Easter is right around the corner! It’s time to get Easter baskets ready, purchase Easter dresses and suits, and start hiding those candy filled eggs. In the United States, this holiday is not only filled with candy and bright colors for everyone, but is also a time when religious traditions are celebrated. America is not the only country that has interesting traditions for this holiday. While we focus on the Easter bunny and egg hunts, cultures around the world celebrate in their own ways.
In Brazil, there is a celebration leading up to Shrove Tuesday, which is the day where people confess wrong doings before Lent begins on Wednesday. This celebration includes one of the biggest carnivals in Rio de Janiero, with people filling up the streets and singing, dancing, and marching. The people participating in the parade dress in bright, exotic colors with clothing that could be made of wires, creating large butterfly or bird costumes. Besides the main carnival, there are smaller groups that go through the streets singing and dancing. These carnivals called, “entrudo carnivals,” started about 250 years ago and were a completely different way of celebrating. They used to consist of people throwing flour and water on each other, which was eventually banned in 1856 due to the activities turning violent. Since then the carnival has become the dancing and singing celebration that it is today.
In Ethiopia, Christians do not eat or buy any animal products like meat, eggs, butter, milk, yogurt, cream, and cheese during Lent and normally wear head bands and rings that are made of palm leaves with crosses marked on them. Their Easter day service starts on Saturday night at 8 p.m. and lasts until 3 a.m. on Easter Sunday. Most people who attend the service stay for the entire event and wear their best clothes. Afterwards, they return to their homes and have breakfast to celebrate the end of Lent with sourdough bread that is cut by either the head man in the family or by a priest. The Easter meal is eaten in the afternoon and consists of a sourdough pancake and mutton or a lamb stew.
In France, the church bells are silent from Good Friday until Easter Sunday. It is said that the church bells have flown to Vatican City to visit the Pope. Many use an Easter Fish as their icon for the holiday. There are also parades and carnivals throughout France to celebrate. One unique tradition in this country is that a puppet is burned on the public square on Ash Wednesday.
In Germany, for the Palm Sunday service, the priest sometimes rides in on a donkey. One of the most famous traditions in Germany happens in the village of Oberammergau, where a play is held every 10 years. The story goes, “In 1633 the village faced being destroyed by the Black Death or plague. The religious leaders of Oberammergau promised God that they would put on a play praising God every [10] years forever if God saved the village. They put a large painting of Jesus on the Cross to show this. God answered their prayers and saved the village, so the village stages the plays to keep their side of the promise.” This play is booked up years in advance for tourists and others to see, and lasts the entire day. Nearly everyone in the village participates in the play that is performed every day from May to October. The play starts at 9:30 a.m. and runs until 12:15 p.m. when they take a lunch break until 3 p.m. and then continue until 6 p.m.
In Greek Orthodox churches, a service is held on Easter Saturday evening before midnight where they light candles and fireworks are used to signify that Easter day has started. On Easter morning, a soup made of lamb stomach is eaten for breakfast and the remaining lamb is used for the main meal of the day. There is also a traditional Easter cake that is made with oranges and almonds with a spicy orange sauce.
In Italy, the start of Lent is celebrated with a Mardi Gras festival in Venice. Olive branches are often used instead of palm leaves. On Easter day, the Pope provides a huge mass in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, which is broadcast on TV stations and radios all over the world.
In Mexico, Easter consists of two weeks with two different festivals, called Semana Santa and Pascua. This is a popular time for people to go and visit friends and family around the country. Generally, schools and offices are closed the week before Easter and the week after. The Palms received outside of the church at service on Palm Sunday are hung on the doors of the houses to ward off evil throughout the country. Many towns and villages also re-enact the events of Holy Week in the form of plays. In other places there are early morning parades where large statues of Jesus and Mary are carried through the streets. On Easter morning, some towns have a great celebration with a fair, including food, toys, and rides.
There are many traditions that celebrate Easter throughout the world. Some places have similar traditions and some have completely unique ones. No matter the country or city, Easter is a holiday that is widely celebrated. So grab some candy, dye some hard boiled eggs, and enjoy your Easter celebrations this year!
– Amanda Northwick, JETPUBS Inc.