Easter Traditions Around the World

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Alivia Armel, Journalist

Easter is one of the best holidays of the year. Some people go to church on Easter morning and go home with family. Some people wake up to Easter baskets full of wonderful things, and we all know we get a little competitive when it comes to Easter egg hunting. Although Easter has passed for year to talk about how other countries celebrate Easter too.

In France, Easter is celebrated a little like our traditions. They have a 3-day weekend to celebrate and on Easter Monday is the national holiday for France. The kids would go hunting for eggs, but there are not just eggs they are Magic Bells! The family traditionally would cook a meal, a leg of lamb, and set up a beautiful table to honor the coming of springtime.

Now in Spain, Easter is one of the most important holidays of the year. Most large businesses give their workers a whole week off to celebrate Semana Santa (Holy week). People around the world go travel there just to watch or participate in religious processions. They start the week by Palm Sunday when Jesus had arrived in the city of Jerusalem and ends on Easter Sunday. For 8 days, you can see beautiful and intricately carved floats depicting the capture, death and resurrection of Jesus, and other figures like his mother Mary.

In Antigua, Guatemala people celebrate in a similar way as Spain with Mother Mary and eating together. But they go all out for this, to visit this time of year you would have to book months before because millions of people would come to see all the colorful things around. They have colorful carpets “alfombras” they are all over the town. They will wear colorful gowns and walk around greeting people. They have many activities and celebrations threw out the week; however, the most important date is April 8th, Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows) which represents the death of Jesus of Nazareth.

So, would you visit any of these countries to celebrate easter? It is unique how different countries celebrate the same holiday but in so many ways. I wish I could celebrate easter more than one day to!