Easter customs around the world
Primary School of Gerondas, Gravouna, Zarkadia and Perni
Pupils of the 5th Grade
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How is Easter celebrated in countries around the world? The pupils of the fifth Grade asked relatives and friends of theirs who live abroad about Easter traditions in the countries where they live. So, if you want to find out more read the information below!
Panagiota Chliara
Teacher of English Philology
Brazil
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In Brazil,the Easter season begins with the carnival period as a prelude to lent of 40 days before Easter. At the weekend of Easter chocolate eggs and other gifts are given to friends and relatives to celebrate Easter.
Eleni Kollara
Italy
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Most Italians are Catholics and Easter is celebrated around a week before or after the Easter of the Orthodox Christians. Easter is a family celebration in Italy. Italians don’t eat lamb on a spit and they don’t have big gatherings like the ones in Greece.
Marianna Rapti
There are different Easter customs in every part of Italy. In Rome the most popular custom is the massive event called Via Crucis which is held in the centre of Rome on Holy Friday.
(N.N.)
France
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Easter in France is the opportunity for both children and adults to eat a lot of chocolate eggs. The Easter Egg Hunt for children is the most favourite of all the Easter traditions. The French eat lamb on Easter Sunday and they also have omelet for breakfast. In some villages they make omelets in the centre of the village for everybody to enjoy.
Konstantina Mermelenga
United States of America
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My uncle lives in the U.S.A. but he celebrates Easter just the way we celebrate it in Greece. He invites friends to his house and they eat lamb and have red eggs.
Stella Valsamidou
Russia
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Easter in Russia among other traditions has a special Easter bread (kulich) and a special sweet (Pasqua) which is usually made with cottage cheese and raisins.
Esmeralda Balla
Sweden
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Easter in Sweden is celebrated in a way which reminds more of a Halloween than the Easter celebrations in Greece . Children in Sweden dress up as Easter witches, they paint their faces and they go around the neighborhoods in the hope of getting sweets and chocolate eggs in their baskets. The Easter Rooster delivers Easter eggs.
Savvas Aslanidis
Poland
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The Easter celebrations in Poland begin on Easter Sunday with a vigil at church. After church, people have a breakfast at home where they give gifts and share eggs. But the most interesting tradition takes place on Easter Monday, also known as Wet Monday, when they sneakily drench others with water.
Ariel Asamatai
Australia
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Easter in Australia commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is one of the most important celebrations in the Christian calendar. Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are national public holidays. Easter traditions in Australia are quite unique. There is the Pancake Day, the hunt of the Easter chocolate eggs and they make hot cross buns. People go on trips, camping or brunches with friends. Easter in Australia is very much the same as in Great Britain.
Rafailia Vamvaka
Germany (…)
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Easter in Germany is associated with chocolate eggs and fires. The hunt of the Easter eggs and the wheel of fire are two of the most common customs in the north part of Germany.
On Easter Sunday they eat a sweet in the shape of a lamb, covered in white chocolate. They go to church holding white candles.
Dimitris Kaskampaniotis
The Easter bonfire is another tradition which is meant to drive away the evil spirits of the winter. Germans gather for a big family meal where they eat red eggs, buns and goat.
Eleni Drizai
Germany (…)
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People in Germany give and receive chocolate Easter eggs and Easter hares on Easter Sunday. Children are often told that the Easter hare brings and hides Easter eggs. Many families, communities and businesses organize Easter egg hunts on Easter Sunday or Easter Monday. There are also boiled eggs painted or dyed with food coloring and decorative eggs which are made of plastic, paper, fabric or wood.
People in some areas of Germany, particularly in northern parts, light Easter fires late in the evening of Holy Saturday. Some people stay up all night. They keep the Easter fires burning all night until dawn on Easter Sunday.
Michaela Ketsitzi ,Nikos Ketsitzis
Germany (…)
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Easter in Germany starts on Holy Thursday when they usually eat green food and this is why they call it the Green Thursday. On Great Friday they eat fish and on Easter Sunday they eat lamb. People go to church and on Easter day children look for chocolate eggs the Easter bunny has brought for them. In the North parts of Germany burning oak wheels are rolled down a hill. The Easter fire is a symbol of light and it signifies the end of the winter and the coming of spring.
Dimitra Myrisidou
Germany
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Children in Germany are really excited on Easter day because of the hunt of the chocolate egg. The Easter bunny hides colourful chocolate eggs and children look for them.
On Easter Sunday Germans give each other Easter cards with wishes.
Andriana Christodoulidou
Easter for Germans is one of the most important days of the year. People go to church. On Easter day there are bonfires and chocolate eggs for all.
Anestis Paraskevopoulos
Happy Easter!
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