I’m Eastern Orthodox, so I won’t be celebrating Easter until April 12. But that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying all the celebrations taking place this week. After all, Easter is in the air!
Yesterday morning, I overheard Guideposts Books managing editor Stephanie Samoy talking excitedly about the crosses she made out of palm leaves. At our morning prayer fellowship meeting, Rick Hamlin asked God to lead us during this Holy Week “as spring makes its way slowly to our hearts.”
And, even though our Easter is two weeks away, my Mom is already planning the menu (lamb, stuffed grape leaves, rice pudding and, yes, baklava!). Of course, I plan on decorating our eggs with some of my signature designs:
Looks like we’re not alone in our Easter enthusiasm. I did a little research on how the rest of the world is celebrating Holy Week and was wowed by the wonders I found.
Take a look at these stunning stenciled carpets–“alfombras”–in Antigua, Guatemala. Beautifully detailed designs made out of sawdust. Okay, maybe that’s a bit more impressive than my egg designs!
Photo by Roberto Urrea
Then there’s Lo Scoppio del Carro, fireworks set off by a rocket shaped like a dove in Florence, Italy. You can watch the dazzling display from last year below:
The festivities continue with a kite festival in Bermuda on Good Friday. A giant omelet cooked up on Easter Monday in France. The Easter bonnet parade down Fifth Avenue in New York City. An apple tree decorated with 10,000 eggs in Germany. And processions, egg hunts, marshmallow Peeps contests, bonfires, costumes and mouthwatering delicacies as far as the eye can see.
German pensioner Volker Kraft decorates an apple tree with Easter eggs in the garden of his summer house, in the eastern German town of Saalfeld. NBC News. Photo Fabrizio Bensch/Reuter.
After a long dreary winter, doesn’t it feel like the world is coming alive again? Like we’re finally waking up. The colors are brighter. There’s wonder and excitement all around. Everything is new.
Jesus is risen–it’s time to rejoice!
How are you celebrating Easter? Share your favorite traditions below!
