Easter is a time for those who celebrate it to be with family, friends, and loved ones. In Europe, countries have their own culinary traditions that make every Easter meal different and unique. Where Swiss people enjoy a delicious rice tart on Easter day, Italians choose a sweet almond cake. Here's how some European countries celebrate Easter with their families.
1. Norway
Easter is marked by the color yellow in Norway, and all packaging for Easter-themed products there is yellow. Norwegians celebrate Easter with eggs, lamb, oranges, yeasted breads, cakes and sweets of all sorts, including lots of chocolate. The most popular chocolate during this time is the iconic Kvikk Lunsj produced by Freia (a subsidiary of Kraft Foods International).
2. Spain
Easter is a very important celebration in Spain. Torrija is a typical dessert of Lent and Holy Week in Spain. The dish is made with slices of bread soaked in milk, sugar and egg, and fried in olive oil
3. Greece
The Greeks celebrate Easter with Tsoureki, a braided brioche-like sweet bread that traditionally comes with eggs and is dyed red to signify the blood of Christ. The dish is served also on Christmas and New Years.
4. Italy
A national Easter dish in Italy is Colomba, or 'dove', a Christian symbol representing both peace and the Holy Spirit. The dough is usually topped with pearl sugar and almonds before being baked.
5. Switzerland
The Swiss enjoy a delicious traditional rice tart on Easter day. It's a tart with rice, and has lemon and almonds in the filling.
6. Great Britain
The most important Easter dish in England is the Simnel Cake. The Simnel Cake signifies the end of Lent, the period of 40 days which comes before Easter. For Christians, Lent is a period of fasting and repentance. It culminates in a feast of seasonal and symbolic foods. This cake is rich with fruits, spices and marzipan.
7. Croatia
Sirnica, or 'pinch,' is a traditional cake eaten for Easter in Croatia. By its texture and taste, it's a cake which usually comes in a from of load or braid. Since Sirnica contains many eggs, it's considered to symbolize the end of Lent and the beginning of a richer and better period.
8. Finland
The Mignon chocolate egg is an Easter confectionery made by the Fazer company, one of the largest corporations in the Finnish food industry. The eggs are filled with almond-hazelnut nougat inside a real egg shell.
9. France
10. Russia
Kulich is baked in tall, cylindrical tins. When cooled, Kulich is decorated with white icing and colorful flowers. It's a kind of Easter bread that is traditional in the Orthodox Christian faith and is also eaten in Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.
11. Sweden
Swedish people love to end their Easter meal with some rich chocolate truffles. These lovely homemade truffles are usually placed in colorful Easter eggs.
Easter is the first major holiday of spring and, for many Christians, is considered the holiest day of the year. Easter also means family spending more time together, and celebrating the rebirth of nature through their culinary choices. But most of all, it's the perfect time of the year to enjoy some chocolate and Easter eggs!
