Exploring Easter Traditions Around the World with Kids
Have you ever wondered how other people celebrate Easter around the world? It’s not all chocolate eggs, Easter bonnets and bunnies! From water fights and Easter witches to egg hill-rolling and gigantic omelettes, there is a diverse range of fun Easter traditions around the world!
If you’re looking for fun new ways to celebrate Easter with your children this year, read on to discover ten Easter traditions from around the world. We’ll explore where each tradition comes from and give suggestions on how you could bring a touch of international flair to your own family Easter celebrations at home.
You may also be interested in our Top 10 Fun Easter Activity Ideas! blog and make sure to claim your Free Easter Egg Hunt kit, Free Rabbit costume props and Free Easter activity pack but now, back to our global journey…
10 Easter traditions from around the world:
We hope you will find some inspiration for your family’s new Easter tradition here…
- Egg Tapping (Greece)
- Easter kite flying (Bermuda)
- Gigantic Easter omelette (France)
- Easter witches (Sweden)
- The Easter Egg Roll (United States of America)
- Hot cross buns (England)
- Easter bonfires (Germany)
- Pysanka decorated Easter Eggs (Ukraine)
- Easter candles (Italy)
- Easter water fights (Poland)
- BONUS: Free Easter activities for kids!
1. Easter Egg Tapping (Greece)
In Greece, Easter Sunday starts with the popular game of Egg tapping, or “Tsougrisma,” where people tap hard-boiled eggs together. The goal is to crack the opponent’s egg without cracking your own.
Make it your new Easter tradition:
Engage in a friendly egg tapping competition with your family. Each person selects a hard-boiled egg, and participants take turns tapping their eggs together. The last egg standing without cracks is declared the winner!
2. Easter Kite Flying (Bermuda)
Kite flying is a big Good Friday tradition in Bermuda, where colourful homemade kites adorn the sky. The kites are meant to symbolise Jesus rising to heaven in the Easter story.
Could this be your new Easter family tradition?
Get creative crafting your own home-made kite and take to the skies! Enjoy the fresh air and celebrate the season of renewal with this fun outdoor activity.
3. Easter Witches (Sweden)
On Maundy Thursday in Sweden they celebrate with the tradition of Easter witches. In a tradition similar to Halloween trick-or-treating, children dress up as witches and go door-to-door wishing their neighbours a Happy Easter and exchanging greetings cards and drawings for sweet treats.
Give this Easter tradition a try:
Encourage your children to dress up as an Easter witch (or another symbol of Easter, try or Free Easter Bunny costume props) and create homemade drawings or paintings to give to neighbours or family members to spread some Easter cheer.
4. The Easter Egg Roll (United States of America)
The Easter Egg Roll is an Easter Monday tradition dating back to 1878. Hosted on the White House lawn by the First Lady, children roll eggs down a grassy hill using spoons.
Make it Your Easter tradition:
Create an Easter Egg Roll right in your own garden. Gather your supplies – hard-boiled eggs and spoons – and let the egg-citement unfold! Children can decorate the eggs beforehand for added fun and creativity.
Don’t have a hilly garden? No problem! Get creative and fashion a ramp of sorts. This presents a fantastic opportunity for some educational fun too as you can experiment with different slopes and observe how they affect the speed of the egg roll. Let the games begin!
5. Giant Easter Omelette (France)
In the town of Bessières, France, Easter Sunday is celebrated with the making of a giant omelette using thousands of eggs. The tradition dates back to Napoleon Bonaparte insisting that an innkeeper of the town make an omelette big enough to feed his army.
Is this your new Easter tradition?
Get that omelette pan out! Make it a family event cooking up delicious omelette. What toppings will you have? Enjoy the meal together and embrace the spirit of community and celebration.
6. Easter Bonfires (Germany)
In Germany, Easter is celebrated on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday with the tradition of gathering around an Easter bonfire. The bonfire symbolises the victory of light over darkness.
Your new family Easter celebration?
Take inspiration from Germany this Easter and celebrate with a family gathering around a fire – whether it’s a bonfire, fire-pit or by candlelight. Share stories and sing songs with a family-friendly mocktail or two.
7. Hot Cross Buns (United Kingdom)
Hot Cross Buns are spiced sweet buns marked with a cross on top, traditionally eaten on Good Friday to commemorate the Crucifixion.
A new Easter tradition idea:
Have a go at baking hot cross buns with your children and discuss the symbolism of the cross – perhaps retell the Easter story using Busy Things . Enjoy the delicious treats together as you celebrate the Easter season.
8. Pysanka Easter eggs (Ukraine)
Pysanka are intricately decorated Easter eggs from Ukraine, perhaps to symbolise the They are traditionally made using wax-resist techniques to create beautiful designs and patterns.
Have a go at this Easter tradition:
Explore the art of pysanky with your children – use crayons or candles to draw designs on boiled eggs before dipping them in dye. Experiment with different colours and pattern.
You can also experiment decorating Easter eggs in Busy Things and go on an Easter egg hunt!
9. Easter Candles (Italy)
In Italy, one of the ways that Easter is celebrated is with the lighting of the Paschal Candle, symbolising the light of Christ.
Try this Easter tradition:
Craft your own Paschal Candle as a family. Use white candles and simple materials like, colourful ribbons, and markers to decorate it with symbols of Easter. Light your homemade Paschal Candle during family meals and Easter gatherings.
10. Easter Water Fights (Poland)
In Poland, Easter Monday or ‘Wet Monday’ is celebrated with playful water fights, symbolizing cleansing and renewal.
A fun new Easter tradition for your family?
Embrace this Hungarian Easter tradition and engage in some friendly family water fights!
Fun Easter tradition inspiration
We hope exploring these Easter traditions from around the world has given you some inspiration for fun new ways to celebrate Easter with your children this year!
Tell us in the comments which new family Easter tradition you’re going to try? And please do give suggestions for any other Easter family traditions.
Free Easter activities for kids
Before you go, don’t forget to download our free Easter egg hunt PDF, free Easter bunny costume props and free Easter activity pack for fun and creative Easter activities the whole family will enjoy!
Be sure to check out all the Easter activities for children on Busy Things too, you can trial them all free along with 100s more learning activities.
Wishing you a wonderful Easter filled with laughter and unforgettable memories!