Whether you celebrate Easter or not, you’re going to find these Easter traditions absolutely fascinating! Maybe you’ve heard of some of them, or maybe you’re about to be totally surprised – either way, you’re in for a good time! Read on to learn all about wax egg drawing, exploding carts, and the biggest omelette you’ve ever heard of…

If you’re hungry for more Easter fun, worry not – we’ve got it! Why not learn all about hot cross buns, or the Easter bunny? Or test all the knowledge you’ve acquired with this Easter true or false quiz!

1. Hot cross buns

Hot cross buns are a beloved tradition in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Caribbean – and more! It’s fun to eat them throughout the Easter season – but did you know that traditionally, you’re only supposed to start eating them on Good Friday? Good Friday marks the end of Lent, which is when Catholics fast for forty days starting on Ash Wednesday.

2. Breaking pots in Corfu

On the Greek island of Corfu, locals gather at 11am on Holy Saturday to chuck clay pots (called botides) off balconies. This probably originated from a Venetian tradition, where people threw out their old belongings to make room for new ones. The loud smashing is also supposed to ward away evil spirits at a time of rebirth!

3. Waterfights

Traditionally, on Easter Monday people throw water on each other! This custom occurs in Poland, Hungary, Ukraine and Slovakia, and is called Śmigus-dyngus in Polish. It’s a tradition that dates from Pagan times, and it used to only be boys doing it to girls they fancied (uhh… thanks?). Nowadays it’s a little more egalitarian, with waterfights breaking out on the day! The practice may be an allusion to the baptism of a Polish prince, which represented all of Poland uniting under Christianity.

4. A giant omelette in France

Love omelettes? Then get yourself to Bessières, France for their annual Easter festivity – an ENORMOUS omelette made from 15,000 eggs! Legend says that this is because Napoleon Bonaparte himself once ordered a giant omelette made for his troops while he was visiting the area.

5. Guatemalan sawdust carpets

This tradition takes place during Semana Santa, the last week of Lent. Guatemalan revellers make colourful carpets on their streets out of dyed sawdust! They also use other natural materials like dried flowers, grass, and pine needles. The tradition originates in Spain, but Guatemalan carpets are extra colourful and extravagant!

6. Getting spooky in Scandinavia

In Sweden and Finland, kids get to have two Halloweens a year! On Maundy Thursday, children dress up as witches and go door-to-door with willow brooms, asking for gifts of sweets or coins! This tradition is supposed to keep the devil away.

7. Flying kites in Bermuda

This lovely tradition takes place on Good Friday on the island of Bermuda. The kites are handmade, unique, and always brightly-coloured! They’re usually hexagonal, though some may be octagonal, or even bigger!

8. Red eggs in Greece

Eggs are a tradition all over the world, but in Greece (and some other cultures), Easter eggs are usually dyed red. The colour symbolises Christ’s blood, so it stands for life, resurrection and sacrifice.

9. Lamb cake in Poland

Lambs are a symbol of springtime and of Jesus, who is called “the lamb of God” by John the Baptist. In Poland a traditional dish on the Easter table is the lamb cake (agnuszek or baranek wielkanocny in Polish). It’s usually made in a cast-iron pan, and sometimes decorated with coconut to look like a lamb’s fleece!

10. Enjoying roast lamb worldwide

Lambs are also eaten in a more literal sense! The traditional Easter supper in many countries, including the UK and the USA, is roast lamb. It’s symbolic, like the cake, but also a practical thing, as it’s a seasonal meat and in the olden days people ate what was available for the time of year.

11. A huge explosion in Italy

In Florence, locals celebrate a 350-year-old Easter tradition called the Scoppio del Caro (“Explosion of the Cart”). It’s exactly what it sounds like – a cart is packed with fireworks and set alight on Easter Sunday! It has its origins in the First Crusade, and is supposed to symbolise a Florentine who was the first to scale the wall of Jerusalem. The explosion is supposed to foretell a good harvest – the louder and brighter, the better that year’s yield!

12. Murder mysteries in Norway

Everyone loves a good murder mystery, but we don’t usually associate them with Easter! In Norway, settling down to a good murder mystery (whether it’s a book, a film or a TV series) is so common they have a word for it – påskekrim! It dates back to the 1920s, after two writers penned a crime novel and advertised it in a newspaper the Sunday before Easter, with a fake headline about the train robbery central to the book’s plot. Lots of people believed it was a real story, and the whole thing drew so much attention that it turned into a tradition!

13. Pretzels in Luxembourg

On the third Sunday of Lent, Luxembourgers celebrate Pretzel Sunday (Bretzelsonnden). In Luxembourg pretzels are sweet puff pastries with icing and almonds, and the tradition is for a man to give his crush the pretzel. If she feels the same way, she will give him an egg on Easter Sunday. On leap years, the gender roles are reversed!

14. Easter bonnets

This is another tradition across multiple countries that celebrate Easter. You’ve maybe decorated an Easter bonnet at school before, but did you know it’s based on the tradition of wearing new clothes for Easter? Easter is a time to celebrate new life, so people across multiple cultures would often debut their newest and nicest clothes on Easter Sunday. For people without the money to buy a brand new outfit, and in particularly bad times for the economy, a nice new hat was the cheapest and easiest way to continue the celebration. American composer Irving Berlin immortalised the phrase “Easter bonnet” in his 1917 song “Easter Parade”.

15. Wax eggs in Ukraine

In Ukraine, eggs are traditionally decorated by applying very intricate patterns to the shells using wax, and then dying them with paint. The areas with wax will resist the paint, creating stunning patterns. In folklore these eggs are said to be very magically powerful, with the ability to bring good fortune and scare away evil spirits.

16. Easter bonfires

We usually associate bonfires with Guy Fawkes Night, but they can also be an Easter tradition! They are most widely practices in Germany, where they originated in pre-Christian Saxon traditions. The fires are said to chase the darkness of winter away.

17. Fasting in Ethiopia

Ethiopian Christians celebrate Fasika, which is the Amharic word for Easter. Fasika is a 55-day fast where all meat and animal products are totally off the menu – vegan food only! The fast is broken with a big celebration full of food and dancing. Easter is actually more important than Christmas in Ethiopian Christianity, so the party is always huge!

18. Chocolate bilbies in Australia

Rabbits may be adorable, but they don’t have the best reputation in Australia because they’re dangerous to the native ecosystem. Instead, Australian kids get chocolate bilbies! A bilby is a native Australian marsupial, and they’re pretty adorable – but unfortunately, endangered.

19. Willow whips in Czechia  

In Czechia, and in several neighbouring countries, it is a tradition for boys to tie willow branches into whips, and smack girls for luck, health and prosperity. Unsurprisingly it’s quite controversial nowadays, with lots of girls saying they hate the practice. It’s usually not done very hard, and some say it’s an important part of folk history, but we also understand why girls don’t like it.

20. NO dancing on Good Friday!

Feel like getting down on Good Friday? Well, you can – unless you’re in Germany! It is illegal to dance in 12 of the 16 German states on Good Friday, out of respect for Jesus’ sacrifice. You probably won’t actually be arrested if you’re caught boogying, but bars and clubs won’t play loud music on the day, and it’s frowned upon to be seen dancing in public at all.