Easter Celebrations around the World

Since Back to God Ministries International is a worldwide ministry, its ministry leaders have knowledge of Easter customs as they are practiced in many countries.

These customs may vary, but by looking at them it is clear that in most of them the celebration is all about the resurrection of Jesus.

Here is a look at a few.

Russian Pascha

In Russia, Easter is an even greater celebration than Christmas. On Easter Sunday, Christians greet one another with a kiss, followed by the greeting, “Christ is risen.”

Because of Russia’s cold climate, palm branches are hard to find. Instead, the first Christian missionaries used willow branches to explain Palm Sunday there. Today, Russians celebrate Willow Sunday and decorate their homes and churches with the branches.

As with many people in North America, the Russian Orthodox Christians also color and decorate eggs, but  instead of eating chocolate bunnies they enjoy a special Easter cake as a holiday treat—sometimes in the shape of a lamb.

Sergei Sosedkin, Russian ministry leader, says he is working to share the real meaning of the celebration.

 “Even though the Easter celebration is common in today's Russia, the majority of people have scarce knowledge about the story behind the holiday, the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Rev. Sosedkin said.

China celebrates Fùhuójié

Chinese Fùhuójié, or Easter, does not include the normal commercialism seen in holidays elsewhere , notes Rev. Jimmy Lin, Chinese ministry leader.

“China is basically an atheist country, so Easter does not carry much weight in the society,” said Lin. “Still, Christians will celebrate it in their churches.”

Rev. Lin also shares a response from a member of one of the churches he works with.

“Thanks be to God,” the responder said. “My parents were baptized on Easter. God really cares for our family and I want to declare to the world that from now on, our family belongs to the resurrected Lord.”

Rev. Masao Yamashita, Japanese ministry leader, also notes that for Christians in Japan, Easter Sunday is a day of celebrations and baptisms of new believers.

Traditions in India

Christians in India often spend Easter Sunday decorating the graves of their loved ones. They place candles and flowers on the graves and remember that their loved ones will rise again.

Along with these traditions, people in India also have several traditions similar to those in North America.

“Christians are encouraged to practice prayer, study, and self-denial during the Lenten season as a way of exercising self-control over our physical bodies, appetites, and desires,” said Stephen Paul, Hindi ministry leader.

Easter in the Middle East

In the Middle East, Easter is celebrated in early May. BTGMI’s Arabic team leader says he celebrates Easter with his congregation on both the Eastern and Western holiday.

The Arabic team leader stresses the importance of Jesus’ resurrection in a Muslim nation, where they believe Jesus was only a prophet and do not accept his resurrection. This difference between the two faiths is especially important during the time of Easter.

Carnival in Haiti

Finally, there is  Haiti, where Rev. Paul Mpindi, French ministry leader, describes Carnival, celebrated by all social classes. It is a celebration similar to Mardi Gras before the time of Lent.

“People gather to parade, sing, dance, and have crazy fun,” Rev. Mpindi says. “It is a time when society accepts everything and almost all kinds of behavior.”

The Carnival celebration, funded by the government and upper-class citizens, began in 1927 and includes three days of feasting.

“However,” says Rev. Mpindi, “many young Christians in Haiti use the time of Carnival to go on spiritual retreats. They use the opportunity to pray, sing, and entertain themselves in a healthy way.”