Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday, is a widely celebrated holiday observed worldwide. The Easter festival is considered a time of celebration and feasting. This year, Easter falls on Sunday, March 31, 2024. People celebrate Easter in many familiar ways, including traditions like tracking the Easter bunny, decorating Easter eggs, giving baskets, and indulging in their favourite Easter candy. There are many other different ways in which people celebrate the holiday. Let's explore some unique Easter traditions practised worldwide to mark this special occasion. Easter 2024 Date: Know the History and Significance of the Important Christian Celebration Also Known As Resurrection Sunday.

1. Hunt for Easter Eggs: During Easter Egg hunting, a treasure hunt game is played in which children search for hidden decorated eggs or Easter eggs. This tradition originated in Germany and is now popular in the United States. In this game, eggs are hidden in various places. The eggs can be real hard-boiled eggs, plastic eggs filled with candy, or chocolate eggs wrapped in foil. The game can be played indoors or outdoors, and children collect the eggs in a basket.

2. Decorating Eggs: One of the oldest Easter traditions in Central and Eastern Europe is the decoration of chicken eggs, which are dyed and painted. Kolomyia, a city in Ukraine, has a rich tradition of using a wax-resistant batik to decorate colourful Easter eggs. In Belgium, red onion skins are used to naturally dye Easter eggs, producing vibrant shades of red, pink, orange, purple, and green.

Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons/ Decorated Easter Eggs

3. Easter Fires: Easter fires, or Paschal fires, are bonfires traditionally lit during Easter as part of liturgical and cultural celebrations. In the Netherlands, large bonfires are typically lit on Easter Sunday or Monday. The Easter bonfire tradition is believed to symbolize the arrival of spring and the triumph of light over darkness. Even ancient Egyptians were said to light huge bonfires to drive away winter and welcome the sun.

4. Giant Easter Omelette: Every Easter in Bessières, France, a giant omelette from over 15,000 eggs is cooked in a giant frying pan. The tradition started when Napoleon visited the village, enjoyed the omelette and requested another giant one for his soldiers. Crowds gather every year to watch the omelette being made. Easter 2024 Food Ideas: From Marzipan and Cheesecake to Caramel and Peanut Butter, 5 Easter Egg Recipes To Try.

5. Easter Food: Easter meals must contain traditional dishes like honey-baked ham, pot roast, pork chops, and fish. In Ireland, Easter is the biggest celebration in the Christian calendar and must be celebrated with a great feast that marks the end of Lent. The must-have foods include lamb, veal, poultry, corned beef, cabbage, and floury potatoes. In Germany, a special Easter bread is famous during Easter week. Bun and cheese with spiced raisins is a much-anticipated custom among Jamaican nationals all over the world.

Easter Bunny Bread (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

6. Flying Kites:  Flying kites on Good Friday started in Bermuda, where a local school teacher used a kite to teach his students about Jesus's ascension into heaven. Since then, the Good Friday Kite Festival has become an annual event at Horseshoe Bay Beach, attracting many Bermudians.

7. Easter Witches: In Sweden and Finland, it is customary for children to dress up as witches, old women and old men during Easter. They go door to door asking for treats, similar to the trick-or-treating tradition of Halloween. This usually happens on Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. The children often present handmade cards and other greetings to the people they visit.

Christians worldwide gather with family and friends to attend church services on Easter Sunday, a day that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It represents the promise of new life and is often celebrated with grand processions and feasts. The association of eggs with new life and rebirth has become a part of Easter traditions. May the joys of Easter bring gladness to your heart.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 29, 2024 11:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).