Easter 2024, a season full of color and religious meaning

Easter in Romania: A country with strong Orthodox roots. Easter in this European country has a sacred component rooted in religion. We can find several traditions that have a profound meaning among the Romanian population, who mostly profess Orthodox Christianity. One week before Easter, they celebrate Florii, a holiday where the flowers note the start of Passion Week. On this day, lots of willow branches are carried to churches to be blessed and, afterward, placed in front of sacred icons and above every door to cast out evil spirits. On the Thursday before Easter, it’s usual to paint boiled eggs, a tradition they have in common with other countries. Romania is also well-known worldwide for its decorated eggs with craftsmanship. The artists fill the empty eggshells with colors and floral and geometrical designs, a tradition that has been passed down through the generations!

Easter in Germany and Ostereierbaum, an ancient tradition where trees and Easter eggs become one! It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Ostereierbaum, an ancient German tradition that happens every year on Easter. On it, people usually decorate trees with hanging Easter eggs, adding a pop of color! The origins of this curious tradition are quite uncertain, as there’s no real story or evidence of how or when this started. But it’s a fact that many German families have followed it for centuries, filling their homes with colors. These trees are commonly reused for other festivities, such as Christmas. Thinking of adopting this tradition? It has become well-known worldwide. You can have an Ostereierbaum inside just by using a few branches or outside by decorating a splendorous live tree or bush!

Easter in Poland, time to eat! Hungry? The next stop of our journey is Poland, and now it’s all about food! In this beautiful European country, there is a star of this festivity: babka. But do you know what it is? This delicious and soft halfway-between bread and a cake is baked in every home each Easter Sunday in Poland. It possesses a really distinctive sweet smell and a delicious citrus flavor. Babka is usually filled inside with walnuts, rum, or raisins and served alongside the classical festivity meal. Its origins travel back to the 19th century, in the heart of the Jewish communities from Eastern Europe. Many emigrants took this recipe with them to the United States, and nowadays, it has become very popular. Curious fact – this delicious dish appeared on an episode of the series Seinfeld in 1994!

Still hungry? Don’t worry, and be prepared for celebrating Easter in France. There are many unique Easter traditions around the world, France especially. France has a tradition of making a giant omelet! Every year during this festivity in the region of Bessières, in the south of France, it is tradition to crack up to 15,000 eggs - yes, you’ve read right! - and prepare an enormous omelet. This tradition, carried out by the Brotherhood of the Giant Omelette, has been celebrated for decades. But what are the origins of this curious custom? From Napoleon Bonaparte himself! While the Emperor toured the region, he enjoyed their eggs so much that he asked for a big omelet to be prepared for their soldiers. The rest is history, and this tradition is still present.

Religious traditions, sweets, and Easter eggs reunite as one! These religious traditions are followed by the American Christian community, one of the largest in the world. On Easter, they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and as such, many Christians hold a period where they fast and confess their sins - more specifically, this takes place in the 40 days before this celebration! Some cities even have Easter parades. But aside from the religious beliefs, let's travel back to Pagan times when many people celebrated the Spring festivals! They commemorated the return of fertility to the land, the birth of new animals, and, in short, the return to life after the long winter. Here, we find the origin of the Easter eggs that are so popular today!

Easter in Spain: The religious Cofradías take the streets. In this Mediterranean country, there’s a profound religious tradition where processions take the streets of almost every Spanish city the week before Easter, held by the fraternities known as Cofradías. The origins of these brotherhoods date back to the Middle Ages, but most of them formed during the Baroque and 20th centuries. This festivity is celebrated differently between regions. We find huge differences, for example, between the north of Spain, where their processions are more austere and solemn, versus Andalusia, where there is a greater sumptuosity. What’s most impressive is that each brotherhood carries what is known as pasos, composed of a base and a sculpture representing one of the passages of the Passion of Christ. Along with them, they are accompanied by different music bands and nazarenos – penitents in robes, giving rise to a magnificent celebration worth seeing at least once in a lifetime.

Color and spring-inspired celebrations come into the scene! There’s something in the Bermudian sky each Easter: flying kites! Every Good Friday, kite enthusiasts travel to different parts of the exotic island to fly their homemade kites. But don’t think of boring designs - these are full of bright colors or geometric patterns and include long cloth tails! Curious fact: this tradition emerged in Indonesia up to 3,000 years ago, and many years later, it reached this country because of the British Army. And don’t worry, there’s always room for more food! Here, you can find Bermuda codfish cakes and Hot Cross buns just a flight away from the United Kingdom. One last tradition during this festivity is the Bermuda Easter lilies, which usually bloom during this time of the year.