Easter Traditions and Customs around the World

Easter Sunday could easily be described as the most important day for Christians, even more important than Christmas. They believe that Easter Sunday is the day that Jesus Christ arose from the dead. His resurrection is cause for celebration for Christians all over the world. For this reason, there are differing Easter traditions and customs around the world.

United States

The United States has a variety of Easter traditions because there are many denominations here. Roman Catholics begin observing the Easter season on Ash Wednesday, which is forty-six days before Easter Sunday. It is also commemorated with the forty days of Lent where Catholic followers fast and abstain from certain things in preparation for Easter. Protestant believers often celebrate with Easter sunrise services and taking communion.

Some churches host Easter egg hunts the Saturday before Easter as a means to reach out to their communities and draw attention to what Christ did on the cross. You can expect to see Easter lilies decorating churches. Many churches offer sunrise services because they believe that Christ rose early in the morning on Sunday. Children are given Easter baskets.

Mexico

Most of Mexico’s population is Roman Catholic. They often have productions where they re-enact the last supper, betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday.

Russia

Brightly colored eggs are given as gifts in Russia. On Easter Eve, the priests go through the city and knock on parishioner’s doors, which leads to a procession through the streets where songs of praise are sung. People pick pussy willow and tap others on the shoulders with the plant to wish them good luck.

Italy

Don’t expect to hear the bells peal from Good Friday to Easter Sunday morning. When they finally do ring, Italians hug and kiss each other proclaiming that Jesus is alive. They celebrate Easter dinner by having roast lamb.

Israel

Israelis don’t celebrate Easter, but they do celebrate Passover, which often falls during the same time as Holy Week. During Passover, they remember how God lead their ancestors out of Egypt. Passover, or Pesach, is followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread which lasts for seven days.

United Kingdom

Many Easter traditions include food, and that’s no different in the U.K. You can find people eating hot cross buns, which symbolize the cross, and exchanging chocolate eggs. They often also hide eggs around for children to find, much like in the United States.

Pagans and wiccans choose to celebrate the arrival of spring rather than commemorate anyone’s death or resurrection. Instead, they prefer to have a feast to honor the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, which is where the English word Easter comes from. They also celebrate using colorful eggs; however, they believe the eggs are a fertility symbol.

Easter traditions and customs change from country to country. However, depending upon your religious background, you may not celebrate the holiday at all. That doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate spring even if you don’t believe in Christ’s resurrection.