Easter, which will be observed on Sunday, April 20, 2025, is one of the oldest and most significant festivals in the Christian calendar. It’s usually a time for reflection and worship and for community, creativity, and celebration that often takes on unique cultural expressions.
In Nigeria and around the world, it marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, symbolising hope, rebirth, and spiritual renewal. As with many global religious holidays from Palm Sunday to, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and beyond, churches hold vibrant services. But while Nigeria embraces Easter with passionate worship and cultural flavour, other nations bring their traditions to the table, blending history, heritage, and faith in unexpected ways.
Hereunder are how five countries—Nigeria, the USA, Britain, China, and Bermuda—celebrate this sacred season.
Nigeria: Easter is celebrated with a joyful mix of faith and festivity especially since it is usually a public holiday. Many churches organise Good Friday services that reenact the crucifixion, while Easter Sunday services are grand and celebratory, often lasting several hours.
Worshippers come dressed in their Sunday best, filling sanctuaries with colour and songs of victory. Gospel concerts, youth events, and charity outreaches also characteride the season.
Families gather after church service for large home-cooked meals featuring different delicacies and assorted drinks.
Easter Monday is a day of relaxation, picnics, or local excursions. For many Nigerians, Easter is not only a religious occasion but a national moment of joy, bonding, and gratitude.
The United States: Easter has a dual personality in America; one spiritual, the other playful. Adults often observe Lent, a 40-day period of fasting or self-denial that ends on Easter Sunday. Many churches hold sunrise services outdoors, symbolising the empty tomb at dawn. Others host elaborate programs with choirs, sermons, and baptisms.
Children look forward to egg hunts, Easter baskets, and visits from the Easter Bunny. Across towns and cities, parks come alive with families searching for colourful plastic eggs filled with candy or small toys.
At the White House, the Easter Egg Roll is a cherished tradition dating back to 1878, where children roll eggs on the South Lawn in a festive celebration hosted by the First Lady, who is the President’s wife.
Britain: Easter in Britain is deeply rooted in both religious and seasonal customs. It begins on Good Friday, a public holiday when many attend church services. The tradition of eating hot cross buns and sweet spiced rolls marked with a symbolic cross is one beloved tradition in this part of the world. Once reserved for Good Friday, these treats are now enjoyed throughout Lent.
Families engage in Easter egg hunts on Easter Sunday, especially in parks and gardens.
The BBC reports that the Easter Bunny remains familiar to children, while adults may spend the long weekend travelling or enjoying countryside walks.
China: Easter is not a national holiday in China, but it is celebrated by Christian communities, particularly in larger cities where established churches exist. Easter services are vibrant and well-attended at these churches, often accompanied by special music, red decorations reminiscent of Chinese New Year, and the baptism of new believers.
China Highlights reports that Catholic churches in China experience a significant number of baptisms on Easter Sunday—sometimes hundreds at a time.
Bermuda: Families and communities in Bermuda gather on beaches and hilltops to fly handmade kites, often crafted from colourful paper and wooden sticks. According to Bernews.com, this custom originated from a teacher’s attempt to explain Jesus’ ascension to heaven using a kite as a visual aid, and over time, it blossomed into a national tradition.
Bermudians also enjoy hot cross buns following their British heritage, and codfish cakes, a local favourite, especially popular during Lent. While Easter Sunday includes church services and family gatherings, Good Friday steals the spotlight in Bermuda with its joyful, sky-painted symbolism of hope and resurrection.
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