Easter Around the World
Apr 06, 2007
EASTER consists of an entire season of festivities summarising the ministry of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated differently in many regions of the world.
By Jackie Nake and
George Laghu
EASTER consists of an entire season of festivities summarising the ministry of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated differently in many regions of the world.
The United States Easter is celebrated with sunrise services, bunnies, eggs and baskets. Many Christians wear new clothes, to imitate first-century Christians who dressed in new white gowns after baptism, which generally took place once a year, at Easter.
Among the youth, a new tradition is emerging, where the Jesus menu is the main meal of the season. The meal consists of fish, bread and wine.
The United Kingdom According to a book It’s Time for Easter, by Elizabeth Hough Sechrist and Janette Woolsey, in Suffolk, 12 old women were chosen to play ball on Easter Monday — no one seems to know why.
Another old custom called “lifting†occurred two days after Easter. On Easter Monday, men lifted their wives and women friends in chairs covered with white fabric, decorated with colourful ribbons. The following day, the ladies lifted the gentlemen in the same way. The custom was said to be a memorial of Christ being raised from the grave.
The king or queen washed the feet of the poor on Holy Thursday.The Welsh decorated the graves of family members and friends on Saturday. This was a reminder of the promise of Christ’s resurrection and that Christians will also one day be raised from the dead.
In England, hot cross buns are eaten during the Easter season. The buns have a cross iced on top of them.
France
The church bells are silent from Good Friday to Easter morning. Legend has it that the bells do not ring because they go to Rome and come back bringing gifts. When the bells ring on Easter, children go outside to collect Easter eggs and candy that have “fallen from the sky.â€
On Easter Sunday, people dress in their best attire and throng the streets, exchanging greetings.
Celebrations are also marked with the Mardi Gras (fat Tuesday) carnival on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Fat cows are exhibited to emphasise the meaning of carnevarium — a Latin word which means the removal of meat.
Germany
Some Germans think it is good luck to eat green food on Holy Thursday. At one time, some even believed that if they did not eat a green salad, they would turn into donkeys.
Children play a traditional game, rolling eggs on tracks made of sticks. On Easter night, huge festival fires are lit on hilltops.
Italy
In greater Rome, a visitor to the house never refuses the Easter eggs that have been blessed by the priest for this event.
Usually, the eggs are placed in the middle of a sweet bread that has been shaped into a chick, bunny, or doll. Baking this bread is a favourite family activity.
On Holy Saturday in Florence, two white oxen may be seen on the streets, drawing a cart filled with flowers and fireworks — a custom that dates back to the crusades.
The cart stops at the door of the great cathedral, where wires are strung from it to the altar. When it touches the cart, fireworks are ignited. A firebird dashes back to the church. If it returns to the altar before the explosion, all is well. If it does not return, people believe the crops will suffer the following year.
It is also common for people to eat mutton, as a symbol of Jesus’ death as a sacrificial lamb.
Eastern Europe
The practice of colouring and decorating eggs dates back to the Middle Ages in many countries.
In Poland, it became an art form.
Hungarians adorned their eggs with red flowers to symbolise the blood of Jesus.
Egg decorators in Yugoslavia used the letters XV, which stood for christos valkrese of “Christ is risen.â€
The Polish also take their food to the priest on Saturday for a blessing. They arrange food on green leaves in a large basket.
Russians celebrate Shrovetide (the week before Easter) with pancakes called blini.
Sweden and Norway
It is customary to bring budding branches from flowering trees into the house. The heat causes the buds to burst open just in time for Easter. Sometimes the branches are made into Easter trees and hung with coloured eggs or feathers. On the night before Easter, children go around in costumes delivering holiday letters and cards. They also set off fireworks.
Greece
People carry lighted candles to midnight services on Easter Eve. The worshippers leave the church with their candles lit. Many believe it is good luck to keep them burning until they reach home.
On Easter Sunday, a special bread called the Bread of Christ, is eaten.
A Greek cross representing the crucifixion is marked on its top crust and the loaf is decorated with Easter eggs.
On Easter Monday, traditional folk dances are performed.
South America
Lent is preceded by a great frolic known as carnival on Shrove Tuesday and is celebrated with parades, band music and dancing.
On Flower Sunday (Palm Sunday), people place palm branches from church behind their doors. They believe this will bring good luck and peace throughout the coming year.
On Holy Thursday, a Last Supper is re-enacted in the church. On Good Friday at 3:00pm, the priest removes the image of Christ from the cross. It is placed in a sepulcher (tomb) and is visited by worshipers until evening.
Uganda
Apart from the church tradition and culture, Ugandans are also developing a culture by including African practices of vigil.
At the Moyo Catholic Church, Christians gather around a bon fire and tell stories about Jesus, as they would about a dead kin.
The archivist of the Archdiocese of Kampala, Rev Fr Joseph Ssali said the symbols of Easter, however, still remain the crucifix (a cross with Jesus on it) or a cross without Jesus.
Rev. John Donkon of the Lutheran church in Uganda said as part of Easter feasts, Lutherans carry a cross on which there is no image of Jesus. “We believe that Jesus has risen and is no longer on the cross,†he said.
Generally, Easter is seen as a time of soul-searching, repentance and mending of relationships.
George Laghu
EASTER consists of an entire season of festivities summarising the ministry of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated differently in many regions of the world.
The United States Easter is celebrated with sunrise services, bunnies, eggs and baskets. Many Christians wear new clothes, to imitate first-century Christians who dressed in new white gowns after baptism, which generally took place once a year, at Easter.
Among the youth, a new tradition is emerging, where the Jesus menu is the main meal of the season. The meal consists of fish, bread and wine.
The United Kingdom According to a book It’s Time for Easter, by Elizabeth Hough Sechrist and Janette Woolsey, in Suffolk, 12 old women were chosen to play ball on Easter Monday — no one seems to know why.
Another old custom called “lifting†occurred two days after Easter. On Easter Monday, men lifted their wives and women friends in chairs covered with white fabric, decorated with colourful ribbons. The following day, the ladies lifted the gentlemen in the same way. The custom was said to be a memorial of Christ being raised from the grave.
The king or queen washed the feet of the poor on Holy Thursday.The Welsh decorated the graves of family members and friends on Saturday. This was a reminder of the promise of Christ’s resurrection and that Christians will also one day be raised from the dead.
In England, hot cross buns are eaten during the Easter season. The buns have a cross iced on top of them.
France
The church bells are silent from Good Friday to Easter morning. Legend has it that the bells do not ring because they go to Rome and come back bringing gifts. When the bells ring on Easter, children go outside to collect Easter eggs and candy that have “fallen from the sky.â€
On Easter Sunday, people dress in their best attire and throng the streets, exchanging greetings.
Celebrations are also marked with the Mardi Gras (fat Tuesday) carnival on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Fat cows are exhibited to emphasise the meaning of carnevarium — a Latin word which means the removal of meat.
Germany
Some Germans think it is good luck to eat green food on Holy Thursday. At one time, some even believed that if they did not eat a green salad, they would turn into donkeys.
Children play a traditional game, rolling eggs on tracks made of sticks. On Easter night, huge festival fires are lit on hilltops.
Italy
In greater Rome, a visitor to the house never refuses the Easter eggs that have been blessed by the priest for this event.
Usually, the eggs are placed in the middle of a sweet bread that has been shaped into a chick, bunny, or doll. Baking this bread is a favourite family activity.
On Holy Saturday in Florence, two white oxen may be seen on the streets, drawing a cart filled with flowers and fireworks — a custom that dates back to the crusades.
The cart stops at the door of the great cathedral, where wires are strung from it to the altar. When it touches the cart, fireworks are ignited. A firebird dashes back to the church. If it returns to the altar before the explosion, all is well. If it does not return, people believe the crops will suffer the following year.
It is also common for people to eat mutton, as a symbol of Jesus’ death as a sacrificial lamb.
Eastern Europe
The practice of colouring and decorating eggs dates back to the Middle Ages in many countries.
In Poland, it became an art form.
Hungarians adorned their eggs with red flowers to symbolise the blood of Jesus.
Egg decorators in Yugoslavia used the letters XV, which stood for christos valkrese of “Christ is risen.â€
The Polish also take their food to the priest on Saturday for a blessing. They arrange food on green leaves in a large basket.
Russians celebrate Shrovetide (the week before Easter) with pancakes called blini.
Sweden and Norway
It is customary to bring budding branches from flowering trees into the house. The heat causes the buds to burst open just in time for Easter. Sometimes the branches are made into Easter trees and hung with coloured eggs or feathers. On the night before Easter, children go around in costumes delivering holiday letters and cards. They also set off fireworks.
Greece
People carry lighted candles to midnight services on Easter Eve. The worshippers leave the church with their candles lit. Many believe it is good luck to keep them burning until they reach home.
On Easter Sunday, a special bread called the Bread of Christ, is eaten.
A Greek cross representing the crucifixion is marked on its top crust and the loaf is decorated with Easter eggs.
On Easter Monday, traditional folk dances are performed.
South America
Lent is preceded by a great frolic known as carnival on Shrove Tuesday and is celebrated with parades, band music and dancing.
On Flower Sunday (Palm Sunday), people place palm branches from church behind their doors. They believe this will bring good luck and peace throughout the coming year.
On Holy Thursday, a Last Supper is re-enacted in the church. On Good Friday at 3:00pm, the priest removes the image of Christ from the cross. It is placed in a sepulcher (tomb) and is visited by worshipers until evening.
Uganda
Apart from the church tradition and culture, Ugandans are also developing a culture by including African practices of vigil.
At the Moyo Catholic Church, Christians gather around a bon fire and tell stories about Jesus, as they would about a dead kin.
The archivist of the Archdiocese of Kampala, Rev Fr Joseph Ssali said the symbols of Easter, however, still remain the crucifix (a cross with Jesus on it) or a cross without Jesus.
Rev. John Donkon of the Lutheran church in Uganda said as part of Easter feasts, Lutherans carry a cross on which there is no image of Jesus. “We believe that Jesus has risen and is no longer on the cross,†he said.
Generally, Easter is seen as a time of soul-searching, repentance and mending of relationships.