FIVE FASCINATING EASTER TRADITIONS

Easter is right around the corner. Soon families will be rejoicing together and welcoming the famous Easter Bunny. One of the best things about Easter is all of the wonderful traditions. Families around the world celebrate Easter and add their unique cultural touches.

Some countries make Easter an all weekend-long affair, which means twice the fun. Others dress up in costumes and parade around the local streets. The world is a unique and vast place full of cultural diversity. Here are five fascinating Easter traditions from around the world.

NORWAY

The stunning mountain and glacier-filled country of Norway has an Easter tradition unlike any other. Norway's residents like to read crime novels on the holiday. The whacky tradition stems from 1923. A publishing company chose to promote its latest crime novel on the front pages of local newspapers.

The promotion mimicked the appearance of a real news story, which had residence believing a crime had actually taken place. Ever since the successful publicity stunt, reading crime novels on Easter is a beloved tradition.

SPAIN

Verges, a municipality in Spain, has an Easter celebration on Holy Thursday. On this day, they perform dansa de la mort, also known as the death dance. The performers wear skeleton costumes to reenact scenes from the religious film The Passion of the Christ.

The death dance begins at midnight and goes on for several hours into the early morning. By the end, you see the dancing skeletons carrying boxes of ashes.

GREECE

The island of Corfu in Greece celebrates the morning of Holy Saturday by throwing earthenware such as pots and pans out of their home and shop windows. There are speculations as to where the fun and loud tradition stems from.

Some people speculate that the tradition originates from the Venetians who would throw out their old belongings on New Years Day. It's also said that the custom is the welcoming of Spring.

BERMUDA

On the British island, Bermuda, locals celebrate Easter for up to three days. The celebrations begin with the Good Friday KiteFest. At the festival, spectators get to view beautiful kites and watch them fly high.

Once Easter finally arrives on Sunday morning, the locals will gather for sunrise services all over the island. Throughout Easter weekend, it's customary to eat codfish and hot cross buns.

MEXICO

Unlike many other Easter customs around the world, some places in Mexico celebrate the holiday for up to two weeks. The traditional celebrations include reenactments of Holy Week, silent processions through the towns, or visiting a church every day for twelve days.

Depending on the area of Mexico, will depend on the grandiosity of a celebration. There are some regions within the country that prefer the calmness of a silent procession.

Easter isn't just candy and bunnies. It's a fun and exciting time to rejoice with the ones we love most in our own unique ways. Would you ever wish to visit some of these fascinating places during the Easter holiday? Happy Easter, everybody.