8 ideas to bring an international flavour to your Easter celebrations!

Living in inner-city Bradford means I’m surrounded by an amazing mix of cultures. I’m white British, and my neighbours come from Pakistan, Iran and Slovakia. We’re often treated to incredible food as well as the occasional burst of loud Slovakian music. I once sent my husband to ask the family next door to turn the volume down late at night, when he came back an hour later the music was just as loud, but he did have a huge tray of cake!

“Sharing cultures is such a brilliant way to connect“

Sharing cultures is such a brilliant way to connect, both with Christians around the world and with people from all backgrounds in our own communities. With that in mind, here are some fun, meaningful Easter traditions from around the globe that you might want to try in your church.

1. Egg battles
   Polish families have a fun tradition during Easter meals: egg battles! Each person takes a boiled egg, and you knock the pointed tips together to see whose cracks first. The person with the unbroken egg wins. As Aditya told me “you don’t really win anything, just bragging rights and some satisfaction!” One to introduce to the Sunday morning service.
2. Decorate Easter Eggs
   What about some amazing coloured eggs to remind us of our new life with Jesus? In places like Ukraine, Poland and Germany decorating Easter eggs is an art form. Traditional methods involve painting the eggs with wax, dipping them in dye, and melting off the wax to reveal intricate patterns. Feeling creative? Try making natural dyes from onion skins or beetroot, or use paint pens for a modern twist.
3. Take some time to be silent and pray for Christians around the world
   Holy Saturday—sometimes called the Great Sabbath—is a quiet day in many Christian traditions. This year, could you take time on Holy Saturday to pause, reflect, or even fast? Use the silence to connect with Christians who are living out their faith and waiting for the Lord to move.A church leader in Mosul, Iraq told Open Doors, “We could close our churches to protect ourselves… Or we can hold all the celebrations and maybe we will receive some bombs or attacks. We try to stay here and love like Jesus Christ. We try to give this meaning of Christianity: that love and life are better than death and killing.” Open Doors offer some wonderful resources to help us connect with and pray for churches experiencing persecution. opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/holy-week
4. Blessing food
   In Poland, Catholic families prepare Easter baskets filled with decorated eggs, ham, bread, sausage, cake, and even a sugar lamb. These are taken to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday, and the food isn’t touched until Easter morning, when families break their Lent fast by sharing an egg from the basket. This tradition is a wonderful reminder to pause, be grateful, and savour God’s blessings. What if we learned to wait and truly enjoy the good gifts God gives us?
5. Make the most of Easter Sunday
   Urpha grew up in Pakistan, she told me that on Easter morning at 4am Christians love to gather for a sunrise service, followed by breakfast. Some churches even walk through the streets holding candles, a beautiful symbol of moving from darkness to light and such a powerful way to reflect on the hope of the resurrection. I’m not known for leaping out of bed, but I do have many happy childhood memories of Easter sunrise services too; and the fried breakfast afterwards.|
6. Whisper Worship
   This idea is more serious, and very powerful. For many around the world Easter worship takes place under incredible hardship. Hea Woo spent years in a North Korean prison— notorious for their harsh conditions and brutal treatment. Yet, even in the darkness Hea Woo chose to worship. Amid physical and emotional pain, she planted a tiny church, in a place safe from the prison guards: the stinking prison toilets. Hea Woo and a small group of believers took these rare moments of safety to gather and in whispers close to silence, they sang hymns like Amazing Grace. Reflecting on her time in prison, Hea Woo shared, “Worship is the antidote to discouragement.” After just a few minutes, their gatherings would end, and the women would quietly return to their gruelling work, strengthened by their shared hope and faith. Could you introduce some whisper worship into your Good Friday gatherings, and stand in solidarity and prayer with Christians around the world? And here are 6 North Korean leaders you can pray for by name this Easter: opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/north-korea-names/
7. Go up a mountain
   In Nigeria, many Christians spend Easter Monday hiking up a mountain to pray, sing and share a meal together. Why not use the extra day off to head outdoors? Find a nearby hill or park to gather and spend some time with God and others. Even better – borrow a mini-bus and get out into the mountains where you can sing really loudly!
8. Get soaked!
   To finish off a fun filled Easter Monday is known as “pouring Monday” in central Europe, traditionally boys would throw buckets of water at girls to show that they liked them, but now, Aditya says, “we just throw water at everyone”! This is a tradition I can get behind!

“This Easter, why not try something new?”

So this Easter, why not try something new? Whether it’s hiking up a mountain, decorating eggs, or taking time for silence and prayer, it’s great to be reminded that we are part of the global Church where Christians worship and rejoice together, in beautiful diversity! Are there any Easter traditions from your own culture—or another one—that you can share? We’d love to hear them!