Top 10 Easter traditions from around the world

If you were hoping that Australia, Canada and New Zealand enjoyed some weird and wacky Easter traditions, sorry to disappoint… You’ll be bombarded with Easter eggs in the supermarket from the day after Christmas and will undoubtedly overdose on chocolate over the long weekend.

However, other countries around the world have some pretty fantastic ways of celebrating:

1. Czech Republic and Slovakia: women and girls are whipped with decorated instruments by men and boys in a ritual designed to encourage good health and beauty. Hm.

2. Poland and Russia: they show off their knife skills by crafting butter into the shape of a lamb which accompanies their Easter meal.

3. Germany: the Germans like to celebrate the coming of a new season by burning the remnants of the winter season – they pile the remainders of their Christmas trees and burn them.

4. Australia: ok, we lied, Australia has one quirky Easter tradition – the chocolate Bilby. Not only is it impossibly cute and different, it contributes to the Save the Bilby fund to raise awareness of their dwindling numbers.

 5. Switzerland: not content with just eating the delicious chocolate version, the Swiss like to decorate their fountains with flowers, ribbons and eggs.

6. France: a very traditional celebration, the bells in France’s churches are silenced on Good Friday in recognition of Jesus’ death. The legend goes that actually these bells fly to Rome and then back again to be rung on Easter Sunday.

7. Orthodox and Catholic nations (some parts of Greece, Mexico, Portugal and Spain): an ancient Easter ritual, an effigy of Judas may be displayed and burnt.

8. Poland: apparently men are not allowed to make Easter bread because of a fear their moustache will go grey.

9. Finland: some children will dress up as witches and go searching for treats, which sounds a bit Halloween-like to us.

10. UK: another inventive use for an egg, in some parts of the UK, they like to roll their eggs down large hills.

Think we’re happy with the chocolate eating here in New Zealand.