Easter Traditions Around The World

Easter will fall on April 20, 2025 (Credit: Lesekreis/ CC0/ Wikipedia Commons)

Easter, which will be observed on April 20, 2025, is the oldest and most important of all Christian festivals. The holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many adults in the US observe it by attending special church services. Some also fast or give up certain foods or habits for 40 days leading up to Easter. For American kids, the holiday centers around egg hunts, parades, and the Easter Bunny. But not all countries follow these traditions. Here are a few unique Easter celebrations from around the world.

Bermuda

In Bermuda, the Friday before Easter is marked by flying kites and eating hot cross buns and codfish cakes. The kite-flying tradition is believed to have been started by a teacher trying to explain the ascension of Jesus Christ to his students. He launched a kite with a likeness of Christ, and a fun custom was born. The hot cross bun tradition was inherited from the British. Codfish cakes became the food of choice to avoid meat during Lent.

Norway

Norwegians spend the week-long Easter holiday reading crime novels and watching murder-mystery shows. To meet demand, publishers release new thrillers, while television channels broadcast crime dramas at Easter. Even dairy companies join in with crime-related cartoons on milk cartons.

Norwegian dairy companies jprint crime-related fictional cartoons on milk cartons during Easter (Credit: Tine.com/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

This custom began with a 1923 newspaper ad for a crime novel that appeared on the front page a week before Easter. Many readers mistook it for an actual news article. This clever stunt increased sales and prompted publishers to release crime novels around Easter. Television producers soon followed, and a tradition was born.

Greece

On the Saturday before Easter, residents of Corfu, Greece, throw water-filled clay jugs, known as "botides," onto the streets. The tradition, which welcomes spring, is believed to have been inspired by the Italians. In Italy, people toss old dishes out of their windows on New Year's Eve to signify they are ready for a fresh start.

Italy

Easter celebration in Florence ( Credit: Monika Kelly/ CC-BY-SA-2.0/ Flickr)

On Easter Sunday, hundreds of Italians dressed in 15th-century attire escort an antique cart filled with fireworks to the Florence Cathedral. During Easter Mass, the archbishop of Florence lights a fuse, setting off a vibrant fireworks display. This lively tradition dates back over 350 years. It is believed to bring a good harvest in the year ahead.