Easter Around the World: Traditions and Curiosities from Other Countries 

How is Easter celebrated around the world? Many customs, traditions, and curiosities from each country for a single, great Christian celebration.

In Italy, Easter is undoubtedly one of the most deeply felt Christian holidays. It is celebrated with loved ones, organizing a picnic or a shared meal, exchanging Easter eggs, which may have been decorated together with children or made of chocolate, eating the traditional Easter dove cake (colomba pasquale), and so on. For believers, there is, of course, the religious and spiritual component. We must not forget that Easter commemorates the last days of Jesus’ life, His Passion, death, and Resurrection.
Over the years, the Christian component has blended with pre-existing pagan aspects. It is important to remember that Christian Easter coincides with a period in which, since ancient times, propitiatory rites were celebrated, marking the transition from winter to spring, from darkness to light, and the rebirth of life with the arrival of the warm season. The echoes of these ancient rites persist in many Easter customs and symbols, both in Italy and around the world.

In Italy, the religious celebration of Easter is tied to the rites of Holy Week: it begins with Palm Sunday, the day commemorating Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem; Holy Wednesday is a day of sorrow, remembering Judas’ betrayal; Holy Thursday recalls the Last Supper, the institution of the Eucharist, and Jesus’ commandment of love (John 13:34); Holy Saturday commemorates Christ’s descent into hell. Finally, Easter Sunday celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Religious celebrations are accompanied by secular traditions, especially Easter sweets, such as chocolate eggs and the Easter dove cake, along with countless traditional recipes that vary from region to region.

Here is an overview of Easter traditions and popular customs around the world.

Easter in England

In England, Easter and Easter Monday are celebrated. The English word for Easter, “Easter”, likely comes from the name of the ancient pagan goddess of dawn and spring, “Eostre”, who often took the form of a rabbit or hare. This is one reason why Anglo-Saxon Easter has very ancient roots, stemming from pre-Christian pagan rites that still echo today in various Easter traditions, such as giving children Easter Bunnies, chocolate rabbit-shaped treats.
Another typical Easter treat in England is Hot Cross Buns, sweet buns with cinnamon and raisins, decorated with a cross of icing on top.
Holy Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday, a name derived from the Old French “mandé” and the Latin “mandatum” (meaning “command”), referring to Jesus’ commandment to His apostles at the Last Supper: “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another” (John 15:12).
On this day, it is tradition to give to the needy, not only through monetary or food donations but also by dedicating time and energy to the elderly and those in difficulty.

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Easter in England is also full of fun and games, including Easter Egg Rolling, a race dating back to the 19th century, in which boiled and brightly decorated eggs are rolled down gentle slopes.
Chocolate eggs are also part of the tradition, but children must find them through a special treasure hunt called the Easter Egg Hunt.
Good Friday is a public holiday, as is Easter Monday. On Easter Sunday, families gather for a meal, enjoying traditional dishes, especially lamb, and performing the Morris Dance, an ancient folk dance believed to bring good luck. Easter Monday is often spent picnicking outdoors.

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Easter in Spain

Easter in Spain is marked by grand processions that involve the entire population. These take place during Holy Week (Semana Santa), during which religious brotherhoods (cofradías) organize majestic events featuring processions of saint statues, crucifixes, and thrones of the Virgin Mary. Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) is particularly celebrated, with the blessing of olive branches and palm fronds—or “palmons”, whole palm branches—which are later used to decorate doors and windows to ward off evil spirits.
A typical Easter delicacy in Spain is the Mona de Pascua, a rich sponge cake filled and decorated with almond glaze, chocolate eggs, and feathers.

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Easter in France

In France, church bells remain silent from Good Friday to Easter Sunday as a sign of mourning for Jesus’ death. Children are told that the bells have flown to Rome, and on Easter morning, they look up at the sky to see them returning. When they get home, they find delicious chocolate eggs hidden everywhere, as part of the traditional Chasse aux œufs, or Easter egg hunt. For Easter lunch, the French typically eat lamb, pork, and eggs, often prepared as an omelette. Traditional sweets include Easter biscuits shaped like lambs.

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Easter in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, egg hunts are also common for children (and not only them) on Easter morning. Painted eggs are hung on branches, in bushes, or hidden indoors. Families then enjoy a festive meal featuring stuffed pancakes, warm bread with eggs, and the traditional Paasbrood, a sweet Easter bread similar to a panettone, enriched with dried fruit, raisins, and almond paste.

Easter in Greece

The Orthodox Easter always falls in April. Celebrations begin on Lazarus Saturday, the Saturday before Easter Sunday, which is usually the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox. The first Monday after Carnival, marking the start of Lent, is celebrated by flying kites over fields. Lent is deeply observed, involving fasting and ancient rites, including fasting on Good Friday. On Holy Saturday night, when the Pope announces Christ’s Resurrection, everyone lights a blessed candle and takes it home. Easter Sunday is celebrated with outdoor feasts, featuring roast lamb on a spit or in soup (Maghiritsa), along with salad, feta cheese, Easter cookies, sweet Easter bread, and colored eggs. A traditional dish is kokoretsi, made from grilled lamb intestines.

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