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A Czech national holds the symbolic whip which he uses to beat his loved woman at Easter as an expression of his best wishes

Easter is celebrated by most Christians as the day when Jesus was resurrected after being dead for three days. In the Jewish faith Easter represents the time when they were freed from Egypt and is closely associated with Passover.
However, Easter is also associated with pagan rituals. Here are some of the most bizarre ancient or sometimes surprisingly modern Easter traditions from around the world.
Norwegians indulge in criminal habits

In Norway, reading detective novels and crime thrillers has become a popular Easter pastime. Paaskekrim (Easter crime) refers to the new crime novels available at Easter.

The period from Holy Thursday through East Monday is a public holiday, and many Norwegians take vacations to the mountains, or to the coast at this time. According to folklore professors at the Institute for Cultural Studies at the University of Oslo, the tradition of reading about crime at Easter may stem from the violent nature of Christ’s death.

Latvians break eggs
Latvians play an Easter egg game in which each person takes a hard boiled, coloured egg. Players make pairs and then tap the ends of their eggs together. First the wide ends of the two eggs are tapped together, then the narrow ends, and finally one wide and one narrow end. When a player’s egg breaks, he or she leaves the game, which continues until one player is left with an unbroken egg.

Mexican village produces mega-play
The passion play in the town of Iztapalapa, near Mexico City, is one of the most famous Easter events in Mexico, drawing one million visitors each year. Following a devastating cholera epidemic in the winter of 1833, the handful of survivors decided to hold the play to give thanks. The productions have become increasingly more elaborate. Everyone in town participates, but leading roles are awarded to those meeting strict height and appearance requirements, and of undisputed good character.

Bells fly in Europe
In France, Netherlands and Belgium it is said that the bells of churches fly to Rome for a few days and only return on Easter morning. The flying bells are supposed to bring back coloured eggs and chocolate rabbits, almost like a Santa Claus.

This tradition supposedly started because all church bells are silent as a sign or mourning Jesus for several days before Easter. In the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium the bells fly away on the Saturday before Easter. In French-speaking Belgium and France the same story is told except that here the bells fly away the Thursday before Easter. Either way, it sounds a bit creepy that Santa Claus was replaced by massive metal bells.

Witches trick or treat in Sweden
When most people think of little kids dressed as witches they immediately think of Halloween, however in Sweden you could see a little girl trick or treating on Easter. This is because Easter usually falls very close to the Swedish tradition of Walpurgis Night which is on April 30th. Walpurgis Night in Sweden is celebrated by lighting bonfires in attempts to chase away evil spirits and witches.

The Thursday before Walpurgis little girls dress up as witches and paint their faces, after which they go from house to house collecting candy. Since this falls close to Easter in many parts of Sweden girls go trick or treat during Easter, and people light bonfires to chase away Judas. The traditional meal on this evening is gravlax —fresh salmon marinated in salt, sugar and fresh dill.

Wives and girlfriends are whipped in Czech
In Czech during Easter week it’s good luck to beat your wife or the girl you fancy with a pomlázka, or a braided whip. While this may sound strange It’s not meant in a demeaning way or as an insult, in fact pomlázka, means “make young”. The idea behind the tradition is that anyone hit with the whip will be healthy and happy during the upcoming year.

The tradition is believed to have originated with the spring blessing of the house which is common among all Orthodox Christians. This translated in using a whip or a single branch in order to lightly hit livestock or family members. Now the tradition is wide spread and you can even buy pre-made whips or special wooden spoons that can be used to hit your loved ones.

An Easter tree has become an in institution in Germany
This tradition was started by a single family more than forty years ago. The Kraft family from Saalfeld, Germany started placing plastic eggs in a tree outside their house in 1965. The tradition has grown over the years from only a handful of plastic eggs to beautifully painted egg shells.

A butter lamb is a must-have in Poland
Baranek Wielkanocny is polish for butter lamb, which is exactly what it sounds like: a lamb conceived entirely out of butter. However, this is not just a decoration as people all around Poland actually consume the lamb on Easter.

The Lamb must always be present if a priest blesses the Easter meal and it should be consumed from the tail, leaving the head as last. A great tradition to cultivate if you want to have a heart attack on Easter:

Burning Judas across oceans
In many Orthodox and some Catholic communities including Greece, Spain, Portugal and Mexico, it’s customary to burn an effigy of Judas on or close to Easter. The effigy is sometimes hung by the neck, after a fake trial, a few days before Easter and then actually burned on Easter. Other traditions include making effigies of current politicians that are unpopular or filling the Judas with fireworks so he blows up.

The tradition was once practiced all over Europe, but has declined in popularity. Recently there have been some debates over the political correctness of the whole practice with some people considering it anti-Semitic. This is because in Latin America it’s called “the burning of the Jew” not the burning of Judas. However the Orthodox Church defended the practice and no action to ban it was ever taken.

Self crucifixion in the Philippines
In the Philippines many devout Catholics practice self-crucifixion on Easter, effectively replicating Jesus’ suffering. The idea behind the morbid ritual is to help wash the sins of the world and purify oneself. The Roman Catholic Church is trying to discourage this practice, but they have had little success.

It is believed that crucifixion is just one manifestation of old Philipino religions which sometimes require auto-flagellation. Other theories suggest that this practice started because of a misinterpretation of Paul in Romans 8:13where he says: “If you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if through the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.” Many people read mortify the deeds of the flesh as an encouragement to inflict pain on one’s body in order to purify the soul.

No more washing of dirty feet by monarch in England
The Maundy Thursday tradition refers to the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion and is celebrated all over the Christian world in many different ways. In Germany for example during this day people usually eat spinach and other green foods as well as almonds. This is done in remembrance of the Last Supper.

In England Maundy Thursday used to be a day when the monarch showed their humility and washed the feet of the poor. This tradition went back to the symbolic washing of Jesus’ feet although only a select few poor got the honor of having their feet washed. However, the tradition changed in 1689 when the Catholic monarch was replaced with a Protestant. Nowadays the Queen gives out money to people, usually the same amount as her age.

Rocket war in Greece
This is a unique Easter tradition that takes place in Vrontados, a village in the Greek island of Chios. It’s a century old tradition that apparently started when some Greek villagers tried to  scare away the Turkish army using fireworks.

Other people claim the whole tradition started when Greek sailors met Chinese men who taught them how to make fireworks. According to this story the sailors arrived back on Chios during Easter and showed off their new skills thus starting the tradition of the rocket war.

Regardless of how it started nowadays the two orthodox churches in Vrontados face off every Easter. All parishioners make their own rockets and the teenagers lead the war against each other.

Usually thousands of Rockets are used and everyone has a good time. One of the very positive aspects of this war is that it attracts thousands of tourists every Easter, thus boosting the local economy.

• weirdworm.com/comfactmonster.com