What comes to your mind when the word “Easter” starts to appear everywhere? Probably chocolate or even bunnies, which are the biggest symbols of this traditional holiday season, alongside their religious significance. But have you ever thought that in other countries, Easter celebrations might occur differently, and perhaps the symbols that are common to us are not as familiar to other nations? Here is how different countries celebrate Easter around the world!
Italy
Starting with the Europeans, in Italy, Pasqua is the second most important holiday after Christmas, and Holy Week contains rites that hold many traditions followed by the locals. In Rome, for example, on Good Friday, many people gather in Saint Peter’s Basilica to listen to the Pope’s mass and illuminate the streets with torches to commemorate Christ’s Via Crucis, adding a religious touch to their celebration.
However, in other parts of Italy, it’s common to see younger generations bring different values and traditions, such as parades of allegorical floats with fireworks, games, and even battles to enliven the holiday. And, of course, there is the traditional food made by the Italians. “Torta di Pasqua”, a savory cheese bread sprinkled with holy water, and “La Colomba”, a dove-shaped cake with candied orange peel and an almond sugar glaze, are typically made for “Pasqua.” Sounds like a whole lot of fun, right?
Egypt
Turning to ancient times, the Egyptian people who follow the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrate “Coptic Easter,” which follows the Julian calendar and occurs at a different time of year. Merging spiritual practices with exciting rituals, their Easter is accompanied by the “Sham El-Nessim” festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring and means “smelling the breeze.” It usually takes place outdoors, featuring picnics, families, and coexistence among different religions.
For the kids, the Easter Festival provides the so-called “Khokhas”, clay pots decorated on the outside with vivid colors and spring images, and inside they will find chocolates and treats to enjoy. If there’s a picnic, of course, there will be food, with the main dish prepared by the Egyptians being Fesikh, which consists of fermented, salted, and dried gray mullet fish, symbolizing life and renewal for the Egyptian people.
Australia
For a good start, Australia treats Easter very differently than other countries do, because their symbolic animal is not the traditional Easter Bunny, but the Australian Bilby, which is a marsupial and is currently almost extinct. Besides changing the original animal to an Australian one, Easter in Oceania is complemented by the Sydney Royal Easter Show, a festival that has been held since 1823 and mixes live concerts, carnival activities, rural exhibitions, and tons of food and chocolate.
Greece
Just like the Italians, the Greeks celebrate not only Easter Sunday but also Holy Week, as the majority of the country’s population is part of the Greek Orthodox Church. The main part of the Greek Easter is its beginning, which starts with the preparation of the main dish, the Tsourékia, a sweet yeast-raised pastry, followed by traditional red-colored hard-boiled eggs, representing the blood of Christ and the new life ahead.
On Good Friday, churches’ Epitaphios (a wooden canopied bier representing the tomb of Christ) are covered with flowers of various colors, and on Easter Sunday morning, in many parts of the country, lamb is skewered and cooked over charcoal. In other regions, the meat for the Easter table-lamb is roasted in the oven. The atmosphere is festive, and people listen to and dance to folk music.
Colombia
Migrating to South America, the traditional Semana Santa is also observed by Colombians, which is a synonym for unity, devotion, and reflection. Since the majority of the population is Catholic, it is common to see several traditions among them. For example, there are ceremonial pilgrimages to visit seven religious monuments or churches in the city throughout the week to evoke the journey Christ made during his crucifixion.
During Easter, gastronomy becomes vital in the Caribbean region. Dishes whose main ingredients are seafood are the stars of Colombian tables. During Easter, the Festival del Dulce is highly frequented, and during this event, homage is paid to homemade sweets in squares, streets, and shopping centers, always featuring the special participation of palenqueras, who prepare the delicacies that festival attendees enjoy. Among the main sweet dishes at the festival are “Leche o leche cortada” and “Dominican Sweet Beans.”
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The article above was edited by Isabelle Bignardi.
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