Multiple Blue Rings

10 Easter Traditions from Around the World

Easter is a festival observed in many countries. While many adhere to time-honored customs associated with Easter, such as hunting for the Easter bunny and decorating eggs, there is a wide variety of different ways in which people celebrate.

Not everyone is as obsessed with eggs as the Easter Bunny. Holiday staples like ham and deviled eggs are commonplace on the dinner tables of many Americans.

1. Eating Ham and Deviled Eggs

The Easter bonnet is a headpiece worn by some Americans on Easter. This elaborate headpiece's connotation of rebirth when worn with brand-new Easter garb made it a staple of Sunday church wear.

2. Wearing Easter Bonnets

Hot cross buns are more than simply a song kids in New Zealand and Australia have to memorize at Easter time. These rich Easter delicacies are a favorite on the islands.

3. Dining on Hot Cross Buns

In Greece, those who celebrate Easter through the Orthodox church forego the typical mix of colors when it comes time to dye eggs, instead focusing on a singular shade: red.

4. Dyeing Easter Eggs Red

Easter is celebrated in several parts of Europe by lighting a match. It is traditional in Northwestern European cultures to light a bonfire on the first night of a two-day festival, which begins on a Sunday.

5. Starting a Bonfire

In many parts of the world, Easter is celebrated by feasting on seasonal foods, but in Ethiopia, Christians observe a time of fasting analogous to the Western Christian observance of Lent.

6. Going Vegan

Easter Monday is a public holiday in various countries, including South Africa, where the weekend of festivities continues on the following day. In the 1990s, the Monday following Easter was officially recognized as a holiday. 

7. Celebrating Easter Monday

Residents of the British territory of Bermuda celebrate Easter over the course of the entire weekend. According to the island's tourism website, the celebrations kick off with the Good Friday KiteFest. Travel to Bermuda.

8. Flying Kites

Antigua, a town in southern Guatemala, reportedly lays up bright carpets on the streets in advance of Holy Week in honor of its Good Friday procession.

9. Creating Colorful Outdoor Carpets

According to National Geographic, despite their endearing appearance and mild demeanor, rabbits are generally seen negatively in Australia. This is why in 1991, Rabbit-Free Australia began advocating for the Easter bilby.

10. Eating Chocolate Easter Bilbies

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