Spring is upon us, and with it comes thoughts of Easter. I’m not sure what you think of when Easter comes to mind, but for me, it’s church , the resurrection, tulips, family gathering, warm weather, and baby animals. We have numerous family traditions that go along with Easter. But, have you ever wondered how others around the world celebrate Easter? I have! And was surprised at what I learned about Easter traditions from around the world.
Easter Traditions in Spain
Easter in Spain is considered one of the most important festivals. Spaniards consider it a time of celebration and merriment. The celebrations start with ‘Domingo de Ramos’, or Palm Sunday, and finish with ‘Lunes de Pascua’, or Easter Monday.
One of the biggest Easter celebrations takes place in Seville. The celebration includes 52 different religious brotherhoods marching through the city. Thousands watch the daily procession of marching bands, decorated candlelit floats and illustrations of the Easter story.
Easter Traditions in Brazil
Easter in Brazil comes during the autumn season due to its geographical location. Overall the Easter traditions in Brazil are held with much splendor and celebration. Many small towns hold mini versions of Carnival on their Easter Saturday, called ‘Sábado de Aleluia, to celebrate the end of Lent.
Easter Traditions in France
France celebrates Easter with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. In French, Easter is known as P�ques and is one of the major festivals in the country. One tradition takes places in the town of Haux, where each year a giant omelet is made with 4,500 eggs that feed 1,000 people. The meal is served in the town’s main square. The reasoning behind the tradition comes from a story about Napolean. Rumor has it that when Napolean and his army traveled through south France, they stopped in the town and ate omelets. He liked the omelets so much that he ordered the townspeople to gather eggs and make him and his army ANOTHER giant omelet the next day.
Easter Traditions in Bermuda
In Bermuda, Easter is celebrated mostly on Good Friday. The locals celebrate by flying home-made kites, eating codfish cakes and hot cross buns. This Easter tradition is said to have begun when a local teacher from the British Army had a difficult time explaining Christ’s ascension to heaven to his Sunday School class. To help with the lesson he made a kite, shaped like a cross, to illustrate the ascension. Traditionally the Bermuda kites are made with colorful tissue paper, wood, metal, string, and long tails.
Easter Traditions in Germany
In Germany, Easter is known by the name of Ostern. The Easter holiday in Germany lasts about three weeks for children. Employers typically give their employees Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday off from work. In America, and other countries, Easter eggs are hidden and children hunt for them. However, in Germany, Easter eggs are displayed on trees and prominently in streets. In fact, some of the trees may hae thousands of multi color eggs hanging on them.
Many countries celebrate Easter similar to the way we do in the U.S. some involve similar characters, traditions, and songs, and some are quite different. The common theme I noticed while studying Easter around the world is the tradition. No matter what country we are looking at, the Easter holiday is deeply rooted in tradition. A celebration of the past, but remembered today.
What traditions are you leaving behind for your family this Easter holiday? What traditions are you incorporating into your family celebrations?
PS: Have you grabbed your FREE Spring Printable Pack? It’s a great way to add a foreign language to your spring activities!
