Easter Traditions Around the World

Easter Traditions Around the World
By Mandy Waters







For the people around the globe, Easter represents a vast array of different, but significant beliefs, ideals and meanings. These beliefs are celebrated in the form of chocolate eggs, 'treasure hunts', the Easter Bunny, greeting cards, and many other vibrant, colourful customs. But in certain countries and traditions, the Easter Holiday is an excuse to throw the conventions out the window, and celebrate in some truly bizarre ways.
Though the giving of Easter eggs seems cemented in standard tradition, families and loved ones will still find small variations to this rule. In some countries, such as Bulgaria and Ukraine, the Easter egg is a symbol of new life, giving extra incentive to mark the occasion with high levels of creativity and wonder. The Ukrainian Pysanka egg is an example of this hardened tradition, making use of beeswax in the decorating process, and features traditional Ukrainian folk designs.
However, it's not all about the eggs when it comes to celebrating Easter, and here are a few more unique methods for you to digest with your chocolate this year:
Did you know that Australians are the world's largest consumers of chocolate eggs? The Easter Bunny sure is to busy there come Easter Sunday? In fact no, this isn't the case. Largely blamed for the destruction of vegetable crops, the Easter Bunny is in fact replaced with the Easter Bilby. These native marsupials share many features with the rabbit, and much of the money spent on Bilby goods and sweets at Easter are given to charities charged with preventing the extinction of these endangered creatures.
In Scotland and Northern Island, Easter is celebrated not just by eating and decorating the eggs, but by rolling them down steep hills. The practice of 'egg rolling' symbolises the rolling away of the stone blocking Christ's 'grave'. The event is replicated in the USA as well, and each Easter Monday, locals of Washington DC are able to visit the White House and join in the fun as parents and children are invited to compete with the President and his family.
Nordic countries also have an odd tradition that sees children dressing up as witches, and knocking door-to-door for sweets and chocolate, in a bizarre distortion of Halloween's Trick or Treat. Sweden also does its best in reflecting customs usually seen at other times of the year by celebrating with bonfires. The tradition is widely regarded as the practice of warding off evil spirits, such as witches, and falls close to the night of Walpurgis.
Elsewhere in Europe, Czech Republic and Slovakia specifically, whipping your wife with a braided whip is actually encouraged rather than considered demeaning, and well...illegal. The 'poml�zka', or 'korb�č', is a colourfully designed whip which is used to 'hit' others, and by doing so, infuse them with a sense of happiness and good luck for the rest of the coming year.
Easter Holiday s in Greece, Mexico, Spain and Portugal have their own unique branding of justice. This consists of the locals holding a 'fake trial' days before Easter Sunday, and in a method faintly reminiscent of November 5th, figures of Judas are strung up, and left hanging for days. Bonfire Night festivities are then replicated fully on the Sunday when the unfortunate figures are burnt, or stuffed with fireworks, contributing to a wonderfully intense kaleidoscope of colour and warmth.
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