10 peculiar Easter traditions from around the world

Decorated willow makes its first appearance on this page in Finland (and areas of Sweden as well) to symbolise the rebirth of spring. The symbology is based predominantly on the willow’s ability to thrive in soil saturated from the winter snow. These hardy branches are exchanged for candy by little kids dressed as witches.

We can see the tradition of Finnish witches as a sort of pagan, Christian mash-up: the willow tree has its spring roots firmly planted in pagan times, with the witches representing the evil spawned by Christ's betrayal on Maundy Thursday by Judas.

Nothing says ‘Easter’ like intertwined willow branches adorned with colourful ribbons smacking the legs and buttocks of the local womenfolk. Somewhat unsurprisingly, it’s the menfolk who take on the role of flagellator, while the women (and girls) are the recipients of the ‘light’ willow-beating and/or a refreshing bucket of cold water. To add insult to injury they’re expected to reward the willow-swishing assailants with liquor, food, or money.

Apparently, the whipping is fertility-enhancing and derives from pagan traditions, a bit like animal sacrifice, though for many women and girls living in the region on Easter Monday, the concept of the latter is likely considered more tasteful.

We could give the entire page over to the shenanigans of the fun-loving Italians in and around Easter. For example, the Battle of the Oranges on Ash Wednesday, the Venice Carnevale before Shrove Tuesday, or the Viareggio Carnevale, four weeks prior to Lent. However, the Italians have undoubtedly saved one of the best celebrations for Easter Sunday.

The origins of Scoppio del Carro, which translates to the less romantic ‘Explosion of the Cart’, date back to 1099 when a young Florentine named Pazzino returned from the crusades with three flints from the holy sepulchre. This event was deemed remarkable enough to inspire today’s vibrant procession through the streets of Florence to the cathedral, culminating in the lighting (believed to be from the original flint) of a dove-shaped rocket, at exactly 11am.

The fiery dove-shaped rocket flies out of the cathedral and strikes an ornate, firework-packed, multi-story cart, parked outside in the square. Cue an enormous firework display and, after, a big long lunch. Perfetto!

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No, not in the sense that the residents of Norway get into some sort of Purge-like spree. Instead, Easter is typified by the consumption of crime stories (Påskekrim). It’s a national obsession that has nothing to do with Christianity or paganism whatsoever. In fact, for a phenomenon that was only inspired about 100 years ago, it’s seized the public imagination in a remarkably short space of time.

In 1923, the headline ‘Bergen train looted in the night’ was published in Norway’s largest circulating newspaper. The country has one of the lowest crime rates in the world so its residents were gripped by the story. However, it was simply a marketing stunt dreamt up by two young authors, Nordahl Grieg and Nils Lie, to sell their latest true crime novel.

The stunt worked, and then some. Crime, whether it's a novel, TV show, or movie, is as synonymous with Easter in Norway as the chocolate-derived ‘I feel sick’ is in the rest of Europe.

Before we get stuck in, this entry deals with crucifixion, albeit a watered-down version because no one dies after three days dangling from adjacent lumps of wood. However, crucifixion isn’t known for its subtly, so reader discretion is advised.

The Philippines has more Catholics than any other country in Asia and, while this practice is frowned upon by the Vatican, every year on Good Friday as many as nine people volunteer to be ‘crucified’ in Barangay San Pedro Cutud of San Fernando City in Pampanga.

The event allegedly started in 1962 by a quack doctor who claimed to be able to heal the sick. It is a full-on passion play, complete with Roman Guards and a solemn re-enactment of the trudge to calvary. They are accompanied by dozens of men and a few women, crawling on all fours and self-flagellating with sharpened bamboo canes, drawing blood, as they journey to the place of crucifixion.

Once there, the penitents, have five-inch nails driven through their palms and feet onto the cross where they are left for five to ten minutes before being taken down. One such devotee, a local construction worker called Ruben Enaje, has been 'crucified' 33 times.

It’s worth noting that while the devotees are nailed to the cross (through their palms and not the wrists) their arms are supported by strips of cloth and, crucially, they can bear their weight by standing on a ledge. Despite the enormous pain, this makes the process relatively safe, assuming the nails are sterile. Still, it’s most certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Fortunately, the next tradition on this list is a lot less gruesome.

You’ll be familiar with decorating a tree at Christmas, but have you ever considered doing something similar for Easter? Believe it or not, that’s what takes place every year in Germany.

The tradition of decorating trees and bushes with Easter eggs, known as the Ostereierbaum (or Easter egg tree), is centuries old and originated in the Christian era. Historically, the Easter egg symbolises the empty tomb of Jesus, from which he was resurrected.

So, if you’re planning on taking a trip to Germany during Easter, you’re sure to see the wonderful spectacle of coloured eggs and decorations hung on the branches of trees and bushes.

One particularly notable example was the Saalfelder Ostereierbaum, an apple tree located in Saalfeld, Thuringia. Between 1965 and 2015, the family that owned it hung hundreds of mouth-blown decorative eggs on the tree every year. In one year alone, it was decorated with nearly 10,000 eggs!

This tradition may have started in Germany, but it has since spread to other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Chances are, you’ll have a chosen method of breaking into your Easter egg. Perhaps you prefer to tap it gently to break off small pieces, or go all in by dropping it from a great height.

But in Greece, they take cracking eggs to a whole new level with the game of tsougrisma.

It’s a traditional Easter game that involves tapping the ends of two hard-boiled eggs that have been painted red – to symbolise the blood of Jesus. Each player holds an egg, and one taps the end of their egg against the end of the other player’s egg. The aim of the game is to crack your opponent’s egg without cracking yours – a bit like an Easter version of conkers.

Traditionally, when tapping the egg, the first player says ‘Christos anesti’ (meaning ‘Christ has risen!’) to which the second person responds ‘Alithos anesti!’ (‘He Truly Has!’).

The player who successfully cracks both ends of their opponent’s egg is declared the winner and is said to have good luck for the rest of the year. Plus, when the game is over, the eggs don’t get wasted. They will be peeled, cut and served with salt and vinegar as part of an Easter feast.

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If you’re a rabbit, you’ll want to avoid Central Otago in New Zealand this Easter. That’s because every year, it’s the location of the Central Otago Great Easter Bunny Hunt – a fairly self-explanatory title.

Over 500 hunters take part in the competition, each vying for the coveted trophy and $3,500 prize money. Throughout the competition, over 10,000 rabbits are sent to meet their maker.

But this isn’t purely for sport – it’s a necessity. In this part of the world, rabbits are a non-native, invasive species and face no natural predators, meaning that landowners have a legal obligation to control their numbers.

There are usually around 31 teams entered into the competition, with participants hunting individually on foot during the day and from vehicles in groups at nights when the rabbits are more active.

It goes without saying, but you’re unlikely to see the Easter Bunny happily hopping around in New Zealand!

Australia is well known for its rich array of flora and fauna. From kangaroos and koalas to kookaburras (not forgetting the spiders!), it’s home to many iconic species.

It’s no surprise then, that the country has its own alternative to the Easter Bunny – but it’s one you may not be familiar with: the bilby.

It’s a native Australian marsupial that has been endangered for years. As such, confectioners in Australia have taken to making chocolate likenesses of this small rabbit-sized creature in an attempt to raise awareness about the dwindling bilby population.

Despite being relatively unheard of in the rest of the world, the concept of the Easter Bilby is popular and has been around for decades in Australia. In 2024, a children’s book was published highlighting the issues caused by rabbits in the country, with the Easter Bilby depicted as a hero recruiting children to save the native wildlife.

The sale of chocolate bilbies has successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for causes towards their preservation. So, Australians can eat as much chocolate at Easter guilt-free, knowing that it’s helping save a much-loved, endangered species.

In many parts of the world, Easter is traditionally a time to enjoy plenty of good food. And there’s nowhere where that’s more the case than in the small town of Bessières in southern France.

Every year at Easter, a team of 50 volunteers collects 15,000 eggs – not to dye them pastel colours or even hide them for children to find. Instead, on Easter Monday morning, they use them to make a giant omelette.

It’s quite a spectacle. It requires a giant fire and a 13-foot-wide frying pan that weighs more than a tonne just to cook it. And, when it’s done, it’s capable of serving 1,000 people!

Legend has it that this tradition dates back to the time of Napoleon. The story goes that a local innkeeper cooked the Little Corporal a scrumptious scrambled egg when he and his army were travelling near the town. Apparently, he enjoyed it so much that the next day, he requested that all the eggs in the village be gathered to make a whopping omelette for his men.

However, it’s more likely that it can be traced to a custom in which the town’s teenagers gathered eggs from local farmers to make omelettes for people in need.

Whatever the truth, one thing’s for sure: the people of Bessières never go hungry at Easter.

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