Tomorrow we joyfully celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We have some interesting ways of celebrating this glorious day and join with Christians around the world who  also celebrate using their unique traditions.  We in North America celebrate with beautiful church services praising God for His most wonderful gift, large family gatherings and maybe even an Easter egg hunt for the kids. Eggs were widely used premodern and pre-Christian time this image and applied it to the new life of the faithful followers of Christ. Other countries also have as a symbol of fertility and restoration that comes with springtime. Early Christians borrowed their customs which may seem odd to us, but they do seem to have a tie, albeit slight, to Christian beliefs.

In France, the Easter Bunny is replaced by church bells.  According to tradition, when the church bells stop ringing from Good Friday to Easter Sunday to acknowledge the death and resurrection of Jesus, the bells sprout wings enabling them to fly throughout the country delivering sweet treats to children.

Cold temperatures do not deter the people in Poland in their quest to maintain their Easter tradition of drenching one another with buckets of ice water. The tradition dates back over 1500 years.  Originally the ceremony was a representation of baptismal water, but today, the tradition seems to be more recreational.

Red dyed eggs are another well-known Greek Easter tradition.  The red egg is representative of the blood of Christ.  Following midnight mass, an egg-cracking game is played where each person cracks their egg on top of another person’s head. The last person with their egg still intact wins. The winner is said to have good luck all year long.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to Bermuda’s Easter traditions. To celebrate the holiday, Bermudians gather to fly homemade kites made using wooden sticks and decorative tissue paper, with the bright geometric designs in the sky symbolizing Jesus’s ascension into heaven.

Customs always get their start somewhere and I find it interesting to know when and how. But we need to be careful to not overlook the blessed gift of salvation given to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on this special day nearly 2000 years ago. Commercialism of Christian holidays is so prevalent in our society. We must remember this precious gift was the greatest sign of God’s unconditional love for us and lives forever in our lives, certainly well past the time the last chocolate Easter bunny is eaten and the hidden eggs are found. Thanks be to God!

Patty