Easter around the world GETTING
Easter is a day of celebration for most. However,
celebration does not necessarily mean Easter eggs and
chocolate. Countries all over the world have their own
way of celebrating Easter, each more unique and exotic
than the last. Countries like Hungary, Colombia and the
Czech Republic to name a few.
For us, and most other western cultures, we celebrate by
leading children on chocolate Easter egg hunts. Often we
invite both friends and family over to join in the fun. Like most
countries Australia has its own spin on Easter. Look at the
Easter Bilby, designed to raise awareness of the endangered
state of the Bilby, and now celebrated as a replacement of the
Easter bunny. Strange as the Bilby may seem, it’s nothing when
compared to Colombia.
Iguanas, turtles and large rodents. Not something we would
expect to hear about on Easter day, much less something we
would expect to eat on such a day. In Colombia it is typical
for such delicacies to be eaten for Easter dinner, however it
is unknown why they are eaten. Normally such foods, Iguana
soup, Cayman stew and turtle egg omelets, are smuggled in
from various areas of the country so that they may be eaten
with family and friends during Easter celebrations. Easter in the
Czech Republic, however, is a different story
The tradition is for young men to whip females of a similar
age. Despite how it sounds: it is not intended to be painful in
any way, in fact, it is quite the opposite. It is actually intended
to bring good health and happiness to the (un)fortunate lady!
The ‘whip’ is normally made from braided twigs and colourful
ribbons. Easter in Hungary is similar but slightly watered down.
Traditionally, on Easter day young men would come to a lady’s
house and before dousing them with a bucket of icy water,
they would recite a poem. The idea behind this was that the
Hungarian women would be ‘good wives’ and so that they
would ‘bear many children’. Funnily enough, the women would
actually reward the men with chocolate and a shot of Pálinka, a
type of fruity brandy.
So this Easter when you’re breaking into your stash of chocolate
eggs, think about the people on the other side of the world and
count your blessings that you aren’t eating smuggled rodent, or
being doused with a bucket of cold water.
By Brynn Clayton, work experience student from
Woodleigh
CRAFTY
How often do you hear that the most successful
business ventures were borne from a dinner party
conversation? Well that’s exactly what happened
in 1975 when four innovative couples at a Red
Hill dinner started chatting about running markets
for locals to sell or barter their seasonal produce
as well as providing an outlet for crafts and foods.
Now, forty years on, in addition to the Red Hill
Market, Craft Markets Australia run five other
highly successful craft and food markets across
Victoria.
These Easter holidays, visitors 6