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HydrangeasChristians all over the world celebrate Easter, but every country has its own traditions: in some places people drench each other with water, in others there are egg hunts, and elsewhere painted eggs are hung on trees. Here is why Easter has a moving date, how it is celebrated in Ukraine and other countries and which flowers are associated with it.
Spring arrangements for Easter are in our flower baskets and potted plants sections.
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Why the date of Easter changes
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. Western churches calculate the date using the Gregorian calendar and Eastern churches using the Julian paschal tables, so the dates often differ. In 2027 Western Easter falls on 28 March, while Orthodox and Greek Catholic Easter in Ukraine falls on 2 May.
Traditions at a glance
Ukraine
The main symbols of Velykden are pysanky and krashanky (decorated and dyed eggs), paska bread and the blessing of the festive basket in church. People greet each other with "Christ is risen!" — "Indeed He is risen!", and after the service young people perform hahilky, spring round dances and games. Palm (Willow) Sunday is celebrated a week before Easter. More in "Easter traditions in Ukraine".
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Europe
- Poland — on Holy Saturday a basket of food is blessed (święconka), and on Monday people drench each other with water: this is "śmigus-dyngus", or Wet Monday.
- Germany — painted eggs are hung on the branches of trees and bushes, and in some regions large bonfires are lit on Easter night.
- Italy — in Florence the "explosion of the cart" (Scoppio del Carro) with fireworks takes place outside the cathedral, and the festive table features the dove-shaped colomba cake.
- Greece — eggs are dyed red and cracked against each other in a game, and lamb is roasted for lunch.
- Sweden and Finland — children dress up as "Easter witches" and go door to door for sweets; homes are decorated with birch twigs and bright feathers.
- Czechia and Slovakia — on Monday boys playfully "whip" girls with a braided willow pomlázka, wishing them health, and the girls give them painted eggs.
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Other countries
- The UK and the USA — hunts for chocolate eggs "brought" by the Easter bunny. The White House has held an Easter Egg Roll on its lawn since 1878. More about the bunny in "Easter symbols".
- Australia — the bilby, a native marsupial, increasingly replaces the bunny, as rabbits are considered pests in Australia.
- Bermuda — kites are flown on Good Friday.
Easter flowers
In Western countries the symbol of the holiday is the white Lilium longiflorum, known simply as the Easter lily. In Ukraine Easter is associated with pussy willow branches, the first spring flowers and potted bulbs — hyacinths, daffodils and tulips — which decorate the home and the festive table.
FAQ
Why are Catholic and Orthodox Easter on different days?
Western churches calculate the date using the Gregorian calendar, Eastern churches using the Julian paschal tables.
When is Easter in 2027?
Western Easter is on 28 March; Orthodox and Greek Catholic Easter in Ukraine is on 2 May.
Where does the Easter bunny tradition come from?
It comes from German folk culture and spread with emigrants to the USA and other countries.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
