Easter is almost here, and this is a great opportunity to enhance our knowledge and read about the following strange Easter traditions in the world. Some of them are really unique ways of celebrating Easter.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic the tradition says that men should get a special whip for Easter and then use it on the women they fancy. In return for being whipped by men, women offer them a decorated egg, or money, serving as a thank you, for having been swat by them. If those men have the right age, they would also receive a whiskey shot.
Even though it might sound weird, women who don’t get whipped might be offended, as this means that nobody likes them enough.
However, the next morning, after they have been whipped, women would go out and throw ice cold water on the men that they like. You shouldn’t forget that this is all created to be fun, and usually everybody ends up drunk having a good time.
Cyprus
In Cyprus there is also the tradition of painting eggs and hiding them, for the kids to find, but they also have a weird contest for teenagers.
The tradition, says that young boys from Cyprus, should scour the neighbourhoods for piece of wood that they would use to create a bonfire. At the end of the day, the neighbourhood with the biggest fire wins the glory. The pieces of wood that the boys have to find, are very limited, and it often happens for the police to be called to come and break up fight over pieces of wood.
Bermuda
Easter traditions are mainly about religion, as we should not forget we are celebrating the resurrection of Christ. In Bermunda this aspect is being kept alive, but in a different manner. The way people from Bermuda symbolize the fact that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and went up to Heaven is by flying kites.
But we are not talking about your regular kites. The kites flown by the Bermuda people, may take even weeks to be designed and built. On the Easter day the kites are being flown high in the sky. The best kites are awarded at the end of the day. After Easter day, the kites are dismantled and put away. Since it was created just for that day, there is no reason to fly it twice.
Norway
One tradition happening in Norway you will most certainly find pretty strange. For Easter, families sit down together and read or watch murder mysteries, and at the end they all the family tries to figure out who the murderer was. This has become so popular that before Easter, many companies go out of their ways to get ready for the Easter massacre, to keep up with the religion the country is following.
The big TV stations in Norway, have a special program for Easter, where they would show only murder mysteries. Publishing companies would look for books about murder mysteries and would only release them for Easter. Also, the milk cartoons have a special design for Easter, with special cartoons and mini murder stories.
France
This next tradition might be something you have never heard before. In France there is a special day named Silent Saturday. On the days before Easter, the churches in France, would stop ringing the bells, as in this way they remember people about the death of Jesus Christ.
If a child was to ask their parents why have the bells stopped ringing, they would be told that, the bells have left their towers and flew to Rome so they can see the Pope. When coming back to France, the bells would drop colored eggs and candy for every children to enjoy. Flying bells…how is that for a replacement of the Easter Bunny?
Poland
Every country that celebrates Easter, has its own traditional foods and dinners. Poland is one of those countries who go for the fancy centerpiece to put on the Easter dinner table. The tradition out there, is to make a butter lamb, and by butter lamb we mean a lamb made entirely out of butter.
These “sculptures” are made by hand, but during the past years, there have been designed lamb molds which are being used more frequently, as they are more precise with the details.
The question is, what do you do with a butter lamb?
Two things: first it is a symbol that represents the arrival of spring and second one, well…you eat it.
Image Source: Babylon idioms, Demotix, the guardian, bermuda-online, THE SPECTATOR,jarvworld,muratordom