From death dances to water fights: 6 wacky ways Easter would normally be celebrated around the world – if it wasn’t for the coronavirus pandemic
Covid-19 has put the breaks on this year’s celebrations – but there’s more to Easter than bunnies and chocolate; many cultures cling to timeworn traditions that are often baffling to outsiders – here’s our pick of the world’s weirdest
Rustic Easter baskets, playful bunnies, huge chocolate eggs … but also nasty bonfires, skeletons and spanking girls – playfully, of course. For Christians, Easter is the most important religious event of all, even more than Christmas, but everyone around the world has taken to celebrate the consumerist, yummy and fun part of it.
This year, coronavirus lockdowns and calls for social distancing mean that, in many countries, traditional street-staged Easter events will be called off, but – from the sacred to the silly – here are the most wacky ways different cultures would normally celebrate the holiday.
Italy
Theatrical performances and town parades see actors re-enact the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, with barefoot followers dressed in white gowns and women singing chants. In Florence people celebrate a 350-year-old tradition called Scoppio del Carro – or “explosion of the cart”, which is loaded with fireworks that go off in front of the Duomo offering a spectacular show.
Huge, yummy Easter chocolate eggs are eaten and gifted (all have a tiny surprise inside) alongside dove-shaped sponge cakes covered in almonds and icing in a sign of peace, but also oven-baked crunchy lambs to honour the sacrifice of Jesus. Families exchange olive branches to hang over their beds. But Easter Monday is the real party time, when everyone gets together outdoors for picnics, barbecues and day trips in the countryside.
Poland
