Easter is a special holiday for both children and adults throughout
the world. It is a time we spend with family and friends, a time we celebrate;
usually outdoors - the coming of spring and we delight in experiencing a new
beginning.
And even if the celebrations are different around the globe, there
is a common denominator - Easter! Easter traditions vary from one country to
another, from continent to continent, but knowing them is essential for anyone
who wants to enrich their culture and be a true “citizen of the world”.
In Romania, tradition calls that the lady of the house prepare roast
lamb and lamb chops, paint eggs (usually red, but also in other colours; the
eggs are masterly decorated in some regions), and prepare a sweet cake named
“cozonac”.
A school from Bucharest, Romania, by the name of InSPE
(International School for Primary Education) showed us, recently, a Western
Easter tradition, by organising an “egg hunt”. This century-old tradition requires
that coloured (and often chocolate) eggs be hidden in the house and garden, and
for children to look for them guided by “clues”. This time it was no different.
InSPE’s pupils, had a great time discovering sticky notes that had letters
written on them, and then composing a secret message. This message pointed to a
door, on which there was a map that showed the location of a hidden bag - full
of chocolate eggs! The reward was as memorable as the adventure: a delicious
chocolate egg, accompanied by a memory for a lifetime!
This example shows that the expats in Romania keep their traditions
- but what do other cultures of the globe do on Easter day? And how different
are their traditions from the Romanian ones?
In the UK, as shown earlier, it is customary to offer and receive
chocolate eggs. Also, on Easter Monday, a traditional game is to roll eggs down
a hill. The winner is either the egg that survives the longest, or the one that
rolls the fastest.
In Italy, the home of the Catholic Church, there are of course many
famous Easter traditions, one of them being the prayer “Via Crucis” at the
Colosseum, presided by the Pope on Good Friday, next to a giant cross set
ablaze. Then, on Easter Sunday, there is the blessing to the world (“Urbi et
Orbi) in Saint Peter’s Square, attended by millions.
In Sweden, Holy Thursday is, according to tradition, connected to
witches, a symbol of bad luck. To this purpose, fires were started to scare them
away, and people made strange noises. Today, it is celebrated to the amusement
of children.
Setting fires and burning bonfires appears to be a Nordic tradition.
In some parts of Western Finland, people light bonfires on Easter Sunday -
there is an old belief that the flames ward off witches who fly around on
brooms, Good Friday to Easter Sunday.
The Dutch have dinner together, and eat a loaf called “Paasbrood”,
filled with grapes and raisins. To the South, in Greece, Easter is celebrated
by partying and eating lamb steaks, eggs, salads and cakes. On the traditional
Greek Easter table, there is bread decorated with a cross made out of red eggs,
called “Christopsomon”.
On the Greek island of Corfu, on the morning of Holy Saturday the
traditional "Pot Throwing" takes place. People throw pots, pans and
the likes out of their windows, smashing them on the street. The custom is said
to be borrowed from the Venetians, who on holidays used to throw out all of
their old items. Another theory states that the throwing of the pots welcomes spring,
symbolising the new crops that will be gathered in the new pots.
Spanish people also have interesting Easter traditions. On Holy
Thursday, in the medieval town of Verges, the townsfolk perform the traditional
"dansa de la mort" or "death dance", to commemorate the passion.
Everyone dresses in skeleton costumes and parades through the streets. The
procession ends with frightening skeletons carrying boxes of ashes. The “death
dance” begins at midnight and continues for a few hours into the morning.
Across Spain, people go to the church at midnight, then visit relatives.
In Russia, another country in which Easter is extremely popular,
people paint and decorate eggs. Again, the favoured colour is red. Remarkably,
Russians use nails to crack the eggs, as a reminder of the Crucifixion. There
is also a special cake for the occasion, named “kulich”.
The Polish have an interesting Easter tradition too: they pour water
on one another. It is called “Smingus - Dyngus”. It is said that girls who get
soaked will marry within the year.
If you happen to be in the South of France on Easter Monday, don't
forget a fork. Each year, in the town of Haux, a giant omelet is served up in
the main square. The omelet needs 4500 eggs and feeds up to 1000 people.
Apparently, when Napoleon and his army were traveling through the south of
France, they stopped here and ate omelets. Napoleon liked his so much, that the
next day he ordered the townspeople to gather their eggs and make a giant
omelet for his army.
In North America, people have various denominations. Even so, parading
on Easter is a tradition, as is eating ham, potatoes and other vegetables.
Speaking of traditions: for 130 years, the White House has hosted the Easter
Egg Roll on its South Lawn. This involves rolling a coloured hard-boiled egg
with a large spoon. There are many more amusements involving music, an egg
hunt, and also sports.
In the South American country of Uruguay the shops close, towns are
decorated, and people sing and dance on the streets, celebrating the
Resurrection of the Lord. Nearby, in Argentina, there is a carnival that
culminates on Holy Saturday.
The Brazilians also honour Easter. In the Holy Week leading up to
Easter, people go out on the streets, forming a procession in which statues of
Mary and Jesus are paraded, and eat a meal called “pacoca”, that is served to
every guest.
In Egypt people go out in the parks and public gardens, talk to each
other and exchange coloured eggs.
One can see that there are common Easter traditions around the globe
(lamb, eggs, special amusements), while others depend on the culture and
history of each country.
But what unites us - beyond our country of origin, our race,
language and so forth - is the holiday we call Easter.
May you have a happy Easter!
InSPE is an elite school in Bucharest that promotes cultural
diversity and holistic education. For more info, please visit www.inspe.ro
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