STORYTIME TAPESTRY

Special Treat   -   Easter Traditions

March 27, 2005

The celebration of Easter is the celebration of the triumph of life over death. Dedicated to the honor of Christ who gave his life for the sins of His loved ones,
it is a great festival to the Christians all over the world. It is joyous because
it was on Easter He had shown himself.

Most Christians observe Easter on the first Sunday
after the first full moon following the first day of spring
in the Northern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, the eastern Orthodox Churches
celebrate Easter later because of additional factors
in calculating the date of Easter.

All over the Northern hemisphere,
the customs of the Easter season are more or less alike.
The Lenten penance and fasting; carnivals,
egg exchanging, eating, decorating and egg hunts.
Also there are Passion Plays and Easter parades.
However, some follow customs that are special to their country.

 

 
Easter in Africa:
In Africa, Easter is celebrated as a main function of the Christian communities. In the Easter Vigil hundreds of people assemble in the church building.

In most parish churches the Easter Vigil is anticipated, because there are no lights, usually beginning at 3pm and finishing at dark, around 6pm.

The church is decorated by Vitenge and Kanga, clothes made up in the form of butterflies, flowers, banana trees etc.

Christian hymns are accompanied by the beating of drums and Kigelegele, the high-pitched sounds made by women.

After the Mass, traditional dances are held outside of the church. Then people return home to continue their celebrations with local food and drinks.

In some parishes the people remain around the church after Mass and sit in their small Christian communities to continue the celebration of eating and drinking, as ceremonial dances and entertainments continue around them.

In Africa, Easter has a social dimension as well as a spiritual one. At Easter families come together. They share special food with Christians and non-Christians indulging in boiled or roasted rice with meat or chicken.

Meat being very scarce and expensive in Africa, the laws of abstinence (not eating meat) does not hold good.

 

Easter in Australia:
Australia is a wonderful country with people from different parts of the world. So, Easter is celebrated in a variety of ways.

The main day of celebration of families of Anglo-Irish backgrounds is Easter Sunday. Some people go to church services and have hot cross buns for breakfast. These are a sweet fruit bun, which may have a cross on top. Children exchange Easter eggs, which are usually made of chocolate. Some are now made from sugar and have little toys inside. The chocolate eggs are available in an egg shape, from tiny little ones to giant ones. Some chocolate eggs are also in the shape of cheeky looking rabbits.

In recent years Easter bilbies have also been made. The bilby is a native animal in Australia. It is an endangered species. Chocolate manufacturers decided to make Easter bilbies and give some of their profits to help protect these animals from extinction. Children don't worry about the shape. They just love the chocolate!

Many families arrange for an Easter hunt in their homes or gardens to see who can find the most eggs on Easter Sunday morning. They then share a meal with their relatives. Traditionally this has consisted of roast lamb, beef or chicken with roasted vegetables like potatoes, carrots, pumpkin.
 
 
 
Easter in Europe:
In many parts of Europe, huge bonfires are lighted on hilltops and in churchyards on Easter Eve. They are sometimes called Judas fires, because effigies of Judas Iscariot are frequently burned in them. The Easter bonfires predate Christianity and were originally intended to celebrate the arrival of spring. The burning effigy once symbolized winter.


England :
Easter is celebrated by exchange of Easter Eggs and other nifty gifts. Gift range may vary from anything between money, clothes, chocolate or go on holidays together. Some people make Easter bonnets or baskets, which have things like daffodils in them or
mini eggs. Children sometimes go to a local community center to enter an Easter bonnet competition to see whose bonnet is the best and the winner gets an Easter egg.

The Easter bunny is very much a part of the Easter tradition in England. The shops are filled with thousands which people buy to give to each other. The Easter bunny 'hides' the eggs in the houses and children on Easter Sunday search to find these treats.

Hot-cross buns are popular foods on Good Friday. These are sweet fruit buns with crosses on top. Some people still make these with yeast, but shops now sell dozens in the week before Easter.


France :
The French call it Paques.
The main celebration sets off on Good Friday with a solemn note. Church bells do not ring for three days starting from Good Friday till the Easter Sunday. This is a token of mourning for the crucified Christ.
Early on Easter morning the children rush into the garden to watch the bells "Fly back from Rome". As the small folk scan the sky for a glimpse of the returning bells their elders hide chocolate eggs.

Italy :
Italians call it La Pasqua.
The Easter is celebrated with a real big feast in this Mediterranean country. The Paschal feast is celebrated with Agnellino, Italy's special popular dish for the Easter. This is a roasted baby lamb. Children enjoy a rich bread made specially for the Easter. It is shaped like a crown and studded with colored Easter egg candies.

Germany :
The German call it Ostern, possibly by the name of the Anglo Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre. School children have about three weeks holiday at Easter. No one works on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday. Many people eat fish on Good Friday and on Easter Saturday evening there is often a big Easter bonfire. This is very popular and lots of people gather to watch. These Easter fires are burnt as symbols of the end of the winter and any bad feelings.

On Easter Sunday families have nice breakfasts together. Parents then hide Easter baskets with sweets, eggs and small presents. Hand-painted eggs decorated with traditional designs are exchanged among friends. Earlier, it was customary in many regions for the village girls to present their suitors with a red egg.Many eat fish on Good Friday.

The Netherlands :
The Dutch call it Pasen or Pasen Zontag.
Throughout the country Easter is celebrated as a great spring holiday. People lay tables for Easter dinner with charming decoration of colored eggs and early flowers. Sweet bread stuffed with raisins and currant, is one of the favorite dishes of the Easter feast.

Sweden :
The Swedish call it P??skdagen.
Throughout the country the egg, symbol of life and resurrection, is featured in all Easter food and Easter games. Every household has egg coloring parties. Egg rolling contests are the favorite Easter activity of younger boys and girls.
Palm Sunday is observed with palm fronds. The Easter Eve is celebrated with bonfires. Shooting of fireworks lives on as the tradition/
 
 
 
Easter in Mexico:
Easter celebration in Mexico is held as a combination of two separate big observances - Semana Santa and Pascua. The former means the whole of the Holy Week - Palm Sunday to Easter Saturday. And the Pascua is the observance for the period from the Resurrection Sunday to the following Saturday.

For most Mexicans, this two-week period is the time for a great vacation. People enjoy this time with the community of their choice.

Semana Santa celebrates the last days of the Christ's life. Pascua is the celebration of the Christ's Resurrection. It is also the release from the sacrifices of Lent.

In many communities, the full Passion Play is enacted from the Last Supper, the Betrayal, the Judgement, the Procession of the 12 Stations of the Cross, the Crucifixion and, finally, the Resurrection. In some communities, real crucifixion is included. The enactments are often nicely staged, costumed and acted, with participants preparing for their roles for nearly the full year leading up to Semana Santa.

http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/worldeaster/index.htm