# data[].attributes.headline
Vanita Raghoenandan - Easter in the Netherlands (Pasen in Nederland) Easter breakfast or Easter brunch                                                               Both Easter breakfast and Easter brunch are extremely popular in the Netherlands – on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday the Dutch love to treat themselves to an extended breakfast or brunch that includes a feast of gaily painted boiled eggs, fresh breads, croissants and rolls and a selection of Dutch Easter goodies such as Dutch cheese, paasstol (Easter bread) and matzo crackers.                                                   Decorations                                                                                                      The Dutch are very keen on Easter eggs and spring-related decorations, and many homes will put up willow branches hung with tiny wooden eggs and bows.                                                                                                Egg painting                                                                                                      The Dutch also like to paint boiled eggs in pretty patterns.                                                                                                                   The Easter Hare                                                                                                  Yes, the Dutch do have Easter egg hunts but don’t forget, the Netherlands has a Paashaas – Easter hare – rather than a bunny – well, it does rhyme better.                                                                                      Easter attractions                                                                                            There are, of course, Easter markets, special Easter brunches at restaurants and Easter events at amusement parks.  And there is the Paaspop festival which has taken place over the Easter weekend in the Noord-Brabant town of Schijndel since 1985.                                        Easter fires                                                                                                           In the Netherlands, most are found in Drenthe, Groningen, Overijssel, Twente, Friesland and Gelderland but there are all sorts of regional variations about what is burnt and when.                                             Symbols                                                                                                                 A common symbol of Easter Sunday is a cross, often decorated with flowers or young leaves.

# data[].attributes.subject
Vanita Raghoenandan - Easter in the Netherlands (Pasen in Nederland) Easter breakfast or Easter brunch                                                               Both Easter breakfast and Easter brunch are extremely popular in the Netherlands – on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday the Dutch love to treat themselves to an extended breakfast or brunch that includes a feast of gaily painted boiled eggs, fresh breads, croissants and rolls and a selection of Dutch Easter goodies such as Dutch cheese, paasstol (Easter bread) and matzo crackers.                                                   Decorations                                                                                                      The Dutch are very keen on Easter eggs and spring-related decorations, and many homes will put up willow branches hung with tiny wooden eggs and bows.                                                                                                Egg painting                                                                                                      The Dutch also like to paint boiled eggs in pretty patterns.                                                                                                                   The Easter Hare                                                                                                  Yes, the Dutch do have Easter egg hunts but don’t forget, the Netherlands has a Paashaas – Easter hare – rather than a bunny – well, it does rhyme better.                                                                                      Easter attractions                                                                                            There are, of course, Easter markets, special Easter brunches at restaurants and Easter events at amusement parks.  And there is the Paaspop festival which has taken place over the Easter weekend in the Noord-Brabant town of Schijndel since 1985.                                        Easter fires                                                                                                           In the Netherlands, most are found in Drenthe, Groningen, Overijssel, Twente, Friesland and Gelderland but there are all sorts of regional variations about what is burnt and when.                                             Symbols                                                                                                                 A common symbol of Easter Sunday is a cross, often decorated with flowers or young leaves.

# data[].attributes.headline
MURA LINDA- EASTER TRADITIONS IN ROMANIA                         Romanians, the majority of whom adhere to Orthodox Christianity, place significance on this holiday more than any others, including Christmas. Romanians pay close attention to the holy days surrounding Easter, too, making the celebration an extended one that marks a period of springtime and renewal.

# data[].attributes.subject
MURA LINDA- EASTER TRADITIONS IN ROMANIA                         Romanians, the majority of whom adhere to Orthodox Christianity, place significance on this holiday more than any others, including Christmas. Romanians pay close attention to the holy days surrounding Easter, too, making the celebration an extended one that marks a period of springtime and renewal.

# data[].attributes.body
This picture is the most representative of the eggs traditionally painted in Romania

# data[].attributes.body
Easter is the most important religious holiday in Moldova. Easter is a transitioning holiday and the exact date for it is calculated using the lunar-solar calendar. The day of Easter is taken to be on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. And because the vernal equinox usually occurs on the 20th of March and two full moons are a little under 30 days apart, Easter usually happens either at the beginning or at the end of April. Although there have been cases when the Easter holiday occurred at the begging of May, or at the end of March.There are numerous Easter related traditions and most of them relate to the Church, after all, Easter is the day when Jesus resurrected. People use a different greeting in Moldova on the days of Easter – they say "Hristos a inviat" which means "Jesus resurrected". And the reply for the greeting is "Adevarat a inviat", which translates to "Indeed resurrected". Some people might actually be offended if you greet them by just saying "Hi, how are you" on Easter.

# data[].attributes.body
Historically and culturally Albanian Christianity is more Orthodox than Catholic. Nonetheless, both Catholic and Orthodox Easter are official holidays in Albania.
The Easter season begins with Lent for both Catholics and Orthodox, though the dates of Lent vary with those of Easter since it is always 40 days before Easter Sunday. Just before Lent, carnival celebrations go on for days on end but suddenly stop on Ash Wednesday, when the fasting begins.

Both Catholic and Orthodox believers will attend services throughout Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, despite usually going on different dates. Both faiths hold Holy Saturday vigils to welcome Resurrection Morning. Orthodox follow up the vigil with early-morning prayer and song services.

Both faiths decorate Easter eggs, the Orthodox dyeing many of their eggs red to symbolise the blood of Christ. Orthodox also eat a special Easter bread, drink brandy, and eat roast lamb for Easter dinner. Catholics may take part in some of these cultural traditions as well, being Albanians, and because Catholics, Orthodox, and even Muslims often “borrow, mix, and match” religious feasts and practices in Albania.

# data[].attributes.body
Some more pictures of Easter eggs.

# data[].attributes.body
Colouring eggs for Easter is a long lasting tradition. Coloured eggs are usually called »pirhi« but they have a few different names across Slovenia: »remenice«  in the Prekmurje region, »pisanice« in the Bela Krajina region.

A lot of people still use traditional dyes such as teran wine, dog-rose syrup, red onion skins, spinach leaves, nettle, dandelion, marigold blooms, saffron, elderberry flowers and other natural substances.

# data[].attributes.body
The church bells on Saturday are not rung the usual way but with special “bell ringers” or “pealers,”  pritrkovalci  across Slovenian regions.This is a custom dating back to 16th century. Pritrkovalci are people who create melodies with bells. There are even national competitions for bell “pealing.”
Listen to the bell ringers at Sv. Lovrenc

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pritrkovanje na sv. Lovrencu-Polhov Gradec

# data[].attributes.body
Potica

Potica  is a typical Slovenian festive dish known all around the world. It used to be baked in special baking dishes which reflect the local folk’s genuine creativity.

There are at least fifty different variants, which differ according to the filling: originally, the filling was made of walnuts, hazelnuts, honey, peppermint, cottage cheese, sour cream, cracklings, bacon or dried fruit. Today people also make fillings of chocolate, coconut, tarragon, etc.

A typical dough is made of wheat flour, which is rolled out flat, over which the filling is then spread; and finally, the wrapped potica is placed in a cake pan and baked.

# data[].attributes.headline
EASTER TRADITIONS IN SLOVENIAOne of the interesting things people in Slovenia make at Easter is "butare". These are bundles of spring greenery of different shapes and sizes and sometimes decorated with colourful ribbons. "Butare" are then taken to church on Palm Sunday to be blessed. The most special of all bundles is the "Ljubljana Bundle"(in the picture). They are renowned abroad for being the only bundles of their kind

# data[].attributes.subject
EASTER TRADITIONS IN SLOVENIAOne of the interesting things people in Slovenia make at Easter is "butare". These are bundles of spring greenery of different shapes and sizes and sometimes decorated with colourful ribbons. "Butare" are then taken to church on Palm Sunday to be blessed. The most special of all bundles is the "Ljubljana Bundle"(in the picture). They are renowned abroad for being the only bundles of their kind

# data[].attributes.body
SS1°grado G.Pascoli
Aversa, Italy

# data[].attributes.body
In Armenia a traditional game is played where hard boiled pace eggs are distributed and each player hits the other players egg with their own. This is known as "egg dumping" or "egg jarping". The winner gets the eggs of the loser.

# data[].attributes.body
With Easter, everything symbolizes something: Easter cake with white frosting symbolizes purity. Traditional dishes of fish, rice pilaf with raisins, cooked and raw greens, and lavash (Armenian bread) are on every table to represent some aspect of Easter or the Christian religion. There’s also a rich Easter bread called choreg topped with sesame seeds that’s popular. These foods all have meaning. Actually, in Armenia everything symbolizes something!
Ladybugs are an Easter symbol in Armenia.

# data[].attributes.body
Easter – Easter is the favorite and the most anticipated holiday in the Christian world. Everybody greets each other on this day: “Christ has arisen” – “Blessed is the resurrection of Christ”. This is the greatest holiday of the Armenian Church which begins on Good Friday and lasts throughout the weekend. A long-standing Easter tradition is the coloring of Easter eggs. Coloured eggs, especially the red ones symbolize the blood of Christ.

# data[].attributes.body
Renata Charvátová, Czech Republic

We prepare Easter lamp on Easter Sunday. It ´s symbol of Resurrection of Christ.

# data[].attributes.body
Renata Charvátová, Czech Republic

The other is sweet cake (make from dough) named MAZANEC

# data[].attributes.body
Renata Charvátová, Czech Republic

We bake Judas to commemorate the Judas betrayal of Christ.

# data[].attributes.body
In some cities chocolate has evolved into these beautiful figures.

# data[].attributes.body
La Mona de Pascua cake – a delicious end to the abstinence and a symbol of spring!

# data[].attributes.body
Pestiños are little pastries popular throughout Spain, but especially in Andalusia. Sesame-flavoured dough is fried then glazed with honey or sugar.

# data[].attributes.body
While chocolate Easter eggs are becoming more and more popular, they are not traditionally a big part of Easter celebrations in Spain. But that’s not to say Spaniards don’t have special sweet treats for Holy Week.
Torrijas are a traditional Semana Santa sweet snack of bread soaked in milk and egg before being fried and served with sugar or honey, and are available all over the country during Holy Week.

# data[].attributes.body
Semana Santa processions are also known as ‘penance processions’ and involve members of the brotherhood (nazarenos) parading from their church to the city’s cathedral.

To spot the start of a procession, look out for the giant cross that is always carried at the front.

# data[].attributes.body
Typical Easter meals are made of vegetables, cereals, legumes and sweet pastries. Meat is not usual because traditionally, Catholic Church banned it to be eaten in these dates especially on Friday.

# data[].attributes.body
Brotherhoods

# data[].attributes.body
Easter in Spain is very famous for its processions. A procession is a religious act in which a big number of people walk in silence, carrying a big candle. In these Easter processions they are dressed in special clothes; these clothes are different colours tunics and hoods.

Each group of people (called "cofradía" a ind of brotherhood) are distinguished by their cothing coours. These brotherhoods are also in charge of carrying a "paso" which is a statue of a virgin, Jesus Christ or a saint, in a bibical scene.
When you see the whoe procession, you can see all Jesus Christ 's life.

# data[].attributes.body
Renata Charvátová

The last day isn´t very spiritual. It´s Easter Monday. Boys and men go to caroling. It means that they go from house to house to visit girls and women and whip them on their legs. They use braided whips made of pussywillow twings.  Whipping brings health and youth to girls who give boys dyed, painted or otherwise decorated blown egg. We call these Easter eggs and we have got many techniques to decorate them.

# data[].attributes.body
Renata Charvátová

Good news for us is that we have got a few days off. A lot of people in our country believe in Christian God so we honour these Saint days. On Holy Thursday we have some green food for lunch – for example spinach. Good Friday is a day of strict fasting and on Holy Saturday we can´t move with earth. These days are all full of sadness but Easter Sunday is full of happiness because of Resurrection. We also celebrate with good food.-) If you visit, us you can eat roast goose or fried pork steak with potato salad, Easter lamb.. You can try special drink – an egg liquer with rum.-)

# data[].attributes.headline
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.subject
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.body
If you grab a newspaper, watch TV or just regularly walk outside in the Easter time, you might want to check the meaning of the following words connected to this holiday – as they are probably going to appear everywhere :)

·         Veľká noc – Easter

·         oblievačka – pouring water over girls

·         šibačka – spanking girls by whips

·         kupač – the boy who comes to water the girls during Easter

·         korbáč – the whip made of willow branches

·         kraslica – a painted, dyed or otherwise decorated blown egg

zemiakový šalát – potato salad

# data[].attributes.headline
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.subject
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.body
KRASLICA - a painted, dyed or otherwise decorated blown egg.

# data[].attributes.headline
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.subject
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.body
Easter preparations begin days before Easter. To be ready for the feast, people bake pastries, cookies and do extensive grocery shopping. Easter menu is always festive: potato salad with mayonnaise, cooked ham, cold cuts and sandwiches are served on Easter Sunday as well as on Easter Monday.  Sweet treats and some good (home made) alcohol can’t be missing on the table either.

# data[].attributes.headline
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.subject
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.body
The funny part is that guys get rewarded for this action and in return, they receive painted eggs, sweets, ribbons, money and are invited to dine with the girl’s family.

# data[].attributes.body
The Easter was celebrated in Vakıflı neighborhood where Armenians live in Turkey's southern Hatay'sSamandağ district. Some parts of the Bible were read and people prayed in the ceremony within the scope of celebrations at Virgin Mary Church.

# data[].attributes.body
Catholics in district of İskenderun of Hatay celebrated the Easter with the religious ceremony they held in the church. The attendants prayed and burned candles in the ceremony in which the church was decorated with lights.

# data[].attributes.body
At the House of Virgin Mary in Selçuk district of Turkey's western province of İzmir, a religious ceremony was held due to the Easter. Those coming to the house were taken to the section of the ceremony after passing through gendarmerie security control. Local and foreign tourists visiting the house ahead of the ceremony burned candles, wrote their wishes and hanged them on the wall.

# data[].attributes.body
Religious ceremony was held at St. Antoine Church on İstiklal street in Beyoğlu district of İstanbul because of the Easter. Those coming to the church was admitted to section of ceremony after security check. The participants burned candle after some parts of the Bible were read and hymns voiced.

# data[].attributes.body
Patisseries in the predominantly minority district of Kurtuluş in İstanbul has been decorated with sweet yeast breads and eggs.

# data[].attributes.headline
Vanita Raghoenandan - Easter in the Netherlands (Pasen in Nederland) Easter breakfast or Easter brunch                                                               Both Easter breakfast and Easter brunch are extremely popular in the Netherlands – on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday the Dutch love to treat themselves to an extended breakfast or brunch that includes a feast of gaily painted boiled eggs, fresh breads, croissants and rolls and a selection of Dutch Easter goodies such as Dutch cheese, paasstol (Easter bread) and matzo crackers.                                                   Decorations                                                                                                      The Dutch are very keen on Easter eggs and spring-related decorations, and many homes will put up willow branches hung with tiny wooden eggs and bows.                                                                                                Egg painting                                                                                                      The Dutch also like to paint boiled eggs in pretty patterns.                                                                                                                   The Easter Hare                                                                                                  Yes, the Dutch do have Easter egg hunts but don’t forget, the Netherlands has a Paashaas – Easter hare – rather than a bunny – well, it does rhyme better.                                                                                      Easter attractions                                                                                            There are, of course, Easter markets, special Easter brunches at restaurants and Easter events at amusement parks.  And there is the Paaspop festival which has taken place over the Easter weekend in the Noord-Brabant town of Schijndel since 1985.                                        Easter fires                                                                                                           In the Netherlands, most are found in Drenthe, Groningen, Overijssel, Twente, Friesland and Gelderland but there are all sorts of regional variations about what is burnt and when.                                             Symbols                                                                                                                 A common symbol of Easter Sunday is a cross, often decorated with flowers or young leaves.

# data[].attributes.subject
Vanita Raghoenandan - Easter in the Netherlands (Pasen in Nederland) Easter breakfast or Easter brunch                                                               Both Easter breakfast and Easter brunch are extremely popular in the Netherlands – on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday the Dutch love to treat themselves to an extended breakfast or brunch that includes a feast of gaily painted boiled eggs, fresh breads, croissants and rolls and a selection of Dutch Easter goodies such as Dutch cheese, paasstol (Easter bread) and matzo crackers.                                                   Decorations                                                                                                      The Dutch are very keen on Easter eggs and spring-related decorations, and many homes will put up willow branches hung with tiny wooden eggs and bows.                                                                                                Egg painting                                                                                                      The Dutch also like to paint boiled eggs in pretty patterns.                                                                                                                   The Easter Hare                                                                                                  Yes, the Dutch do have Easter egg hunts but don’t forget, the Netherlands has a Paashaas – Easter hare – rather than a bunny – well, it does rhyme better.                                                                                      Easter attractions                                                                                            There are, of course, Easter markets, special Easter brunches at restaurants and Easter events at amusement parks.  And there is the Paaspop festival which has taken place over the Easter weekend in the Noord-Brabant town of Schijndel since 1985.                                        Easter fires                                                                                                           In the Netherlands, most are found in Drenthe, Groningen, Overijssel, Twente, Friesland and Gelderland but there are all sorts of regional variations about what is burnt and when.                                             Symbols                                                                                                                 A common symbol of Easter Sunday is a cross, often decorated with flowers or young leaves.

# data[].attributes.headline
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.subject
Martina Zemlickova - Easter in Slovakia :

# data[].attributes.body
When it comes to Easter in Slovakia, the tradition goes that young guys shall visit every house in the village where they have single girls, they sprinkle them with water and spank them with whips made of willow branches. The girls can even end up in a stream, if they live close to one. During this tradition men may sing songs and play the accordion. In many regions and bigger cities, water buckets have been replaced with perfumes, a cup of water or a water pistol.