The craziest Easter traditions you’ve ever heard of

South Africans are used to celebrating Easter in a very traditional way – hunting for eggs, going to church or just spending time with the family. In other parts of the world however, people tend to have different ideas of how Easter should be celebrated.

Photo: Apartment in Zlin.

Here are some of the most bizarre Easter traditions from all over the world:

• Philippines

For some Catholic Philippines, the time leading up to Easter is excruciatingly painful as many of the devotees whip their backs with bamboo sticks, cut them with sharp blades and even beat each other with whips. This is a tradition they have followed for hundreds of years and is symbolic of the suffering of Jesus before His crucifixion, and a manner in which they cleanse their souls. Devotees would walk through the streets of their home towns barefoot and wearing very little clothing, inflicting these wounds on themselves.

• Greece

Not everyone in the world is as drastic and literal as the Catholic Philippines because the Greeks host massive Traditional Masses on Easter Sunday and come midnight, they ignite fireworks to symbolise the start of Easter. They return home from the firework shows and usually eat bowls of lamb’s stomach soup, mayiritsa or patsas. Meanwhile, each family would start preparing an animal to roast for dinner. Although this is a framework for the Greeks, many islands in the area celebrate the holiday in different ways, for example by hurling clay pots out

Article source: https://krugersdorpnews.co.za/351331/the-craziest-easter-traditions-youve-ever-heard-of/