Easter traditions around the world.

Easter is the key holiday in the Christian calendar but there is much more apart from decorating eggs and churchgoing. We’ve prepared a list of Easter traditions around the world, keep on reading and discover what Northern Spaniards drink during this holiday and why the Norwegians read detective stories in Easter.

Spain

Spanish Semana Santa by ErKillo via Flickr

Easter celebrations in Spain are really linked to its religious story. The Easter Week is known as “Semana Santa” (Holy Week) and it’s massively celebrated all around the country. Seville is one of the best destinations during this holiday, wooden sculptures representing scenes of Christian events such as “the Passion” or images of the Virgin Mary are lifted by crowds of people dressed in long tunics and walked around the streets of the city.

One of the most popular dishes during the Spanish Easter is “Torrijas”, these are slices of bread dipped in egg, soaked in milk or wine, fried and sweetened with sugar. In Leon, a region in Northern Spain, a special type of alcoholic lemonade made with red wine, sugar and lemon is drank during the festivities.

Czech Republic

Czech pomlázka via Czechmatediary

Easter in Czech Republic is known as “Velikonoce”, colourful folk customs and traditions fill the streets in one of the most celebrated holiday in the country.

Easter Monday is called “Whipping Monday”. In the morning, men spank women on their legs with a special braided whip made of pussywillow twigs and called “pomlázka”. The spanking is not intended to cause any harm and nowadays it is just a symbolic whipping. A legend says that women had to be spanked on their legs in order to keep their beauty and health during the next year.

While whipping the girl, the boy is supposed to recite an Easter carol, and the girl would give him a painted egg in reward and tie a ribbon around his whip.

Bermuda

Bermuda's kites via Armleg.com

Easter in Bermuda is celebrated with egg hunts, church services and festive meals but there is something that makes this holiday unique, the tradition of kite flying on Good Friday.

Colourful kites fill the skies of the country during this day. This tradition has its origins on a creative lesson by a Sunday school teacher, it is said that the teacher made a cross kite and set it flying to represent Jesus Christ’s ascension to heaven.

Norway

Detective stories printed on milk cartons via From Oz to Oslo

A Norwegian tradition during Easter is solving crimes! Book publishers release series of books called “Påskekrimmen” or Easter-thrillers before Easter so people can read them and solve their mysteries during the holiday. All the major TV channels also run crime and detective stories and even milk cartons change their sides during Easter and feature murder stories!

Italy

Scoppio del Carro by Monica Kelly via Flickr

The “Scoppio del Carro” (Explosion of the Cart) in Florence is one of the most beautiful Easter traditions in Italy. On Easter Sunday, a cart packed with fireworks is lit providing a stunning visual spectacle.

The 30-foot-tall cart has been used for over 500 years, on the Easter Sunday morning it is moved across the city by 150 musicians, soldiers, and people in 15^th century dresses. The fireworks show lasts  around 20 minutes, if it is successful it is supposed to guarantee a good harvest and prosperity for businesses.

During your trip you could find somewhere that does car hire in Italy (Europcar for example provide cheap car hire all over Europe www.europcar.co.uk) and take a little drive over to Pisa, it’s only about 100km. The city has some great events on Easter Monday including the ancient Ommaggio di Primavera flag waving display and the Easter basket procession.

So may places to go this Easter! In case you want to discover more traditions and customs, we’ve prepared a top 10 with our favourite Easter destinations! Save some money using travel vouchers and get ready for a different holiday this Easter, because there is so much more than the Easter Bunny!

How do you celebrate Easter in your country? Do you have a favourite destination during this holiday? Let us know in the comments section below.

No related posts.