Easter, as we know it in the United States, is the time of year when a bunny comes and hides eggs and baskets filled with candy. A day full of surprises, easter egg hunts, family dinners, and games. Although this is fun, it’s not how it’s done all over the world.
In the UK and Ireland, they also celebrate Easter with an Easter bunny, but they have some unique traditions. Especially in the UK, where they do egg rolling. Egg rolling is where they boil eggs and dye them, as we do in the US. After that, they roll them down a grassy hill to see whose will travel the fastest. They also use daffodils to decorate their home, as it’s seen as a symbol for Easter there.
In France, they use something totally different from an easter bunny. They use bells, which can deliver chocolate eggs after the bells are rung. The story goes that after the bells ring, they fly over and drop eggs, fish, and bunnies in the gardens. That triggers the egg hunts that all the families participate in, as we do here in America.
Finland has a unique way of celebrating that not many places do. They celebrate in a similar way America does to Halloween. For their traditions, they have the children dress up as witches and go door to door, asking for candy. Not only that, but they host bonfires to help banish the evil spirits, witches, and trolls that are believed to roam between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. According to Wiki Elava Perioto, the children who dress up as Easter witches attend these bonfires and even receive a treat.
In Italy, they still celebrate with eggs as we do here in America, but there is much more than just chocolate inside. Insightvactions.com mentions that, in the past, they used to decorate ostrich eggs with intricate designs. Some were uncovered in Africa that dated back to 60,000 years. But in modern-day traditions, the chocolate eggs are filled with surprises. The more luxury eggs, the greater the price, with some even containing jewelry, watches, and even car keys.
Easter in Australia looks incredibly different since they don’t use the Easter bunny at all. Rabbits in Australia have caused damage to the environment, so badly that they have a running foundation to have a rabbit-free Australia. So for their Easter traditions, they have the Easter Bilby, which is similar to a rabbit but less damaging to their environment. You can actually find products with the infamous bilby in Australian shops.
Easter is different all over the world, and can be adapted to work with different cultures. But one overall theme is one of celebration. No matter what each country believes or doesn’t believe, these traditions bring people together to recognize the time. What does your family do to celebrate Easter?
