and especially its Greek customs that may seem strange, even barbaric to a foreigner – and to many Greeks.
However, they are observed every year with reverence and for most are the highlight of the celebrations. Accordingly, many of the Easter customs of Christians in other countries make us wonder what their relationship is to the divine drama and the Resurrection. Let’s look at some of the weirdest ones.
Sweden and Finland: The “Easter Witches” as another Halloween
On and , M. Thursday and M. Saturday, children revive the custom called “Easter Witches”. They paint their faces, wear old clothes and handkerchiefs and, holding broomsticks, go from door to door handing out handmade cards, paintings and branches with buds, in exchange for chocolates and sweets.
According to an old Norse legend, on M. Thursday the witches ride their brooms and fly to “Blakula”, a mythical island where they met the devil to celebrate. Today, of course, all this has ended up in a much more innocent and sweet version, however, behind this cute picture there is a really dark story.
In the 17th century, the fear of witches in Sweden led to horrific torture and hundreds of executions of innocent people. Back then, on Easter days, people locked their doors and chimneys to keep out the witches traveling to Blacula, and even hid their garden or stable tools, fearing that the witches would use them as transport or abuse their animals.
It took until 1779 for the death penalty for “witchcraft” to be abolished and for this horror to slowly mutate into a popular custom.
In Finland, the tradition also has a dose of Orthodox influence, with the custom, called ‘virvonta’, taking place on Palm Sunday, combining the blessing of the branches with the masquerade.
Norbegia: Snuggling with mystery stories
What does Easter have to do with reading crime novels? None, apparently. However, they have a different opinion. For people there, Easter is the perfect time to retreat to secluded wooden chalets in the mountains, to solve murder mysteries, read thrillers and watch crime dramas.
It all started with a clever advertising hoax in 1923 on Easter Day. A publishing house printed the title of a new detective book about the Bergen train robbery on the front page of the national newspaper, right below the logo, leading readers to think it was real news.
The confusion caused such a stir that the book became popular and Easter has since been identified with crime. Today, the “thirst” for mystery is ubiquitous, from bookcases adorned with paper corpses and knife-wielding chickens, to milk cartons printed with illustrated detective stories for the family to solve over breakfast.
The phenomenon is called Paaskekrim and it does not only concern adults, since even children are avidly consuming children’s mysteries. As they say themselves, the gloomy landscape with the deep fjords and the darkness of the North is the perfect setting for drama, making the Norwegian Easter the most “snuggly” holiday.
France: the huge street omelet instead of red eggs
At Easter in , and specifically in the Béziers region, the eggs, instead of being dyed, are made into an omelette. And indeed one of excessive dimensions. The custom is observed on Easter Monday and involves baking a giant omelet made of 15,000 eggs, capable of feeding over 2,000 people.
The spectacle, which is more than half a century old, is organized by the “World Brotherhood of Knights of the Giant Omelet”, a group of volunteers dressed in yellow and white, who indulge in the ritual.
Legend has it that it all started when Napoleon Bonaparte, passing through the area, was so excited by the omelette he ate at an inn that he ordered all the eggs in the city to be collected the next day to feed his entire army.
Although locals take the story with a touch of irony, the essence of the festival remains community and friendship. The process is impressive, as a four-metre pan is placed over a huge fire with Clarke’s help, while 70 liters of duck fat heat up before welcoming the egg mixture, which is mixed with giant wooden ladles and… cement mixers.
The taste, contrary to all expectations for a food cooked in such quantity, is excellent, flavored with chives and local peppers.
Czech Republic and Slovakia: Wood came from Heaven
The following custom is highly controversial in its era of political correctness, yet in the Czech Republic and Slovakia it is still observed by 60% of the population. On Easter Monday, men, using the pomlázka, a hand-made whip made of willow branches and decorated with colorful ribbons, symbolically “beat” the women around them.
In theory, the custom is not meant to cause pain but “rejuvenation”, as the word pomlázka literally means one who makes you young again.
Tradition says that the whipping, although to avoid pain the women often wear many layers of clothing, carries the freshness and vitality of the tree, ensuring health, beauty and fertility for the whole year.
After the whipping, the men go from house to house singing verses about eggs and about spring. In some areas, the tradition also includes dousing with cold water or sprinkling with perfume. If the men are late in showing up and arrive after noon, the roles are reversed and the women have the right to pour a bucket of ice water on their heads.
Bermuda: Buzzer Kites
Something like our Clean Monday, in Bermuda on M. Friday they fly kites. For islanders, the kite is a symbol of hope and rebirth that is inextricably linked to their heritage. Families flock to the beaches, centered on the enchanting Horseshoe Bay, to relive the generations-old tradition.
Bermuda kites are truly works of art, handcrafted from bamboo, string and colorful fabrics. Their shape is usually hexagonal, but what makes them unique in the world is the sound they make. They have special structures called “hummers” which, as the eagle tears through the air, produce a distinctive high-pitched noise that can be heard from one end of the island to the other.
In fact, the competition to build the noisiest kite is huge, with Somerset crafters keeping their method of construction a closely guarded secret.
The celebration is accompanied by live music, traditional games and local delicacies, such as the famous fishcakes. The custom culminates in the Kite Festival, where the most impressive and noisy constructions are awarded.
Guatemala: the ephemeral rugs
Antigua, Guatemala during Semana Santa (Holy Week) is transformed into an outdoor gallery of “living” carpets (alfombras), which are laid out on the cobbled streets only to be destroyed within minutes of the processions passing by.
It is a tradition that combines the Catholic immersion with that of the Mayans, creating a unique spectacle.
These rugs are made from brightly colored sawdust, flower petals, pine needles, and even fruit or vegetables. Locals work for months on their design and spend up to 20 hours of continuous work through the night to complete a single carpet. The result is full of biblical symbolism and geometric shapes, evoking the scent of pine and frankincense.
EPA PHOTO AFPI / ORLANDO SIERRA
But the real charm lies in their ephemeral nature. It is an offering that symbolizes humility and sacrifice, as believers give their best for something they know will disappear under the feet of “Roman centurions” and images of Christ.
In the past, the custom was more spontaneous, with families picking flowers from their yards and decorating the stretch of road in front of their house. Today, Semana Santa has taken on international proportions, with artists using intricate stencils and professional techniques, attracting visitors from around the globe.
Spain: Equality towards death through dance
On M. Thursday, the infamous Dance of Death (La Dansa de la Mort) takes place in the village of Verzes in Catalonia. It is a custom that has survived since the 14th century and reminds the faithful that in the face of death we are all equal, from the Pope to the simplest villager.
The spectacle begins in the central square with reenactments of the Trial of Christ, but the climax comes after midnight, when the procession moves through the narrow streets of the village and lasts until 3 am. There appear five “skeletons” — 2 adults and 3 children — who perform an eerie dance to the sound of drums.
They hold in their hands a scythe, a black flag that says “I pity no one”, plates full of ashes and a clock without hands. The message is that time passes quickly and anyone can turn to ashes at any time.
What makes the process even more suggestive is that the village is lit only by torches, while the “skeletons” jump among the watching crowd.
Although such dances were once common throughout Europe to ward off evil from plagues and wars, Berches is one of the few places that keeps the tradition alive to this day.
