Hey people! I 've just returned from the first part of my Easter vacations. Orthodox Christian Easter was this past Sunday, the 24th of April. When is the Catholic one?

I 'd like to chat a bit about Easter customs from around the world.

Greek Easter customs (just like any other holiday and celebration) are closely related to religion. Prion to Easter there is a long period of fasting (is that the right word for not eating meat and animal products?). Chuch sets it at 40 days prior to Easter, but the most importand days is the week before Easter, especiall Friday and Saturday. Less and less people follow it nowadays, though.

On the midnight of Saturday people go to church with big candles to receive the holy light from the priest. The light symbolizes the enlightment of the people following Jesus's resurrection.

After that, they go to their homes for dinner. The menu varies form location to location, but it usually includes stuffed lamb intestines and liver. It's more delicious than it sounds.

Sunday is dedicated to eating meat (obviously, after 40 days of fasting) and tradition dictates that a lamb is cooked. The most popular method of cooking it (in rural areas, that is) is to stick it on a skewer and cook it over fresh coal. That usually includes lighting the fire very early in the morning to let it burn down to coal and then rotate the lamb for 4 to 6 hours over it. The result is well worth the wait.

The Easter table also includes red eggs. Each of the diners chooses one and a competition is held. In pairs, they knock their egg's ends until only one egg is left with at least one end intact. No real prize is given, but the winning the competition is thought to be a good omen.

Easter in Greece is all about reuniting with your family and for those who aren't strong believers (like me) eating the Sunday's lamb. For those with more faith, it is sufficient to say that Easter is the most important celebration of the Christian world.

I am waiting forward to hearing your land's customs.

 

Well, In my family we used to decorate eggs the night before easter, and then in the morning have an easter egg hunt and read the easter story.
Since me and my sister have gotten older we go to church either the night before or the morning of easter, and read the easter story.
Were simple protestant, so we stick to the Bible and keep the ceremonies at a minimum.

We generally celebrate Christmas with the extended family and have reunions and more traditions, and easter is more about being with your immediate family.

(maybe if we stick to saying our customs and not discussing or commenting on others the mods will let the thread live?)

 

(maybe if we stick to saying our customs and not discussing or commenting on others the mods will let the thread live?)

This is a VERY good idea!

 

This is a VERY good idea!

Eh, I have one or two every once in a blue moon...

 

I drink a lot of rum for easter

My sisters birthday is April 24th, so my folks flew to Baltimore, Maryland from Atlanta, Georgia.

They picked up my brother and I, and we headed to New Freedom, Pennsylvania, where my sister lives.

We all spent the night, had a nice fire, ate a half-bushel of large/x-large crabs ($135 us OUCH), enjoyed some libation, and called it a night.

Easter Sunday, the Baltimore Orioles (baseball team) played the New York Yankees, so 17 of us went to the game for my sisters birthday present.

That turned into another night of seafood and libation.

...That is about how most of our celebration/holidays go.

 

Yes, there was a lot of drinking this Easter. We usually do 3 dinner/visit/celebration(s) over the Easter weekend. One Hungarian, one Irish and one Canadian. They are all just a little different with the choice of main dish and accoutrements. There is different candy, or eggs and a great traditional meal. The one constant is, lots of drink.... I guess it's a Christian thing.

 

friday was kind of a reunion party with music and dancing.
saturday a bbq in the garden, some old friends and lots of new faces.
sunday was a concert of significant music.
monday we ate a rabbit and some very tasty game-birds. even the vegetarians had some.
back in the day, we used to paint eggs and roll them down a hill.