Easter is a Christian holiday that many cultures celebrate but in different ways. As people in the U.S. celebrate differently based on their religion or specific household traditions, many countries celebrate differently based on their culture.
Japan has a primarily Buddhist culture. There is only one percent of Japan that is Christian, so the holiday is not widely celebrated there.
Easter in Spain is called ‘Semana Santa’ or Holy Week. They celebrate by going to church for morning Mass and then going home to have a traditional Easter with the dessert at the end being the Mona de Pasuca, which is the Easter cake. It is essentially a giant doughnut with hard-boiled eggs inside. It is eaten on Easter Sunday or Easter Monday.
In France, Easter is celebrated on the fourteenth day of the lunar month in spring. It is celebrated similarly to other predominantly Christian countries but a difference is that they combine egg hunting and eating with the family. It is also extended to the next Monday, known as Easter Monday. All stores except bakeries are closed on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
Germany celebrates Easter with the Easter Bunny. In most German households, the parents hide chocolate and little toys around their backyard for kids to find and enjoy.
The Philippines use the week of Easter for spiritual renewal. As it is a predominantly Catholic country they celebrate with colorful parties. They gather together at the church for a pre-dawn service to honor the risen king and Virgin Mary and then go home and have a meal shared with their family. Around noon time a parade goes through the streets which signals the start of the celebration times.
Greece celebrates Easter with celebrations the week leading up to Good Friday. They have church services each night for the week and more people attend every night. On the night of Anastasi, most people show up for the services. Anastasi to the Greeks is the night when Christ was resurrected. In Athens, Greece they have a festival where they fast from Friday to Sunday during the day to honor Jesus’ death. They roast meat for example a pig or a lamb over a fire on a spit, and have candlelight processions.
In the U.K., similarly to Germany, many families celebrate Easter by hiding Easter eggs around their yards for the kids to find. They also eat Hot Cross buns which are spiced rolls with a cross on the top. England is a mostly Christian country, so they have a church service on the day Christ was resurrected, which is usually the Sunday after Good Friday.
While Easter is celebrated differently by different countries they all celebrate to honor the fact that Jesus died on the cross. From the parades in Greece to the egg hunts in Germany, everyone gets together and makes fond memories with friends and family.
