When an egg hunt seems too tame…Easter traditions from around the world
Drenching the village maidens is one way of celebrating Easter in central Europe.
AS Christians gather in churches across the globe to commemorate the resurrection of Christ, people everywhere are celebrating in their own ways by eating chocolate bunnies, going on Easter egg hunts and flying kites – and chucking buckets of water at each other.
In Bermuda they celebrate Good Friday by flying home-made kites. The tradition is said to have begun when a Sunday school teacher made a kite and used it to explain Christ’s ascension to Heaven.
In parts of Scandinavia large bonfires are lit on Easter Sunday and Monday. The Saxon tale is that Easter is a time when spring becomes victorious over winter and the fires were to chase the darkness of winter away.
The most interesting tradition to come out of Sweden is that in the days leading up to Easter Sunday, children dress up as Easter witches, wearing old and discarded clothes. The children trade paintings and drawings for sweets.
In Haiti the holiday is a mixture of Catholic and Voodoo traditions. Voodoo believers make offerings to the spirits. The celebration is marked by drumming, chanting and animal sacrifices.
In Central European countries, such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, men douse women with buckets of water as part of their Easter Monday celebrations. In Hungary, boys throw water over girls and spank them with willow branches on Easter Monday, and then the girls return the favour on Easter Tuesday. After being sprinkled with water, the women give the men beautifully coloured eggs in return.
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