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Hi, dears, here is the promised third post on Easter, this time I wanna tell you how people around the world celebrate what is considered the biggest Christian holiday. And no, by celebrating I do not mean diving into the consumerist waves and buying tons of chocolate eggs, bunnies, chickens; sending out greeting cards; or in other way contribute to wasting the environment :) I mean customs passed from generation to generation. We all know about egg decorating and so on, but and here are some customs you might have never heard of:

People in Cyprus light fires in schools or church yards, as it is customary to burn a doll representing Judas Iscariot. Sadly the police often gets involved as everyone wants their fire to be bigger than the neighboring one. In Corfu people throw pots and pans out of their windows on Holy Saturday. The traditions welcomes spring, as it symbolizes the crops to be gathered in the new pots after the old ones are smashed. In most of the Netherlands and Northern Germany the tradition of Easter fire is also kept. They are lit on Easter Day, at sunset and people gather to watch them.

As Easter is at the end of the Lent season, food does matter. In Italy they bake the fantastic Colomba Pasquale – a dove shaped bread; it is a type of a sweet bread, almost like their famous Panettone. I bet you, though; our kozunak bread is the best :) Things get a bit weird in Norway, as a contemporary tradition there is to focus on murder mysteries for the holiday. Channels run crime stories, publishers schedule detective novels to be printed just before Easter, newspapers have a new mystery story every day… wow! It`s a bit better in Finland, Sweden and Denmark as tradition there only includes children dressed as witches going from door to door and collecting candy in exchange for decorated goat willow.

Spain is right next here, as in the medieval town of Verges the “dance of death” is performed each year on Easter. It begins at midnight and continues for three hours with people wandering the streets dressed as skeletons and reenacting scenes from the Passion. Easter Monday is a special day indeed in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Why? Well, men then spank women with a special whip or throw cold water on them – supposedly this helps them keep their health and beauty. In Bermuda not just the kids, but everyone flies kites to symbolize Christ`s ascent. So, there you go, if you by any means feel like having an untraditional Easter, adopt a custom and enjoy the holiday to its fullest.