Easter Traditions Around The World
How do YOU celebrate?
Before getting into today’s newsletter, I wanted to share that I am now on Youtube!! I posted my first video yesterday and will be sharing more content from the Mills as well as travel vlogs to accompany my city guides. I hope you enjoy, it would mean so much if you could please subscribe :)
Since we are all from different backgrounds, I am going to refrain from discussing religion too much in this newsletter but rather touch upon customs and delicious nibbles which differ worldwide. We can all learn so much from one another flavor-wise, and holidays are a great occasion to do so. Just by zooming into the table, one can learn about new combinations and pairings.
My father is French and my mother is Greek American so I’ve always celebrated both Catholic Easter and Greek Orthodox Easter. These two are celebrated on different days of the year and are especially spread apart this year - March 31st and May 5th. They’re incredibly different but both wonderful (and delicious) in their own way. This year I even made a carrot cake jam in honor of the Easter Bunny…
Why Chocolate Easter Eggs? Why Easter Bunnies?
Before getting into country-specific examples, have you ever wondered why are easter eggs a thing? And why are they chocolate?? And why in the world does a bunny deliver them?
Eggs themselves are symbol of the Resurrection as they represent new life. During Holy Week (the week prior to Easter), members of the church weren’t allowed to eat any eggs so these were decorated instead and given out as gifts to children. With time, these painted eggs turned into decorated egg-shaped boxes filled with goodies and then finally, chocolate eggs.
The first chocolate eggs appeared in the 1800s in Europe (France and Germany specifically). However these were just dense bites of chocolate in the shape of an egg. The first ever hollow chocolate eggs were actually first sold by J. S. Fry & Sons in the UK in 1873! They did so by making a paste with cocoa fat, cocoa powder and sugar and pouring it into molds. A mere 2 years later, their competitor, Cadbury’s, copied their invention and as we all know, thousands followed in their footsteps.
As for the Easter bunny, this tradition originated among German Lutherans in the 1300s. Back in the day in Germany, they worshipped gods and goddesses including Eostra, the goddess of fertility. As you may know, bunnies are usually very “excited”, fertile and reproduce quickly. Due to these traits, bunnies came symbolize new life (like an egg). Further, like Santa Claus, the egg-laying Easter Hare, named "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws" would judge kids and give sweets to the nice ones.
One thing to note is that in many countries (including France), the Easter bunny isn’t even a thing. In France, the Easter “bunny” is replaced by thousands of flying bells! Let’s get into fun specifics now.
France
On Easter Sunday in France, bells fly overhead and drop chocolate eggs. They are silenced as of Thursday to represent the mourning period and then let loose on Sunday morning to fly off to the Vatican to be blessed. Although there is now an Easter Bunny (for the kiddos), the chocolate eggs are always gifted by the bells.
A village named Bessières celebrates Easter Monday by making a giant omelette composed of 15,000 eggs. Each family cracks eggs in their own home and then heads to the town square to combine these eggs into a massive pan. Why you may ask? Napoleon Bonaparte once visited this town in southwest France and asked for one large omelette to feed his troops. The tradition lived on was a way to feed the needy of the village at Easter.
UK
These buns commemorate the crucifixion as they are decorated with a cross. The spices and fruit tucked within these pillowy baked goods are also meant to symbolize health and prosperity. If you’d like a recipe you can check out Nicola Lamb’s iconic one here - I can attest, they’re wonderful. They’re also eaten in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
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US
Every year on Easter Monday, the US President’s wife throws the Easter Egg Roll in the US. This year, over 30,000 people are meant to attend! Children under the age of 13 compete against each other to push an egg through grass with the help of a large wooden spoon. While this game has been played since 1878 on the South Lawn of the White House under President Rutherford B Hayes and his wife Lucy, it actually dates all the way from 1814 (!!) with Dolley Madison, President James Madison’s wife.
When I think of Easter in the US, I won’t lie to you, I think of peeps. These fluffy marshmallows are available in most drugstores and whether you choose bunnies or peeps, they will leave your tongue some bright color.
Greece
Greek Easter is one of my favorite holidays of the year alongside Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although celebrated at a different date, May 5th this year, I’ve always celebrated Orthodox Easter. It’s a day for delicious food, drink, and a game that gets a bit (too) competitive.
Eater egg cracking: every person at the table picks an egg they deem to be the strongest and the games begin. These eggs are all dyed red to represent Jesus' blood. With a tap, one person says “Christos Anesti!” (Christ has risen) and hits the other person’s egg as they say “Alithos Anesti!” (He has). Only one egg will crack so you keep going around until you’re the last man/woman/winner standing.
Tsoureki is a Greek Easter bread made with mastic and mahlepi, tree resin and ground cherry pits. In my family, my mom and I were always in charge of making the bread so this prep and baking day with her is my favorite tradition of them all.
On the island of Corfu, water is thrown out the window onto streets to welcome spring and new crops.
Bermuda
On this Caribbean island, kites are flown on Good Friday to represent Jesus rising to heaven. This tradition appears in other countries such as Guyana and in certain villages in Spain
Jamaica
The egg is a symbol of the Resurrection as it represents new life. In Jamaica, an egg + egg white are added to a glass of water and the eventual shape seen in the water is read to predict the way in which you will die.
South Africa
I MISS SOUTH AFRICA SO MUCH! You can find my city guide here :)
Here they celebrate with a big Easter Braai (barbecue).
I recently asked how people eat hot cross buns and got so many comments claiming that in South Africa, pickled fish is a common filling! This is a specific Cape Town culinary tradition as the Cape Malay pickled fish symbolizes the vinegar given to Christ at the crucifixion.
Germany
Turns out you can’t boogie on Good Friday? No dancing allowed! Nightclubs are forced to close, otherwise they incur a hefty fine.
In some areas of Germany, Easter eggs are delivered by a fox.
Switzerland
Instead of an Easter bunny, bells, or a fox, an Easter cuckoo delivers chocolate eggs to children in Switzerland.
Spain
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Torrijas are the Spanish version of French Toast. Since these are simply stale bread soaked in milk (and back in the day, wine), they were considered a poor man’s food and the perfect way to maintain energy during Lent when meat was off limits. Although you may now find them year round, they’re technically only eaten during the Semana Santa in Spain, Holy Week.
Italy
Made from spinach, ricotta, and eggs, a Torta Pasqualina is eaten for the big Colazione di Pasqua, Easter breakfast. Think spanakopita with a pie dough crust and a full hard boiled egg inside. So spanakopita but actually not really at all.
Scandinavia
In Sweden and Finland on Easter Sunday, children dress as witches with bunches of willow twigs up and ask around for chocolate. In exchange for chocolate, they say a rhyme which supposedly wards off evil spirits.
Czech Republic
With these same willow twigs (see above Scandinavia), Men gently whip women in the Czech Republic… Although not fully appreciated (I can understand why), it’s a tradition that stays to this day. These ribbon tied willow branches represent good luck and health.
Australia
Hot Cross Buns (see above in UK)
Turns out rabbits are seen as pests in Australia. This is where the Easter bilby, a rabbit-eared bandicoot comes into play. Since 1991, Rabbit-Free Australia launched a campaign to fully override any notion of the Eater bunny and feature this animal instead.
New Zealand
Hot Cross Buns (see above in UK)
Oh gosh… Like Australia, NZ considers bunnies pests. Instead of replacing the imagery of bunnies with bilby, there is Great Easter Bunny Hunt. To be fair, their large population of rabbits is actually harmful to the biodiversity of the area so cutting down the rabbit population is quite helpful.
Papua New Guinea
Due to the hot temperature, chocolate eggs would melt if sprawled in a garden. That is why in Papua New Guinea, tobacco and cigarettes are hung in trees… These bundles can be found alongside most streets and are hung not only in trees but also in front of churches.
Ecuador
Thank you to Marie on TikTok for teaching me about this tradition! In Ecuador, they eat a special soup called Fanesca made with 12 grains and bacalao.
Although there are many more traditions worldwide, I am going to stop myself here as I have a pot of carrot cake jam ready for me to jar up on the stovetop. I hope you all have a lovely holiday!
Please let me know how you celebrate (and what you eat) below…
It's so interesting to hear your egg cracking game has Greek roots as well! My Polish side of the family would do this at Easter and it was called "picking eggs" and I haven't come across anyone else that does this until now!
I grew up in South America and we wouldn’t eat meat on Fridays during lent, instead we had fish. Good Friday was a big fish meal and Sunday was a big meal/lunch after church that included meat signifying the end of Lent and the end of Holy Week.