must have noticed that the date of Easter keeps changing. But do you know why?  This moveable feast falls on a Sunday every year in Spring. But the date is determined by the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the spring equinox. 

This year, Easter Sunday 2024 is falling on 31st March, so start preparing your Easter decorations, and think about tasty Easter Dinner ideas, as the celebration of life over death is just around the corner.

How do people celebrate Easter around the globe?

Easter is a tradition that is celebrated all around the globe. It aims at the new life of Jesus Christ, along with hope, joy and victory.  The Catholics have different traditions when it comes to Easter, such as Easter Brunch, Easter egg hunt, and more.

Easter in Europe

In the United Kingdom, the famous egg rolling Easter tradition is practiced every year. To create memories and continue traditions, friends and family gather every year and take part in the egg rolling tradition, where they boil the egg till it gets hard, and rolls them down the hill. The race is all about whose egg cracks at the last. 

In Sweden and some parts of Finland, the Easter witch is a tradition that has been going on for years. This usually takes place on a Thursday/Saturday before Easter, where little girls dress up in rags. Then, these little Easter witches go from door to door looking for treats, with their copper kettle.

In Poland, the famous Wet Monday is an ancient pagan tradition. The boys splash water on girls, as a sign of welcoming Spring and celebrating Monday after Easter Sunday. The exact roots of this tradition are still unknown, but Wet Monday in Poland remains to be one of the biggest traditions. 

Easter in North America

Since 1878, the United States of America is practicing the tradition of Egg Rolling at the White House President Rutherforb B. Hayes issued a notice allowing kids to come to the White House to roll eggs on Easter. Since then, it has been a major Easter activities for kids.

In Canada, the famous Toronto Beaches Easter Parade takes place every year. All the people from different businesses and organizations around come together to celebrate this joyous occasion by showcasing different performances, marching bands, and more. The parade aims to symbolize pride and unity within the community. 

Easter in South America

The Semana Santa in Brazil is a celebration that has been going on for years. Instead of celebrating just the day of Easter, people in Brazil celebrate the entire Holy Week, by gathering together. Some may go to church, some may cook special Easter meals, or simply make a rug-like display with flowers.

In Guatemala, Catholic people wear a purple dress which is known as Tunica. They participate in the various processions and ceremonies that take place in Guatemala and Antigua, during the Holy Week. In Guatemala, this is called Cucuruchos, which can either be a man or a woman.

Easter in Asia

The Philippines make Easter special by celebrating the Holy Week from Sunday to Easter Sunday. The week is full of joyous activities, fasting, going to Church, and family gatherings with prayer and delicious meals.

In India, Easter celebrations are no less. You will find numerous people heading to Church, gathering of friends and families, having different Easter dinner ideas, decorating homes and more. If you want to witness the best Easter in India, visit Goa during the Holy Week of Easter.

Easter in Africa

Believe it or not, but Ethiopia celebrates Easter in a much more grand way than Christmas. During Easter, the worshippers go on long fasts, consume no animal products, pray everyday and reach the Church at night of Easter eve. 

The Egg Fight tradition in South Africa is celebrated by following the tradition of Egg Fights. Here, the families divide themselves in pairs, and the idea is to break the opponent’s egg by tapping their egg with yours. The last one to have an intact egg is believed to have a lucky year. 

Easter Trends for 2024

Just because you are away from your friends or families, does not mean that you cannot celebrate Easter. The famous Easter Egg Hunt game can be a great way to feel closer to your loved ones, and follow the traditions despite being away. All you need to do is, create different clues that will lead to the hidden eggs at home. Share the clues with your loved ones, and let them search for the hidden egg.

Eco-friendly Easter Basket Ideas are also an upcoming tradition. All you need to do is, fill the reusable eggs with different treats and toys. Some other low-cost activities for Easter are having family dinner followed by a family game night.

Easter Symbols: What do they mean?

You must have seen various Easter traditions where lots of eggs, candles, lamb, and more are used in abundance. But what do they symbolize? Let’s read on!

Easter Egg – The egg represents the new life of Jesus after the resurrection. 

Candles – People light candles in their homes and in Church during Easter, representing the light that shone after the resurrection. 

Lamb – In Christianity, the lamb symbolizes sacrifice and Jesus.

Rabbits – Rabbits are a symbol of fertility and new life. Moreover, the way rabbits climb out during Spring, the same way Jesus came out from his grave on Easter. 

How to celebrate Easter 2024?

Different cultures spend this day in various ways, whether it’s a picnic, game night with family, or parade. This year, let’s spend Easter in new ways, by incorporating new traditions, and spending quality time with our loved ones. You can use different color combinations for decorating your house, choose eco-friendly ways to decorate your home, play different games with friends and family, and so much more. Some different traditions such as Egg Fight, Egg Hunt, parades, and more can also be followed to make new memories. 

To Summarise

Easter olds great emotional, spiritual and religious importance all over the world. While some people spend their day going to the Church and praying, some people spend their day by carrying out various traditions. The activities and performances during Easter and Holy Week have been existing for thousands of years now. In 2024, let’s aim making Easter different from last year. From the above various practices, pick out the one that seems most interesting to you, and incorporate it this year on Easter!