Celebrating Easter around the world

In terms of holidays, being a nomad has some advantages and disadvantages… The bad part is that most of the typical celebrations are related to family meetings and it’s not always easy to be far from people you love. The good part is, as a traveler, you can experience different ways to celebrate holidays, which is quite interesting in my opinion.

My first Easter far from Brazil was in Poland. But, before talking more about this, I want to explain how is Easter in Brazil.

Brazilian Easter

In Brazil, since the majority of the population is Catholic and Christian, Easter is also considered a big holiday. However, we celebrate in a very different way. On Good Friday people shouldn't eat meat and most of the families prepare the traditional codfish, which is baked with a lot of potatoes, other legumes, and olive oil. For sure a Portuguese legacy from the colonial times. Burning the Judas on the Saturday of Aleluia is also an old tradition, but more and more, it has been disappearing. For kids, the most expected day is Sunday, since it’s the day that we give each other chocolate eggs. Most of the families do a kind of “treasure hunt”, hiding some eggs around the house and the garden and kids must find them. My grandpa used to do that with me, my brothers and cousins and we had a lot of fun during my childhood.

Polish Easter

In Poland, as in Brazil, Easter is a big holiday too. The families usually get together on Saturday to paint boiled eggs, which are also called “pisanki’. Polish people also prepare some baskets, where they put the painted eggs and also some Easter food, which are sausages, bread, cakes, and other things.

On Easter Sunday, people go to the church very early and then have breakfast together. After the meal, they share a kind of a waffle, which is also served in Christmas. The most curious fact about the Polish Easter is the Monday before it. Known as wet Monday (Śmigus-Dyngus), during this day boys should throw water on girls and also use pussy willow branches to give some kind slaps, which means, no violence included... For me, this thing that only women get wet sounds a bit weird. But for the polish culture, wetter a woman gets, more chances to get married she had...

Bulgarian Easter

Bulgarian Easter is pretty funny, in my opinion. They also paint eggs, but they don’t boil them… The eggs are used as a kind of ammunition for an “egg warfare” that takes place Sunday between the members of the family. According to my Bulgarian friends, Easter is the perfect opportunity to finish all the misunderstandings and fights that happened at Christmas. And also, you have an amazing chance to shot on that boring cousin or uncle that you hate. During the “egg warfare” who is hit by the red egg should have a long life and prosperity.

Thai Easter

This year I’m here in Thailand where Easter is very far from their culture. However, if you have a friend you have everything! So this is me and my stemian friend @conecteconomy celebrating in our way: with bunny coconut ice cream (which you can see more about here!)