Easter food traditions … around the world
Easter is a time of celebration and tradition for Christians around the world. Like all good celebrations, Easter involves gathering family and friends to share a special meal and the types of food enjoyed at Easter vary around the world.
In the United Kingdom hot cross buns are a popular treat enjoyed on Good Friday to signify the end of Lent.
Germans mark Holy Thursday with a green soup made with seven herbs, that serve as a reminder of Christ’s final seven words on the cross.
Sweet breads are popular in Italy and are symbolic of the end of Lent. While fasting, ingredients like butter, sugar and eggs are not used, so enjoying these items in foods like Pane di Pasqua (Italian Easter Bread) signifies the end of Lent.
Whilst lamb is popular in many countries at Easter, the Americans enjoy glazed ham as their main dish.
Easter is an important occasion in Greece where Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup) is often the first course of a large meal. Other Greek traditional favourites are Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread) and Koulourakia (Greek Easter Cookie).
Mexico’s Easter celebrations run for two weeks from Palm Sunday to Pasqua, the week after Easter Sunday. On Good Friday Cairotada is served. This is a bread pudding whose ingredients symbolise the crucifixion.
It is customary in the south of France to spend Easter Monday enjoying a picnic with family and friend and enjoy an omelette or pâquette.
Here in Australia, seafood is the traditional fare for Easter celebrations with our warmer weather conducive to seafood feasting, that is followed of course, by chocolate eggs. An Easter lamb roast is also very popular, and hot cross buns are a quintessential part of an Aussie Easter.
