Easter heard round the world...

Feliz Páscoa, Joyeuses Pâques, frohe Ostern, Cáisc Shona Dhuit, Veselé Velikonoce, イースターおめでとう, Wesołych Świąt Wielkanocnych or Buona Pasqua! No matter how you say it, in the Christian world, Easter Sunday is one of the most celebrated and beloved holidays. My children officially consider it their "Christmas in the Spring"...

As to be expected, although the religious theme is the same throughout all Christian countries, Easter is celebrated around the world in different ways. For example, the Ethiopian Easter festival is called Fassika. At the Easter service, all Ethiopians wear a traditional white garb, called yabesha libs. During all their holidays, Ethiopians eat a huge, special sourdough bread called dabo.

Although we love our chocolate bunnies in the US, in Australia, the children celebrate with chocolate bilbies (a small marsupial) because they believe the Easter Bilby brings eggs and because it is native to Australia and also because of the fact that the rabbit has destroyed land, crops, vegetation and burrows of other native Australian species. Interesting!

Chocolate Bilby

In Poland (and many other Slavic countries), Easter is celebrated with the Blessing Basket. The basket is prepared the Saturday before Easter. Inside the basket they place colored eggs, bread, cake, salt, paper and white colored sausages. This basket is then taken to church for a blessing. It is believed that Great Lent which is the forty day fast before Easter is not over until the basket has been blessed hence the reason why it is called Blessing Basket. The Polish people also celebrate with Watering, which is a sprinkling of water for good luck.

In Belgium, the children eagerly wait for an old man who “flies” to Rome to collect eggs from the Pope and brings them back. In Latvia, they have colored eggs and use them for games. One game played is the Egg-Knocking Game.They also eat a dish known as Paska which is also eaten with a traditional bread known as Kulich (a sweet saffron bread).

In Israel, there are many processions where groups travel the route of Christ’s journey to Golgotha. The route is referred to as the Twelve Stations of the Cross.

In Crete, they make make a special bread called Paschal bread. It is round with moulded flowers on top.

No matter how or where you celebrate this holiday, chances are, there is an eager child waiting for a colored egg, chocolate or something else sweet and an adult enjoying the bloom of spring and all the feelings of renewal, rebirth and awakening that are associated with Easter Sunday.