A key event in the Christian calendar, Easter Sunday is the celebration and commemoration of Jesus Christ. For many non-Christian families, it is also a celebration of the start of Spring, new life or maybe just an abundance of chocolate. One thing is for sure – it’s a time for sharing love with family and friends. However, if you are looking to send Happy Easter greetings to family or friends, you might be finding writing an Easter card harder than expected.
Here, you’ll find tips on writing an Easter card, and when you should send it to make sure your recipient receives it promptly. We also have included some ideas for celebrating this egg-citing holiday!
Top Tip: If you don’t have much time to think up the perfect Easter card quote, we have a selection of egg-celent pre-written text messages to choose your Happy Easter Greetings from. You can insert these messages into your personalized card for free on the MyPostcard app, who will then print and send your card anywhere worldwide!
Contents
- Celebrating Easter Sunday
- When is Easter Sunday
- Easter Traditions Around the World
- 5 Ways to Celebrate Easter Sunday
- How to Write an Easter Sunday Card (5 quotes)
- When to send your Easter Sunday card
Celebrating Easter Sunday
The end of Lent, Holy Saturday, is the last day in Holy Week. Easter Sunday, the following day, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it is one of the most important holidays in the Church’s calendar. In most European countries, the word for Easter is derived from the Jewish festival, Passover. For example, in Greece, it is Pascha and in French, Pâques. However, Easter also has links with a traditional pagan festival that occurred before the advent of Christianity.
The Spring Equinox was an important event in which people celebrated the goddess Eostre. Many of today’s Easter traditions are considered to date back to such roots. For example, in German mythology, the goddess Eostre, or Ostara as she is known there, was said to have healed an injured bird by transforming it into a hare. This then laid eggs for the goddess as a sign of gratitude. This is one reason why today, we eat chocolate eggs from the Easter Bunny, which first appeared in France and Germany in the 19th century.
When is Easter Sunday?
A religious celebration for many, Easter Sunday is celebrated around the world, particularly in Christian countries. Unlike other holidays, which occur on a precise day, the date of Easter Sunday changes each year. This is because Easter Sunday always follows the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.
Easter Sunday falls on the following dates:
- 2020: April 12th
- 2021: April 4th
- 2022: April 17th
- 2023: April 9th
Easter Traditions Around the World
So now that you know exactly what is being celebrated … but does it get celebrated in different countries around the world? We’ve compiled the craziest Easter traditions from around the world!
#1 The Easter Bilby and Marital Bliss in Australia
During Easter there is one particularly unique custom in Australia… Engaged couples working on their future marital happiness! According to tradition, they draw running water from a stream and keep it safe until their wedding day. On the day of their wedding, they sprinkle each other with it before going into the church. Allegedly, this ritual brings the couple good luck in marriage.
Meanwhile, Australian children look forward to finding eggs in all colors. But wait – it won’t be the Easter bunny hiding them! Instead, the “Easter bilby” – an endangered marsupial with huge ears. As tradition demands, supermarkets also sell chocolate bilbies!
#2 A Sea of Candles in Greece
Orthodox Greeks celebrate their Easter a week after the USA. The festivities reach their peak with mass from Saturday to Easter Sunday. Believers bring white, burning candles to this service. At midnight all candles are extinguished – except for one. This one flame has a special meaning – it symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus. Later all candles are lit again on it and thus “life is given”.
The Sunday feast is traditionally a lamb grilled on a spit. The “magirítsa”, a soup, is cooked from its innards.
#3 Easter at the White House in the USA
The Easter festival in the USA is familiar to many in Europe. Most churches hold services on Easter Sunday, and the Easter bunny and Easter egg hunt for kids also play an important role in the USA. Candy is secretly hidden in the garden or house and children are then allowed to look for them.
A special highlight is the “Easter Egg Roll”: This has been held in the garden of the White House in Washington for more than a hundred years. On Easter Monday, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., a small part of the majestic garden is converted into a playing field. Visitors then have to roll their eggs to the finish line with tablespoons. Each participant receives a signed wooden egg from the President and the First Lady as a thank you.
#4 Secret Snowdrop Letters in Denmark
A very special Easter custom, which is already around 500 years old, is still practiced in Denmark: Here, children make a so-called secret snowdrop letter (Gækkebreve), which is then beautifully painted or cut out. In the middle, the little ones write a – sometime self-composed – verse that is signed with several dots instead of the name. Their unsuspecting parents now have to guess who sent this letter! If you can’t guess, you have to give the sender a chocolate egg – how handy!
#5 Magic Dances and Demons in Haiti
On Good Friday in Haiti, creative paper kites soar into the sky: Children have often already spent months tinkering with particularly beautiful (and functional) kites. More creepily, “Easter Raras” roam the streets with rhythmic music made of natural instruments and noisy sheet metal objects. Their route begins in front of the house of a “houngan”, a magician, and the tradition is intended to summon evil demons to the ceremony. The Raras are accompanied by dancers, acrobats and dignitaries who wear eerie magic relics and make mystical noises. On Easter Sunday, there is a gleeful celebration with a feast and chocolate – because of the hot climate though, these aren’t hidden!
#6 Eating Greens on Maundy Thursday in Austria
Spinach, parsley or broccoli – on Maundy Thursday, greens are served in Austria. Children carry pretzels and apples to the church on palm sticks and, according to custom, ask for growth. It’s noisy here too – boys stroll through the streets as “ratchet boys” with their ratchets replacing the sound of the church bells. Anyone who managed to get hold of an egg that was laid on Maundy Thursday are particularly lucky: they ward off disaster and are still placed in attics as fire protection.
#7 Easter Witches in Finland and Sweden
While Halloween and Carnival are long over in Western Europe and the USA, the children of Finland and Sweden start dressing up – as Easter witches with broomsticks and copper kettles. They go from house to house and hope to exchange their self-painted pictures, decorated willow branches or little Easter letters for some candy.
The story also goes that at Easter the witches danced with the devil. To drive them away, the Scandinavians make a big fire the evening before Easter Sunday. As a result, the “Easter women” should withdraw again until next year.
#8 Giant Omelette in France
In the small town of Bessieres in France, a tasty ritual is organized every Easter Monday: Cooking a giant omelette made from 15,000 eggs! This tradition is said to have had its origins in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, when he and his soldiers stayed overnight in the vicinity. Napoleon reportedly enjoyed his omelette so much that he asked residents to collect all the eggs in the village and cook a giant version of his omelette for his army.
#9 Water-Hose Fight in Polen
On Easter Monday, there is a so-called “Wet Monday”, or in Polish, ‘lany poniedziałek’. All over the country, old and young people sprinkle themselves with water. Instead of a few splashes of water, young people often pour buckets of water on other people – preferably girls and women!
#10 Eggs Roles in Scotland
In Scotland, eggs that are pre-colored and hard-boiled are rolled down a hill. The owner of the egg that rolls the furthest wins. This game actually has a religious origin as well. The rolling eggs are supposed to symbolize the rolling of the stones in front of Jesus ’grave.
This tradition is pretty similar to the Easter Egg Roll, which is held annually on the White House lawn.
#11 Easter Egg Fight in Bulgaria
After mass on Easter Sunday, family members have an Easter egg fight. The one whose egg remains intact wins and he / she is promised the most success for the next year.
Do you know any other traditions? Feel free to leave a comment and tell us about it! If you are on the lookout for classic Easter activities, continue reading!
5 Ways to Celebrate Easter Sunday
Whether it is lamb for dinner, Easter eggs or a visit to church for a special Easter sermon, people celebrate Easter differently around the world, some popular traditions include:
Visiting Church (and sharing Happy Easter Greetings with the congregation!)
For many people, Easter Sunday is about visiting the church with the family. As one of the most significant dates in the Christian calendar. Easter is usually a time of joy and celebration, and churches tend to host special Easter sermons.
Painting Eggs
Painting eggshells is a fun and traditional way to celebrate Easter that the entire family is bound to enjoy. People have been dyeing eggs at Easter since the 19th century, and this popular pastime happens around the world each year.
We have 4 easy DIY tutorials for your here to decorate some classy Easter eggs yourself!
Easter Egg hunt
There is nothing quite so egg-citing as discovering hidden eggs believed to have been left by the Easter bunny. Organise an Easter egg hunt with the family for lots of chocolaty fun or see if there are any community Easter Egg hunts near you.
Having a family dinner
Easter is a time to get together with the family. Different countries and different regions have varied traditional Easter foods. For example, in Wales, it is usually lamb for dinner, but in Russia, they eat pashka. This is made from cheese curds, and it has a similar consistency to thick custard or a cheesecake.
Making Easter bonnets
Getting crafty at Easter is so much fun! A traditional way of celebrating Easter in the UK is by making Easter bonnets or hats. In some places, schools, churches and community centres even hold an Easter bonnet parade. If you are not in the UK, why not steal this tradition and organise your own or just have a competition in the family!
Writing an Easter Card: 5 Examples
Easter is the perfect time of year to send love and good wishes to your family and friends. However, what you write on an Easter Sunday card will depend on the relationship that you have with the person and the message you want to send. Some examples could include:
#1 Happy Easter greetings with a religious meaning
As one of the most important holidays for Christians, if you are sending God’s blessings you could write:
Happy Easter Greetings! As we remember the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection, we are grateful for all that he gave to the world. I hope that you have a blessed Easter showered with love, peace and happiness. God bless you!
#2 A sentimental Easter greeting message
Want to send a message of love and hope? You could write:
Happy Easter Greetings to you and yours! The holiday of new beginnings. Spring has finally sprung and I hope you have a wonderful day with the family. May this glorious season bring you peace, love and happiness.
#3 Send Happy Easter greetings to a child
If you are sending happy Easter greetings to a child, you could write:
To my favourite little chick-a-dee, the Easter Bunny told me to say hi! He says, he has left lots of yummy chocolate eggs. But I doubt they’re half as sweet as you! Wishing you a lovely Easter and a glorious Spring. Be good!
#4 Funny and Pun-ny Easter quote
Put a smile on your loved one’s face, with an Easter message like this one:
Have a hopping good time this Easter – ideally with some eggcellent chocolate treats. Remember what I taught you: there is no such thing as too much chocolate! Lots of love from some-bunny special!
#5 Wish a Friend friend the best of the season!
If you would are looking to send an Easter message to a friend, you could include:
Easter is the perfect time to come together and celebrate those we love. I hope that you and the rest of the clan have a wonderful holiday and a glorious spring. Love and blessings!
When to send your card of Happy Easter greetings
When you send your Easter card will depend on the date that is celebrated that year. Also, we always advise you send your postcard promptly, as this can be a busy time of year in some countries. If possible, send your Easter cards around 7-10 days before the date, earlier if you are posting internationally.
Top Tip: Running late with your Easter Sunday cards? MyPostcard prints in various locations around the world, and we can often guarantee speedy delivery!
You’re ready to send your Happy Easter greetings… Now what?
Take away the stress of writing and sending an Easter card with the MyPostcard app, where you can personalize and have your card sent using pre-written quotes. Alternately, we have some excellent Easter travel-spiration for getting away from it all and enjoying this eggcellent holiday from somewhere new and egg-citing!