Easter Traditions Around the World

As a modern girl I would say that I’m accommodating, I take part in events because I like to learn other people’s culture. As a kid I loved the weeklong festivities and food from Easter. After talking with several co-workers about our different traditions I realized we hadn’t heard of each other’s traditions. None of my co-workers had ever heard of my traditions and until the last couple of years I didn’t know that some people dyed and hid hard-boiled eggs. I then thought it would be fun to research different traditions and share them with you.

So hear is a list of some of the most interesting Easter traditions

MEXICO:

Mexican culture is intertwined with the Catholic religion. With this Easter is a week long called the Saint Week (Semana Santa) starting Palm Sunday. Various celebrations both religious and secular include setting off fireworks inside a Piñata. Usually of a politician that they feel, have wronged the people. Easter dinner includes the last meal of seafood fish, shrimp cakes, and other sides, and my favorite tradition cascarones. Cascarones are brightly colored/decorated eggshells filled with confetti or glitter. Then are hidden like in an Easter hunt but then crack the egg over friends and family member’s heads as a sign for good luck.

SWEDEN:

Sweden is a secular country but has many deeply rooted traditions. Food being important to the festivities eggs, herring and a dish called Jansson’s temptation that includes (potato, onion, and pickled sardines) baked in cream are essential to Easter. There is an amazing Halloween like tradition of children dressing up as Easter witches, wearing old and discarded clothes going from house to house in their neighborhoods for sweets and trading paintings.

GERMANY:

There are quite a few traditions that I think would be fun to incorporate in Easter festivities the first would be the Der Osterbaum. Der Osterbaum is a little tree that elaborately decorated eggs are bung from branches in a vase inside or trees decorated outside. Along with the Easter bunny children have and Easter fox, rooster, stork and chick to bring treats. Unfortunately some of these animals are loosing popularity as Der Osterhase is gaining popularity. Many farm towns participate in tradition of Easter bonfires. Bonfires often use the wood of old Christmas trees, which was an old pagan tradition, believed that any home or field would be protected from misfortune and sickness.

GUATEMALA:

Guatemala has one of the coolest and most time consuming traditions. Communities make beautiful carpets of sawdust and flowers that are about a mile long. Large parades where men, women, and children carry floats that can weight up to several tons. The parades are huge and include that include a band and people dressed in black who carry and burn large vases of black incense. I can imagine how cool it must look seeing these huge structures move down the road with such a ambiance in the environment.

POLAND:

Like in Mexican culture the Easter celebrations start on Palm Sunday. One of the most loved traditions is the blessing of the Easter basket where a small sample of important food is placed inside the basket. On Easter Sunday a big breakfast is served, then eggs are decorated, and children find sweets that were hid in their room from the night prior. Wet Monday is when groups of young boys hunt for unmarried girls to use water guns, buckets, balloons in a full on water fight.

MAKE YOUR OWN TRADITIONS:

All these traditions carry unique insight on fun and sacred traditions of each culture.  Here the FatWallet culture carries it own easter-esque tradition. This one involves baking a baby into cupcakes. The person that finds the baby receives a prize. Next year that person must provide the cupcakes with the hidden baby next year. Are there family traditions that have evolved into yearly events? Are they cultural or one’s you have created? We would love to hear them. What ever you so over the next couple of weeks enjoy spring!