31 Jan Easter traditions in Europe

Easter is around the corner! and every country has its own way to celebrate it. Find some of the most popular and unusual traditions among our European destinations and do not miss anything during your Easter themed tour in Europe! 

Easter in Germany

Easter is one of the most important holidays in Germany and a unique experience for travelers. Streets, squares, gardens, balconies… all the country is decorated specifically for this celebration. The main tradition is to give Easter baskets; each child receives a basket that contains hand painted eggs, chocolates, and toys. Painting Easter eggs (Ostereier), the Easter Ride (Osterspaziergang), cooking the famous and popular Easter lamb (Osterlamm) either roasted or as a sponge cake, are other typical traditions of the country. Also, you have the option to visit some flea markets with typical Easter products. The Holy Friday (Karfreitag) and the Holy Monday (Ostermontag) are public holidays.

Two Easter baskets full of colourful eggs

Easter in Hungary

Several curious traditions are practiced in Hungary on Easter Day, including outdoor activities. Painting Easter eggs is one of the oldest and it remains essential in this celebration nowadays. Another tradition is called “Locsolkodás”, which consists of watering women. Groups of boys with water jugs, buckets, bottles, etc., visit the girls in their houses and when they open the door they get wetted. They also do it if they catch some girl on the street. While watering them, they recite a poem; to get rid of it, the girl must offer them painted Easter eggs.

Traditional food on this date includes smoked cooked ham, horseradish, potato salad, boiled eggs and Easter bread.

Hungarian men dressed with the traditional clothes holding buckets full of water

Easter in France

Easter in France is considered the most important Christian festivity of the year and it is part of some of our themed programs. From Thursday to Holy Saturday, the church bells are silent until announcing the Christ resurrection in a ringing bells on Easter Sunday. A very popular gift are Easter eggs, the main protagonists on this holiday. They come along with a wide variety of sweets whether in the form of Easter bunnies, bells and chocolate fish. As in many other countries, children play egg hunting on Easter Sunday morning.

Easter eggs, Holy Week in France

Easter in Czech Republic

In addition to the painted eggs, another Easter tradition from Czech Republic is the elaboration of the whip, a wicker wand decorated with colored ribbons. During this celebration, the men go from house to house symbolically lashing the women and girls with the whips, like rejuvenation and adornment belief for the entire year. Among the typical food they have lamb and rabbit; the “mazanec” (sweet round bread), the little lamb (cake sprinkled with icing sugar) and “Judas” (braid or knot dough painted with honey). On Easter Monday, there is no shortage of egg dishes. During Easter, most of the restaurants offer Easter menus and diversity of beer, this last one can also be reachable in any regular tour. If you want to view the options check our booking page.

Traditional “whip” of Czech Republic

Easter in United Kingdom

During Easter, in the United Kingdom you can enjoy customs, folklore and traditional English food as fine as at any other time of the year, since many establishments remain open even though it is public holidays. Among the main traditions, in United Kingdom they celebrate the “Egg Rolling” game, in which several children gather to descend from the hills rolling decorated eggs. Another popular tradition is to decorate chocolate eggs, in which several well-known chocolate brands hold events to produce Easter eggs of various dimensions and hide them all over the city, where the finders are keepers. Among other traditions is also the production of “Hot Cross Buns” which are sweet and spicy pastry with raisins, painted with a cross and served hot. On the other hand, food, drink festivals and horse tournaments can never be missed.

“Hot Cross Buns” of the United Kingdom

Easter in Italy

As in Spain, the processions are a very distinctive tradition in some towns of Italy; specially the one that takes place in Rome, along with the papal mass in Vatican City at Basilica of San Pedro. Fireworks and pyrotechnics are another popular tradition, such as the one held in Venezia, in Piazza San Marco. The egg, as elsewhere in Europe, continues being the protagonist in this celebration. It symbolizes the beginning of life; consequently, it is used in many games and in elaboration of popular dishes in Easter.

Fireworks in Piazza San Marco, Venezia

Easter in Spain

The Holy Week is one of the most representative celebrations of Spain. Deployment of music, culture, tradition, religion, theater… It takes place the days before Easter Sunday and varies by region. The different brotherhoods demonstrate their faith through processions with representative images of the Passion of Christ, followed by penitents or nazarenes.

Accompanied by music bands, these processions walk through the streets of hundreds of Spanish cities. In Seville and Andalusia are very famous due to their sensational processions intensely adorned. It also surprises the elegance of many of the attendants, the women dressed in white and the men in jacket suit.

Processions during the Holy Week in Spain

You are still on time to prepare your tailor-made tour in Europe for Easter! Leave the planning in the hands of Premium Incoming DMC and do not miss anything in this important festival.