In the UK, chocolate eggs and bunnies are a huge part of our Easter holiday culture. How many times have you stepped into your local supermarket to grab your favourite Easter egg (Cadbury’s, Nestles, Thorntons — I won’t judge!) only to find that the shelves are completely empty? They practically fly off the shelves as soon as they arrive!
But when it comes to the rest of the world, not all countries share our affinity for chocolate and bunny costumes. Many of them have their own Easter traditions that are quite far removed from our own practices. Some are weird, and some are wonderful — and all will definitely make you wonder (to say the least).
Read on to discover some different Easter traditions from around the world!
Philippines
No doubt you’ve wondered why we eat chocolate to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (not that I hear you complaining!). Well, the Philippines’ Easter practices are pretty self-explanatory — if not a little shocking.
In this pocket of South East Asia, the most extreme believers commemorate the occasion with extreme acts of penitence: some are flogged with wooden whips, while others drag heavy crosses or crawl throughout the city on bloodied hands and knees. And it doesn’t stop there, with others going so far as to be crucified!
During these crucifixions, actors (dressed as Roman centurions) drive four-inch nails into the hands and feet of the participants and lift them on a wooden cross for around five minutes.
The practice is condemned by both religious leaders and public health officials (for obvious reasons), though this doesn’t do much to deter attendance. Every year, up to 60,000 people flock to the scene to watch the brutal display (which takes place on Good Friday).
Reportedly, the wounds can take up to 2 weeks to heal, but volunteers say that this is a small price to pay to be able to express their faith. And apparently, it’s quite a good boost for the local economy as well — 2 birds 1 stone, I guess?
The Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, Easter is seen as a celebration of the beginning of new life, though the religious connotations take a back seat with about 78% of the population identifying as irreligious (largely due to the suppression of religion under the communist regime last century). The Czech tradition of Pomlázka (meaning “whip” in English) takes place on Easter Monday; but unlike in the Philippines, this tradition has nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus.
The 800-year-old practice consists of boys knocking on the doors of houses where girls live. When the girl answers the door, the boys take braided sticks of willow branches and (gently!) hit the girl on the back of the legs or douse her in water whilst reciting a traditional Easter carol asking for an egg or two. The tradition is believed to chase away illness and bad spirits while bringing fertility, health and good luck to the girl. FYI: If men arrive at women’s houses after 12 o’clock, women throw a bucket of cold water on them – so, ladies, maybe it’s best to keep your doors locked until then!
Papua New Guinea
With a hot, humid tropical climate that is experienced all year round, there aren’t many people in the country of Papua New Guinea that are interested in eating chocolate during Easter. But still, with approximately 95% of the population identifying as Christians, they couldn’t not celebrate easter; so the locals came up with another idea. Leaving the chocolate behind, (more for us, am I right?) trees in and outside places of churches are decorated with cigarette packets and tobacco sticks, which are then handed out to the congregation after the service has finished. The practice apparently has a very positive effect on attendance at church!
France
Every year on Easter Monday, the residents of Haux crack more than 4500 eggs into a gigantic pan to create a massive Easter omelette that serves over 1,000 people. In the morning, each family breaks the eggs in their homes before gathering in the main square where the eggs are cooked for lunch. And dinner. And breakfast the next morning…
The origin of this tradition dates back to when Napoleon and his army were travelling through the South of France, where they stopped to rest and happened to eat some omelettes. It’s thought that Napoleon enjoyed his meal so much that he ordered the people of the town to gather their eggs and make a giant omelette for his whole army.
Norway
The way we fuss over chocolate and bunnies at Easter time in this country could rightly be called an obsession. And the people of Norway have an Easter obsession of their own — crime. Over the Easter weekend, Norwegians can be found curled up, indulging in the latest crime books, movies, and TV shows.
The tradition began in 1923 when a book publisher promoted its latest crime novel (based on a train robbery) on the front pages of the newspapers. So many people mistook the ad for a real story that the book succeeded beyond all expectations when the truth became known and now, ‘Easter Thriller’ (called Påskekrim in Norway) is recognised as its own sub-genre.
The phenomenon is so popular that each year, nearly every TV and radio channel produces a crime series for Easter; even the milk company prints crime stories on their cartons! At the time of writing, true crime hits like Inventing Anna and The Tinder Swindler top the charts in Norway ahead of the Easter season.
So there you have it; there are 5 unique Easter traditions from around the world that we bet you never knew about! But what do you make of these practices? Do you fancy shaking things up this year or will you stick with the tried-and-tested chocolate binge? Or maybe you have a tradition all of your own? However you choose to celebrate, we hope you enjoy your bank holiday weekend and wish you a very Happy Easter!
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