The hunt is on. On March 31, 2013, children all across America will wake up ready to hunt for Easter eggs hidden by the Easter bunny. While the Easter egg hunt is a traditional way to celebrate Easter in America, children in other countries have their own special traditions to celebrate Easter Sunday.
The Easter weather forecast in Haux, France: Sunny with a Side of Egg. Imagine celebrating Easter with an omelet big enough to feed 1,000 people. Every year this French town cracks open over 4,500 eggs to create one giant omelet! This tradition is said to be started by Napoleon who, while traveling with his army through the south of France, ordered an omelet in a small town. This omelet must have been “bon appetit” because the next day, Napoleon ordered the whole town to gather its eggs to create a huge omelet for his army.
You may want to carry around an umbrella if you travel to Hungary on Easter. In Hungary, “sprinkling” is a popular tradition that occurs on Easter Monday, which is also known as “Ducking Monday.” On this day, men used to pour buckets of water on girls’ heads, but now, it is more common for men to sprinkle women with water or perfume. The water is symbolic of cleansing, healing, and fertility.
Norwegians search for clues during Easter time which is a popular time for crime novels. Many book companies publish “Easter Thrillers” (Paaskekrimmen). Many Norwegians receive time off from work during the Easter holiday, so these hours are filled with reading crime novels. This tradition began when a book company advertised a new novel on the front page of a newspaper. Many people failed to realize that the fake news was only a publicity stunt.
Finally, I would like to share one of my family’s Easter traditions. As Italians, we certainly enjoy our food. Every Easter, my mom makes a special dessert. This egg-shape dessert consists of a peanut butter or coconut filling covered with chocolate. Here’s the recipe!
Coconut/Peanut Butter Eggs
Prep Time: 1 hour
Chilling Time: 1-2 hours
Makes: about 3 dozen
Ingredients:
1 pound box of powdered sugar
½ cup butter
3 ounces of cream cheese
14 ounces of coconut (or peanut butter)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 (12-ounce) package of chocolate chips
½ bar of grated paraffin wax
Instructions:
Mix together cream sugar, butter, cream cheese, coconut (or peanut butter), and vanilla. Form mixture into 1 inch balls, then press into egg shapes. Refrigerate on waxed paper for 1-2 hours. Heat chocolate and wax over double boiler. Dip eggs one at a time in chocolate. (A toothpick may be helpful to do this.) Put on waxed paper to harden. Store in refrigerator.
Picture credit: http://www.sanluisobispocounty.com/blog/index.cfm/2012/4/2/Easter-Activites-in-SLO-County/
Please share your Easter traditions in the comment box below!