Happy Easter in Different Languages & Easter Traditions

Apart from their significant religious symbolism, the Easter holidays provide a wonderful opportunity to unwind, spend quality time with our loved ones and maybe reconnect with old friends. Regardless of our religious beliefs, Easter will always be about togetherness, enjoying the long-awaited spring (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the Easter bunny, of course! If you too wish to rekindle your friendship with a friend living abroad this Easter, why not join us in learning how to wish them “Happy Easter” in different languages?

Happy Easter in different languages

• Albanian – Gezuar Pashket!
• Arabic – عيد فصح سعيد! (Eid Fasah Said!)
• Chinese – 复活节快乐！(Fùhuó jié kuàilè!)
• Croatian – Sretan Uskrs!
• Czech – Veselé Velikonoce!
• Danish – God påske!
• Dutch – Vrolijk Pasen!
• English – Happy Easter!
• French – Joyeuses Pâques !
• Finnish – Hyvää pääsiäistä!
• German – Frohe Ostern!
• German (Swiss) – Schoni Oschtere!
• Greek – Καλό Πάσχα! (Kaló Páscha!)
• Hungarian – Kellemes Húsvéti Ünnepeket!
• Hebrew – חג פסח שמח! (Chag Pesach Sameach!)
• Italian – Buona Pasqua!
• Indonesian – Selamat Paskah!
• Latin – Felix Pascha!
• Lithuanian – Linksmų Velykų!
• Latvian – Priecīgas Lieldienas!
• Norwegian – God påske!
• Polish – Wesołego Alleluja!
• Portuguese – Feliz Páscoa!
• Romanian – Paşte Fericit!
• Serbian – Srećan Uskrs!
• Spanish – ¡Felices Pascuas!
• Swedish – Glad påsk!
• Turkish – Paskalyanız kutlu olsun!

The origins of Easter

Easter, much like Christmas, has its origins in both Christianity and ancient pagan culture. Originally, it was a celebration of the spring equinox in pagan culture, but later it became a Christian holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, Easter is typically celebrated around the time of the Jewish Passover.

As the Christian faith spread, early believers who did not follow Jewish customs blended their observances with the pagan spring festival, eventually recognizing Easter as “resurrection day.” The Easter traditions that we enjoy today are a mixture of Christian and ancient pagan customs. Although the Christian traditions are still very much a part of the holiday, the pagan symbols of eggs, bunnies, and sweets have become more prominent and “marketable”.

Why do we celebrate Easter?

Christians celebrate Easter as a happy holiday because it fulfills the Old Testament prophecies and shows God’s plan to save everyone. Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which defeated death on the third day and gives hope for salvation. Christians believe that Jesus’ death paid for humanity’s sins and his Resurrection gives believers hope for their own resurrection.

What day is Easter?

Easter is a “movable feast”, which means that it does not occur on a fixed date every year. Instead, it is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (which falls on March 21), according to the Gregorian calendar. This means Easter can be observed on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. However, the Eastern Orthodox Church follows a slightly different method of calculation, which is based on the Julian calendar. As a result, Easter in the Eastern Orthodox tradition can fall on any Sunday between April 4 and May 8.

Is the Easter bunny real? Easter bunny origins

Do you suspect your parents are lying to you about the existence of the Easter bunny? If so, you should really ask them about it. The internet is not always the best place to look for answers. Besides, honesty is very important in a parent-child relationship. So build up the courage and ask either a parent or a guardian. They will seem surprised by your question at first, but they will be more than happy to respond.

On the other hand, if you really need an explanation right now, here it is. We hate to break to you, but the Easter bunny… is not real. 😭

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t believe in it. In a way, the Easter bunny is real as long as you believe in it because it continues to exist in your heart.

The origins of the Easter bunny

The Easter bunny is a fictional hare who delivers chocolate eggs, candy, and other treats to children on Easter Sunday. Despite the Bible not mentioning it, the bunny has become a much beloved and prominent figure of the Easter celebrations.

While we all love the Easter bunny, we can’t help but wonder how it became a central symbol of the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

One theory suggests that the rabbit symbol comes from the pagan festival of Eostre, which celebrated the goddess of fertility and spring. The rabbit was her animal symbol, representing fertility due to their high reproduction rates.

In the 1700s, German immigrants reportedly brought over their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws” from the Old Country to America. According to legend, children would create nests for the bunny to leave his colorful eggs. The custom spread across America, and over time, the Easter Bunny’s delivery of treats expanded to include chocolate and toys.

What is the Easter egg hunt tradition?

It might seem like a mistake to say that the Easter Bunny lays eggs since rabbits are mammals and give birth to live young. However, both rabbits and eggs are ancient symbols of fertility and renewal and have long been associated with the celebration of Easter. For Christians, Easter eggs have a special meaning as the egg symbol was likened to the tomb from which Christ arose. Decorating eggs for Easter has been a tradition since the 13th century when eggs were forbidden during Lent. By decorating eggs, people would make eating them on Easter Sunday even more special after the fasting period was over.

The custom of the Easter egg hunt dates back to the late 16th century when the Protestant reformer Martin Luther organized egg hunts for his congregation. In a nod to the story of the resurrection, in which the empty tomb was discovered by women, men would hide the eggs for women and children to find.

Nowadays, the Easter egg hunt has become a fun activity enjoyed by children and parents alike.

Easter traditions around the world

• In Greece, people dye the eggs only in red shades as red represents the blood of Jesus Christ.
• In some parts of Northwestern Europe, natives celebrate Easter by lighting large bonfires called Easter Fires. Initially, the tradition started as a way to drive away winter, but nowadays, it serves as an opportunity to bring communities together.
• In Bermuda, it is a tradition for people to fly homemade kites on Good Friday. According to legend, the tradition originated when a local teacher struggled to explain the concept of Jesus’s resurrection to his class. To help them understand, he created a kite that illustrated the idea, and the tradition continues to this day.
• In southern Guatemala’s Antigua, local artists create colorful carpets from flowers, colored sawdust, fruits, vegetables, and sand to cover the town streets. The carpets are called alfombras and usually illustrate different religious scenes, Mayan traditions, mother nature, and Guatemalan history.
• In Florence, Italy, locals gather to watch the Scoppio del Carro, or “explosion of the cart” – a 350-year-old Easter tradition that dates all the way back to the First Crusade. During Easter mass, the Archbishop of Florence lights the fuse to an ornate cart that is loaded with fireworks.
• In Sweden and Finland, it is an Easter tradition for children to dress as Easter witches. Like the trick-or-treating tradition of Halloween, they then go door to door and present hand-made carts and other greetings in exchange for sweets.
• In Haux, France, locals serve a giant omelet in the town’s main square. The omelet is made of more than 15,000 eggs and feeds up to 1,000 people.
• In Vatican City, on Good Friday, the Pope marks the Way of the Cross by beginning a procession at the Colosseum. Participants in the procession carry candles and stop 14 times along the way to represent the Stations of the Cross as they make their way around the amphitheater and up to Palatine Hill.

Easter greetings in different countries

What do you say on Easter? Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican Christians use the Paschal greeting, also known as the Easter Acclamation. The greeting and reply are:

– Christ is Risen!

– Truly He is Risen!

For example, this Easter greeting in Spanish is:

– Cristo ha resucitado!

– En verdad ha resucitado!

However, Happy Easter remains the most popular Easter greeting worldwide. Let’s see how you can say “Happy Easter” in different languages.

1. Spanish – ¡Felices Pascuas!

‘Easter’ in Spanish is Pascuas. As previously mentioned, the Paschal greeting in Spanish is “Cristo ha resucitado! – En verdad ha resucitado!”; however, Spanish people don’t really use it. Instead, they say Felices Pascuas (‘Happy Easter’) or simply Felices Fiestas which means ‘Happy Holidays’.

The Easter menu during La Semana Santa (‘The Holy Week’) includes torrijas which is a kind of French toast and potaje de vigilia which is a chickpea soup.

2. French – Joyeuses Pâques !

Pâques (‘Easter’ in French) is an important holiday in France as families get together to celebrate and eat the traditional lamb cooked in the oven with Provençal herbs, garlic, cumin, and olive oil.

Other Easter traditions in France include chocolate, the Easter bells (Les cloches de Pâques) and the classic rabbits and eggs, of course!

3. German – Frohe Ostern!

Easter (Ostern in German) in Germany has a long history and some of its traditions have even spread around the world.

On Easter Sunday, Germans have a traditional Easter brunch where they eat buns, spreads, and painted boiled eggs. Children often help paint and decorate the eggs.

The Easter menu also included yeast pastries like Hefezopf or Osterkranz, which can be stuffed with nuts and dried fruits and eaten with butter or jam.

4. Italian – Buona Pasqua!

Easter (Pasqua in Italian) is a significant holiday in Italy, second only to Christmas. While the days before Easter include solemn masses, the holiday itself is a joyous celebration with many traditions. La Pasquetta, the day after Easter Sunday, is also a public holiday throughout Italy.

Traditional holiday foods in Italy include lamb or goat, artichokes, and special Easter breads that differ from region to region. Some popular Easter breads are Pannetone sweet bread and Colomba (dove-shaped) bread, which are often given as gifts.

5. Portuguese – Feliz Páscoa!

In Portugal, Easter is celebrated with great passion and religious fervor. The Holy Week of Easter (Semana Santa) is like a somber carnival, with religious processions, Biblical re-enactments, and Roman period costumes, and is mostly celebrated outdoors.

Similarly, Easter in Brazil, a country with one of the world’s largest Catholic populations, is centered on religion and spending time with loved ones.

In both countries, people eat salt cod on Good Friday.

6. Turkish – Paskalyanız kutlu olsun!

Considering that 99 percent of the Turkish population is Muslim, it’s safe to say that Turkey doesn’t really celebrate Easter. However, some Christian Turkish citizens do.

While you can say Paskalyanız kutlu olsun to wish someone a Happy Easter in Turkish, Paskalya Bayramınız kutlu olsun is the more “correct” version. Adding “bayram” gives the meaning of having a holiday to celebrate.

7. Romanian – Paște Fericit!

Romania is a highly religious country, so Easter is a significant celebration for Romanians. During the three days of Easter (and even after), most locals will greet each other using the Paschal greeting Hristos a Înviat – Adevărat a Înviat which means “Christ is Risen! – Truly He is Risen!”.

Following the period of Lent (in varying degrees of strictness), the traditional Easter menu in Romania includes cozonac (which is a type of sweet bread with nuts and Turkish delight), drob (made from minced up offal and entrails) and oven-cooked lamb.

8. Polish – Wesołego Alleluja!

Polish Easter traditions blend pagan and Christian customs, such as the Easter basket (święconka) and Easter eggs (pisanki). Easter celebrations begin with Easter palms displayed on Palm Sunday, followed by a rezurekcja (‘resurrection’) procession and religious songs on Easter Sunday.

At home, families share eggs during Easter breakfast and decorate the table with Easter symbols and springtime flowers. Traditional Easter foods include kiełbasa, żurek, barszcz, mazurek, and babka.

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