Easter Sunday is a significant day on the Christian calendar.
Some traditions are undoubtedly familiar to practicing Christians, while others might come as a surprise. As Easter approaches, faithful Christians and others intrigued by the holiday can consider these notable traditions from around the globe.
Fireworks in Florence The folk tradition of Scoppio del Carro (“Explosion of the Cart”) takes place in Florence, Italy. The Uffizi Gallery reports that this tradition can be traced to the First Crusade in 1099. During the first Easter in Jerusalem, Crusaders gave the blessed fire to the people as a symbol of purification. That custom has endured in Florence, where each Easter Sunday morning around 10 a.m. a candle is lit in the church of Santi Apostoli. That same candle is then used to light an antique cart loaded with fireworks, marking the beginning of a display that lasts around 20 minutes.
Whips in the Czech Republic
Among the more unique Easter traditions takes place each Easter Monday in the Czech Republic.
In adherence to this tradition, known locally as pomlázka, boys, and sometimes men, gather willow branches and braid them together into whips.
The whips are then decorated with ribbons before boys visit girls (or men visit women) who they know and lightly tap them with the whips.
The tradition is believed to bring women luck, vitality and fertility.
The Carpets of Semana Santa
Carpets might not be the first thing most Easter celebrants think of when pondering the holiday, but that might be the case for anyone who’s ever spent the holiday in Antigua, Guatemala. Guatemala’s Semana Santa (“Easter Festival”) features detailed carpets of colored sawdust adorning a Good Friday processional route. Preparation for the colorful and stunning display begins months in advance as the intricate carpets require ample time to produce.
