5 Unique & astonishing Easter traditions from around the world
Published on Wed Mar 28 2018 in Community
The Easter holiday is celebrated in many countries around the world. As we Kiwis tuck into our Sunday dinner, hunt for eggs and nibble on chocolates, people all over will be sharing in their own wonderfully unique celebrations. Here are five Easter traditions from countries both near and far.
Buy a chocolate bilby
Rabbits were introduced to Australia by European settlers, where they reproduced and devastated local ecosystems. Biblies, a small native mammal, were hit especially hard by these intruders. Pushed out of their burrows by rabbits and preyed upon by foxes and feral cats (also introduced species), the wild bilby population quickly dwindled.
In 1993, the Foundation for a Rabbit-Free Australia partnered with Haigh’s Chocolates to create the first chocolate bilby. The public awareness campaign drew attention to the plight of bilbies and helped raise money to conserve their habitat. The chocolate bilbies were so popular that Haigh’s stopped making Easter bunnies altogether just two years later!
Watch the “explosion of the cart”
The city of Florence in Italy celebrates Easter with a bang! An antique cart stuffed with fireworks is paraded through the city streets by a team of white oxen, soldiers, musicians and people dressed in historical costumes. The cart is placed in front of Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, where the Archbishop of Florence lights the fuse during Easter mass. A lively fireworks display lasting around 20 minutes entertains worshippers and onlookers.
This tradition, known as Scoppio del Carro in Italian (the “explosion of the cart”), dates back to the late 1400s. If everything goes smoothly and all the fireworks go off, then good luck and a bountiful harvest are expected for the year.
Eat a giant omelette
Eggs are a popular Easter symbol, but the French town of Bessieres really loves them. Each Easter Monday, around 5,000 fresh eggs are cracked into a four-metre pan to create one giant omelette. The completed egg dish is served to around 1,000 spectators along with bread, bacon and even oysters.
According to legend, Napoleon Bonaparte spent a night near the town and was served an omelette for breakfast by the innkeeper. Napoleon enjoyed his eggs so much, that he ordered a gigantic omelette to be made the next morning to feed his entire army! Townspeople needed to gather all the eggs in the village and surrounding area to accomplish the task.
Smash a clay pot
Residents of Corfu, Greece mark the Saturday before Easter in a rather destructive manner. As soon as morning mass ends—signalled by a bell chime—everyone grabs a clay pot and tosses it out the window and into the street. The town and surrounding villages are soon filled with the sound of breaking pottery.
There are a couple theories as to how this tradition started. It may have been adapted from the Venetians, who would throw old things from windows on New Year’s Day in hopes of receiving new ones as gifts. Farmers may also have inspired the custom, as they would store the harvest in new pots and destroy the old ones.
Go fly a kite
If you visit the island nation of Bermuda on Good Friday, you’ll see the sky filled with colourful kites. Whilst some Bermudians now purchase store-bought kites, home-made designs are still popular. The traditional Bermuda kite is hexagonal or octagonal, though they may have even more sides depending on their size. The kite’s frame is made from wood and string, with brightly coloured tissue paper glued on top.
Kites are flown in Bermuda to symoblise Christ’s resurrection. According to one story, a local teacher from the British Army was trying to explain the Ascension story to his Sunday school class. He flew a cross-shaped kite to illustrate Christ ascending to heaven, and a tradition was born!
Your Easter celebrations
How do you and your family mark the Easter season? Share your favourite traditions with us on Facebook. We’d also love to know if you’ll be adopting any of these unique festivities in your home!
About Author: Momentum Life is a leading provider of Life insurance and Funeral insurance in New Zealand.
The content provided in this article is for information purposes only. The information is of a general nature and does not constitute financial advice or other professional advice. To the extent that any of the content constitutes financial advice, it is limited to Momentum Life products only and does not consider your specific financial needs or goals. You should consider whether the information is appropriate for you and seek independent professional advice, if required.
All product information is correct at the time this article was published. For current product information, please visit the Momentum Life website.