Unique Easter Traditions from Around the World
Date Posted: 14/04/2022
Happy Easter! You may have already begun treating yourself to some delicious Easter eggs or planning where you will be queuing for your Good Friday fish and chips. Or perhaps you have another family tradition for this spring holiday. All around the world people celebrate Easter in their own way. We have rounded up some unique Easter traditions from around the globe that we think sound amazing! Check them out.
Let’s go fly a kite in Bermuda
Who wouldn’t want to spend Easter on the beautiful British Island of Bermuda? With sun-kissed shores and crystal clear oceans this island is a tropical oasis. But it may surprise you what the people of Bermuda do to celebrate Easter. Gathering on the beach at Horseshoe Bay, people from all over the island mark the start of Easter celebrations with kite flying. The annual KiteFest sees the skies erupt with an array of bright, vibrant dancing colours. From traditional Bermudian kites to geometric wonders, the shores are alive with joyous festive spirit. But why kites you may ask? Well, legend has it a local Sunday school teacher used a kite to help explain the ascension of Christ to heaven to his young pupils. And thus the tradition was born. Whether this is true or simply a lovely work of fiction, we think that the Bermudian tradition is a fantastic way to celebrate Easter.
Fireworks in Florence
From the skies of Bermuda, to the skies of Florence, Italy. As far as Easter traditions go, this one is the most explosive! Known as the ‘Scoppio del Carro’ or, for those who are not well versed in Italian, ‘Explosion of the Cart’, this Italian tradition sees an ornate cart packed with fireworks paraded through the winding streets of Florence up to the doors of the Duomo. Then during Easter mass the fuse is lit and the skies erupt with a colourful display of buzzing fireworks. According to sources, this custom dates right back to the First Crusade.
Throwing water in Corfu
Now as far as Easter traditions go, this one is a little wackier. On the usually serene Greek island of Corfu, the morning of Holy Saturday sees residents begin a rather strange practice- pot throwing. Yes, you read that right, on Easter Saturday the people of Corfu fill their pots, pans and other crockery with water and haul them from their windows onto the streets below. The origins of this tradition vary, some say it derives from Venetians throwing away their old belongings at New Year, others say it is done to welcome in the spring crops. Whatever the reason, this Easter tradition is definitely a unique one!
Eggs Galore in the South of France
Now here is a tradition that is akin to those of the UK, well kind of. Where we indulge in eggs of the chocolate kind, each year the town of Haux gathers on Easter Monday, forks at the ready, to eat a huge omelette. And we mean HUGE! Using more than 15,000 eggs, the giant omelette is served up in the main square and dished out to over a thousand locals. Rumour has it, when Napoleon was travelling through the town, he feasted on the towns omelettes. Liking the taste so much, he ordered the towns people to create a giant omelette for his army the next day. And so the tradition was born.