Easter

Easter

The Easter holidays are celebrated all over the world. Eggs as an Easter symbol were originally associated with the pagan symbol of new life. In the Christian tradition, this idea of new life symbolises Christ's resurrection, which is celebrated during the Easter holidays.

How is Easter celebrated in English-speaking countries? There are some unique traditions across the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Easter an important time of year for Christians worldwide and in the UK it is celebrated by going to church, gifting chocolate eggs, decorating with Easter bunnies and scoffing hot cross buns!

In the USA, the President and the First Lady host an Easter Egg Roll on the lawns of the White House. This tradition started in 1878. Today, the event includes the famous egg rolling, an Easter egg hunt, and craft activities, all designed for a family day out.

In Australia, people gather for a meal with family, or catch up with friends. A common tradition for children involves hunts in the park or backyards to find chocolate eggs delivered by the mythical Easter bunny or bilby. The bilby, also known as the rabbit-eared bandicoot, is a small marsupial with long ears, a pointy snout, a black and white tail, and greyish fur. As a marsupial, it also carries its young in a pouch at the front of its stomach. Around 100 years ago, bilbies were a common sight and could be found across more than 70% of mainland Australia. The bilby is hunted by cats and foxes, and also driven out of their burrows by rabbits. Nowadays this rapidly disappearing animal became the Australian symbol of Easter.

How is Easter celebrated in the Czech Republic?

School folklore club Malá Odra prepared performance "Vynášení Mařeny". Throwing Morana into a river is a folk custom that takes place on Death Sunday (14 days before Easter). It symbolizes the end of Winter and beginning of Spring.