Easter Around the World

By Burnett Munthali………

Easter is celebrated in around 95 countries worldwide, and there are surprisingly diverse secular and cultural events and traditions in many countries that are not religious in nature. However, in other countries, there are festivities relating to the true meaning of Easter, the resurrection of Christ.

In many countries in North Western Europe, there is the lighting of ‘Easter Fires,’ usually on or before Easter Sunday.
In the UK, chocolate eggs are exchanged or hidden by the ‘Easter Bunny.’ The holiday is also often celebrated by decorating real eggs, making Easter bonnets or baskets, and on Good Friday, baking fruit-filled ‘Hot-cross buns.’
In France, the church bells do not ring for three days from Good Friday as a token of mourning for the crucified Christ.
In Mexico, Easter celebrations involve two significant observances, Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Pascua (Resurrection Sunday to the following Saturday).
In Bermuda, Good Friday is celebrated by flying homemade kites and eating codfish cakes and hot cross buns.
Unique festivities occur in Traustein, Bavaria, where riders in traditional Bavarian costumes participate in an Easter horseback parade and a sabre dance to celebrate the victory of spring over winter.
In Italy, there are dramatic processions, including ‘devils’ rampaging around Prizzi and locals in Trapani carrying life-sized wooden sculptures through the streets for 10 hours.
In Sweden, this time of year is called Påskdagen and is predominantly a secular holiday.
Christians in Jerusalem, Israel, mark Good Friday by walking the same path they believe Jesus took before his crucifixion, many with their own crosses, and then they attend mass.
In the Philippines, Filipino Catholics whip their backs with blades and bamboo sticks in religious penance as a form of worship and supplication.
In Haiti, during Holy Week, colorful parades and traditional “rara” music are played, apparently mixing Catholic and Voodoo traditions.