I have known the story behind Easter for as long as I can remember. I think most people reading this probably know that it is a holiday associated with Christianity and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, not everyone has this belief. For some, Easter may just be a day to spend with family and eat bunny and egg-shaped candy. Others may not celebrate Easter at all. Curious about how others celebrate the holiday, I decided to do a little bit of research. Without further ado, here are 11 ways people across the world celebrate.
U.S.A.
Here in the United States, many celebrate with Easter egg hunts. Another popular event is the Easter Egg roll on the lawn of the White House. My personal favorite, however, is definitely dyeing eggs!
Bermuda
In Bermuda, they celebrate on Good Friday by flying beautiful handmade kites. This is supposed to represent Christ's ascension.
Norway
Love to read? Well, Norway may be the place for you! There, they celebrate Paaskekrim, which means "Easter-crime." During the week leading up to Easter, they read mystery novels. Some families go on a vacation in the mountains this week, where they will often play Yahtzee to pass time.
Sweden
According to the Huffington Post, the day before Easter children dress up as Easter witches and travel from house to house to exchange artwork for sweets.
Northwestern Europe
Many parts of Northwestern Europe celebrate Easter with community bonfires and festivities.
Haiti
The people of Haiti celebrate Easter with colorful parades filled with traditional music.
Mexico
The days leading up to Easter are celebrated with two weeks off school and reenactments of the Passion of Christ. Easter Sunday is usually spent going to Church and quietly celebrating with their families.
Christians in India spend Easter Sunday decorating the graves of their loved ones and remembering that they will rise again.
China
Because China primarily consists of atheists, Easter is not a big day. However, Christians in China will still celebrate in their churches.
Russia
In Russia, Easter is a bigger deal than Christmas. Like in the United States, they decorate eggs. Instead of finding chocolate bunnies, however, you will find Easter cakes, often in the shape of a lamb. For Palm Sunday, they decorate their homes and churches with branches from willow trees since Palm branches are hard to come by due to the climate.
Australia
In Australia, bunnies are viewed as bad omens because they destroy their crops. Therefore, instead of having an Easter Bunny, they have Bilby.
In Australia, Easter falls around the beginning of autumn instead of spring like we are used to. Because of this, they celebrate with the "Royal Easter Show," which is an agricultural show to display their best produce. They also have fireworks, parades, and other activities for all to enjoy.
