Easter Traditions Around the World

Hungary

This tradition started in Hungary years ago. My parents passed it on to me, and I to my kids.

Kids that were friends traded one hardboiled, painted egg with each other and tried to see who could be the first to throw a coin into the egg! Sounds easier than it is. You have to throw at a minimum speed to get it to stay in the egg as opposed to chip it and bounce off. Determined by the child's age (or adult's), is how many feet away from the eggs you stand, and take turns throwing the coins. Whoever gets one in first wins! (And usually eats the egg.)

Note: It helps to have a towel underneath the eggs as it could get a little messy once mastered and to prevent chipping a wall! Dimes seem to work best.

Great fun!
~Jane Warr: Visit Jane at her website, Your Health For Life

Ukraine

My mother taught me to make lovely Ukrainian Easter eggs in a style specific to the Lemko region of the Ukraine.The two of us have taught many, many others how to do this from Girl Scout Troops, to personal friends & family over the years. My Grandma taught my Mom this art & it is even more special to me because my Grandma died when my Mom was only 10 yrs. old. I feel that we are keeping my Grandmother, Paraska's spirit more alive by painting these eggs & showing others how to do them.
~Judy

Greek Traditions

Easter is a the most celebrated holiday in the life of a Greek family. As a child I have wonderful "fragrant" memories of all of the traditional preparations for Easter. The scent of gardenias and burning candles, for the midnight procession, in which the parishoners circle the church at midnight holding candles, while the priest blesses the church and all that are present. When we arrive home after church, the smell of lemon, egg & rice soup also called Avgolemono, greets us at the door and we dive in, after a long lenten fast. Easter Sunday is always spent with as many family members as possible, who all bring their specialities for us to share, like delicious homemade cookies, traditional Tsoureki bread with red eggs imbedded in the dough and my favorite, Baklava and other types of syrup pastries. These traditions have been celebrated through countless generations of our family and we work very hard to keep them alive for future generations. Young children participate in the cooking and baking and they hear all of the wonderful stories of Easters past, that are exchanged at this time. These are memories that they will pass on to their children, as I have to my son. One day it will be his turn to keep the memories alive!
~Evangeline Jacobsen

Scotland

My memory of Easter traditions start at the age of four and a half. I was living with my grandparents in their bungalow in Milngavie, Scotland. On easter Saturday my Aunt hard boiled some eggs. These were allowed to cool and then the children were allowed to paint them. Easter Sunday we took them to the top of the garden,then let them roll down the hill. There was great exitment to see which egg reached the bottom first.
~Roberta Graham

Poland

We are Polish and I always love getting the Easter basket that we would have blessed ready. It would be filled with Easter eggs,butter lamb, ham, Polish sauage, horseradish, homemade bread . And other little goodies like chocolate bunnies for us kids. But most of all I love the time spent with my sister and my Mom preparing it all.
~Rosemary

For more Polish Easter traditions visit here