As Christians prepare to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, with many going to Church and attending Easter egg hunts, a number of countries around the world will celebrate without a single chocolate egg in sight! Here, we round up our top five Easter traditions unique to the country and region, along with their historical significance. 

Giant omelette-making tradition in Southern France.
Credit: TIME magazine/Remy Gabalda—AFP/Getty Images

1. In Mexico, on Holy Saturday, it’s typical for locals to re-enact the burning of Judas by burning an effigy, part of a weekend of rituals thought to rid oneself of evil. Close to two million people will crowd the streets to watch one of Latin America’s most elaborate re-enactments of Christ’s crucifixion in the Iztapalapa neighbourhood of Mexico City. Intended as a deeply religious experience and held on Good Friday, the Passion Play, like others seen around the world, depicts Jesus’s suffering and death. The tradition began in the nineteenth century to rejoice the end of a cholera epidemic.

2. Like other islands in the Caribbean region, Barbados has held onto the tradition of kite-flying to celebrate Easter. Families come out to compete in competitions and festivals with the most elaborate, colourful designs and incredible skills vying for the attention of spectators and prize-givers. The vibrant displays will showcase every imaginable shape going, from the traditional quadrilateral to boxes, rectangles and more elaborate polygons. Some aim to outdo others with gigantic contraptions requiring five to ten people to launch the kite and heavy-duty twine to keep it intact. The spectacular flight of the kites is said to represent the resurrection of Christ.

3. In the village of Bessières, in southwest France, eggs are neither boiled and painted nor made out of chocolate. Instead, villagers there opt for the more arduous task of making a giant omelette from 15,000 eggs, to be served with bread to villagers. The origins of this incredible task, which requires 50 volunteers to make and nearly two hours to crack the eggs, is said to date back to the time of Napoleon Bonaparte. It’s recorded that he had enjoyed an omelette so much that he asked that locals collect all the eggs in the village and cook a massive version for his army.

4. Home to over 350 million Christians, Africa’s Easter celebrations involve lots of traditional, communal activities, stemming from its rich history and contribution to Christianity, from Early 2nd century AD when Pope Saint Victor, the first bishop of Rome born in the Roman Province of Africa (North), decreed that Easter be universally celebrated on a Sunday. For Nigeria’s Christian population, palm branches decorate homes from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday and the Igbo people perform a distinctive masquerade dance, with young men wearing colourful costumes to celebrate their ancestral spirits.

5. The island of Marinduque, Philippines hosts the Moriones Festival during Holy Week, with women and men impersonating ‘moriones’ (Roman soldiers), inspired by Longinus, a Roman executioner of Christ. They don masks, helmets, and gladiator-inspired garb and wander the streets to pull pranks and scare children. According to legend, Longinus was blind, and was cured when a drop of Christ’s blood fell in his eye during the crucifixion. This specific tale is often re-enacted during the festival.
   
   Further Information 

• Watch a video featuring Birkbeck’s international students sharing their Easter greetings in their native languages, showcasing the College’s vibrant mix of cultures and backgrounds.