How does the rest of the world celebrate Easter?

Easter is a time for family, fun and heartfelt celebrations. It is also the time of year with one of the most talked-about traditional practices. 
Everyone always wonders about the origin of Easter eggs and, indeed, of the word 'Easter' itself. But this is all in good fun: everyone is free to celebrate in the manner that suits them best. 

Traditions and symbols such as the special Easter Sunday lunch and the Easter bunny are generally accepted as part of the festivities in the Western world. But have you ever wondered what kind of symbols or practices people observer in other parts of the world?

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Here is a list of five fascinating Easter traditions. How many of these have you heard of before?

1. New Zealand turns the tradition of hunting for Easter eggs hidden away by the Easter bunny on its head completely. Each year, people in the Otagograb region participate in the 'Great Easter Bunny Hunt'. In New Zealand, bunnies are regarded as pests, and whoever catches the most bunnies wins $NZ3,500 in prize money. How bizarre is that?
2. On Easter Monday, people in parts of Hungary and Slovakia celebrate 'Wet Monday'. The men of the village splash women with buckets of water and the women present the men with Easter eggs in return. It is believed that this tradition is linked to ancient farming lore that promised a successful harvest to whoever practiced the ritual. 
3. People in Norway take a more macabre approach to the holiday. Easter is crime season in the country, and residents take the opportunity to find new crime-themed books and TV shows to enjoy. This tradition dates back to 1923 when authors Nordahl Grieg and Nils Lie released the nation's hottest crime novel during the Easter period. Who needs an Easter egg hunt when you can indulge in an intelligent whodunnit instead?
4.  Russians mark the holiday by eating every meal with a side of butter. Cooks press knobs of butter into the shape of a lamb and serve that with the meal. It is believed that a lamb is a lucky omen that will ward off evil spirits. 
5. In France, residents of Haux come together every Easter Monday to cook an omelette large enough to feed the whole town. The omelette reportedly consists of 4500 eggs and feeds 1000 people. It looks like no one's holiday can end before the big egg feast has been eaten...
   
   

In South Africa, traditions are centered around food. In the Western Cape, no Easter celebration is complete without some pickled fish. Easter also brings all people together to celebrate love and family, as seen in Kwa-Zulu Natal, where Hindu people take to their local temples on Good Friday to observe the holiday in their own special way, with stalls and markets. 

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