Figure 1.--Eggs also play a prominent role in a Dutch Easter. I'm not sure if the Uubrella has any significance, except that it rains a lot in the Netherlands.

Easter is of course an important event in Eutopean countries and in America. It is perhaps the single most important day in the Christain calendar. We have not yet collected much information on Easter traditions in different countries, although we have begun to work on the subject. Some of the differences come from the different denomimations, especially Catholic, Orthodox, and Protesrant. There are, however many purely national differences as well. It is interesting to note how the same religious tradition has developed so many national different national traditions. The same is true of Christmas , the other major Christian celebration. Many Easter customs around the world are not religious.

America

Religious celebrations vary widely in American, depending on the family's national and religious background. Palm fronds are blessed in some churches. Americans traditionally have an Easter "parade." Prople in towns and cities used to walk to church in their newest clothes. It became traditional to buy new spring clothes, including a new suit. Of course no parade was more famous than the parade down 5th Avenue in New York. New York was and continues to be the fashion hub of the United States. Men used to dress formally and women and girls traditionally had a brand new Easter bonnet. An example of a family all dressed up for Easter is a Pennsylvania family in 1966. Brightly colored eggs are important part of the celebration for the children. In some areas they are given out on Easter morning. Many families have a good time decorating the eggs. Commonly the eggs are then hidden--but not very well so they can easily bevfound. The children have an enjoyable time hunting for them. Egg-rolling is another Easter pastime. Beginning with the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes, an egg-rolling contest has been held each year on the White House lawn in Washington. Today pastic eggs are making inroads against real eggs. There are also loads of candy for easter, the two favorites are chocolate eggs and bunnies.

England

We have very little information on Easter in England. Easter egg rolls are also popular in Britain.

France

Easter is called Pâques in France. It is one of te most impoprtant holiday celebrations for French children. As in America and many other European countries, the religious message of Easter is increasingly being drowned out by te commercialization of the holiday. The children as in many otgher country receive colorfully decorated eggs. The French begin their Easter season several weeks before Easter actually begins. Shop windows are gayly decorated in a festive collection of white and dark chocolate rabbits, chickens, bells and fish. Much of this occurs in other countries, but bells and fish are an important part of the French Easter tradition.

Germany

We do not have much information on German Easter traditions. We note many more images of Christas than Easter from Germany. Germany was both Protestant and Catholic. Protestants were dominate in the north and Catholics in the south. Thus Germany has both Protestant and Catholic Easter traditions. Easter egg rolls were also popular in Germany. The Easter rabbit is a popular symbol in Germany. Germans tell the children that the Easter rabbit brings the eggs and hides them in houses. German immigrants brought this tradition with them to America.

Greece

A HBC reader tells us that Easter is a very important holliday in Greece. While Easter is a Christian celebration, many Greeks continue to adhere to beautiful old symbols, rituals and customs of mostly pagan origins. Many Greek Easter traditions in fact have origins which significantly predate Christianity. originated long before the beginning of the Christian era. The early Church in fact grafted Christian holidays on existing pagan celebrations in a conscious effort to gain acceptance for the rising new Church. As with Christmas which is connected to pre-Christian winter festivals, Easter is connected with pagan rituals that associated with the end of winter and beginning of spring. Thus the Christain celebration of Jesus rising from the dead is celebrated when new life and growth springs from the earth--powerfukl symbolism for the agricultural societies of the day. The origin of the term "Easter" is not fully unferstood. Some believes that it originated with Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of springtime. Easter is also associated with the Jewish festival of Passover, or Pesach. The "Happy Easter" gretting in Greek is Kaló Páscha. The term "Pascha" in Greek and "Pascua" in Spanish , meaning "Easter", has evolved from the name of the Jewish festival of Passover, as are the names for Easter in other Latin-based foreign languages. Eastern Orthodox Christains regard Easter as the most important religious festival followed by Christmas. "HBC readers will want to know about some customs and what boys do. Well, a lot become altar boys for the holiday." Greek Orthodox Christians do not always celebrate Easter on the same date as the Roman Catholic and Protestant Christains. The reason is the differet calendars that are used. As would be expected, Greek Christains share many of the symbols of Easter with other Christians, but their are some differences and destinctive features of the Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations.

Italy

Decorated Easter eggs in Italy are brought to church to be blessed.

Latin America

There are many similarities in the countries of Larin America. We do not yet have information about individual countries. The celebrations are quite different from those in American and the northern European countries. Latin Americans have not traditionally had Easter eggs, parades, and bunnies. The entire Holy Week (the week before Easter) is an important religious festival in the Hispanic countries of Latin America. Priests on Palm Sunday, bless palm fronds in the churches. Churches are gayly decorated with fruit and green plants. There are many religous processions with the Holy Mother and other sainrs brought out of the church to be carried around the city or town. Passion plays are held to tell the Easter story, a tradotion from the European Medieval era. Religious Larin Americans mourn on Good Friday and then celebrate the resurrection on Easter Saturday. After church there is often a spirited celebration with whistles, church bells, bands, and of course fireworks. In some countries rough games or a tradition with a straw figure costumed like Judas who betrayed Jesus to the Roman soldiers. The Judas figure is hanged or burned. Celebrations often include throwing water and sometimes worse on all passerbys. Sometimes the water pressure in coty pipes drop, so much water is being thrown.

(The) Netherlands

Easter eggs also play a prominent role in Dutch Easters.

Russia

Orthodox Easter (Православная Пасха) commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. A a religious holiday, it is not a state holiday with employees given a day off. It has no set calenar date. It is held on the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21. It is usually in April, but occassionally falls at the end of March. In 2004. Easter was a major holiday in Tasarist times. The two principal holidays during the Tsarust era were Christmas and Easter. The holiday of course was not celebrated during the Soviet era. At the peak of the atheism campaign, it as well as the Church itself were actively supressed. Since the fall of Communism, Easter has again become a popular holiday as their has been a renewed interest in religion. A reader writes, "Your dates for Easter are incorrect. The Orthodox church effectively still works on the old (Julian, I believe) calendar, so Orthodox Easter is usually 4-5 weeks after Easter in the west." We are mnot sure hjow popular Easter now is in modetn Russia. Nowhere is the Easter egg more important than in Russia, the Ukraine and other Slavic countries. Like many Christain traditions, the Easter egg was supressed by+ the Soviets, but even Stalin was unavle to stamp out the readition. Easter eggs in these countries are wonferful works of folk art. The women draw beautiful designs in many colors on the eggs. They are painted by hand and are suchbtrasures that many are saved and passed down to future generations. The wonderfully decorated eggs are brought to church to be blessed.

Spain

Ukraine

Easter is the predominant and most popular springtime feast celebrated by the Ukrainian and Russian People. Holy week, beginning with Palm Sunday, is a time of great activity in Ukrainian and Russian homes, including spring cleaning and baking Easter bread. Easter is a feast of joy and gladness that unites all Ukrainian people in common celebration. It is the most busy and cheerful holiday for Ukrainians and Russians after Christmas. Easter is the time of springtime festivals, a time to welcome back the Tulips, the Crocuses and the Daffodils. A time for people to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Christ. And a time of Easter cakes and colored eggs!

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Created: October 17, 2002
Last updated: 2:29 PM 10/31/2008