Happy Easter - Feliz Pascua - Frohe Ostern

Second post from Spain!

Happy Easter to those celebrating! In light of the holiday, today's post provides a general comparison of Easter celebrations (and typical treats) in the United States, Spain and Austria.

Easter in the United States.

 Specifically speaking, (and not trying to get too religious) Easter is the Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Personally however, most of my childhood memories from Easter involve waking up to an Easter basket filled with candy, the family gathering for an Easter lunch, and the ever important Easter egg hunt. While these are very found memories, in comparison, it seems that Easter celebrations in the United States (like basically every other holiday) bigger and more mass-consumerized compared to the celebrations of Europe. 

In the U.S., most secular Easter celebrations are centered around the children. American families purchase an excess of plastic eggs, baskets, fake grass, bunnies, toys and candy. In fact, I learned that Easter is the second best candy selling holiday - after Halloween. (My favorite are starburst jelly beans!). Other common American traditions include dying Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts (which start off inclusive as small children, but may morph into heated competitions as the siblings get older), Easter egg rolls (at the White House), and Easter parades. Overall, Americans still remember and celebrate the religious reasons behind Easter, however, whether or not one attends a religious ceremony rather than simply take a day off to spend with their family depends more on the individual family tradition.

Easter in Spain.

The Spanish population is approximately 73% Catholic and, as a result, Easter is the second most celebrated holiday after Christmas. Overall, it seems that their traditions are similar to those of the United States, which include parades, family gatherings, candy and Easter eggs. However, these Spanish celebrations seem (at least from the outside) more religious and less consumerized than those of the U.S.

For example, it seems that many Spanish stores still feature candy and chocolate eggs. See the pictures featured below, on the right, a common window front with chocolate eggs and cakes, on the left, a similar (but more high end window) complete with a large chocolate chicken and cute paper chicks. However, it seems less popular to spend time decorating the eggs.

Further, these displays are different from the United States because: (1) They were way more difficult to find (and not literally on every street corner and in every store), and (2) people did not seem to buy a lot of these goods. Similarly, (though I have yet to see one in Barcelona) in much of the south of Spain, night time processions/parades seem popular during the Holy Week. These processions involve incense, candles, drums and cloak covered penitents. Overall, it seems the Spanish focus is on family time and remembering the religion behind Easter. (Stay tuned for updates as I was invited to join a Spanish family for their Easter dinner and may provide updates on their traditional dishes).

UPDATE! Our stop in Zaragosa

Kelley and RH in a cool alley of shops and bars

In addition to the the adventures outlined in this post previously, our group also made a stop in Zaragoza on Easter Sunday. Zaragoza is the capital city of the province. The drive to and from was interesting for two key reasons. First, our vehicle of choice (to which I lovingly referred to as the party van) was basically the normal size of an American sedan. However, in Europe it is commonly used as a cargo van - but we all loved it. Second, while the drive started as mostly highway, once we left town the landscape quickly started to resemble an exotic nature reserve. The area is known for its varying landscapes, ranging from deserts to think forest, meadows and mountains. The area always seemed like it should be abandoned of all civilization, yet every couple miles I would see people hiking, biking or picnicking - it was definitely a great area. Finally, if you have the opportunity to drive through, look for the large wooden black bulls that line the highway. Apparently, these bulls were former advertisements for alcohol and now line the highway as a community cultural symbol. I counted 10 on my trip - I dare you to do better!

Once we finally arrived in Zaragoza, we stopped in for a visit with a local Spanish family. This opportunity to break bread with a local family was by far one of the most rewarding experiences of the trip. Most of us did not speak the same language, but it was a great learning experience and delicious meal. Speaking of meal! The meal we had for Easter lunch was crazy! This was not your average protein and two sides but and 5 course feast. We started with traditional Spanish noodle soup, then cabbage and chickpeas with olive oil. At this rate, most of the group was already completely full. But like the treatment we were used to from our grandmothers (x100) - it was impossible to say no because the hostess was constantly serving us food. The final courses included a meat course, which feature beef, chorizo and blood sausage, and the dessert course, featuring both fresh fruit and traditional pastry. 

After this delicious and extremely filling meal, we took to the local streets for a walk. This tour included a walk through downtown, viewing ancient roman ruins (like the roman bridge picture on the left) and the roman cathedral

Catedral de Salvador.

 If you visit the cathedral, note the two unexploded bombs on the wall - during the civil war they were dropped on the cathedral and the fact that neither exploded was deemed a miracle!

Easter in Austria.

 While Austria subscribes to the typical Easter icons/symbols including, flowers, eggs, chickens, and hares, Austrians practice some unique differences. One of may favorites was the Ostermarkt. I am unsure if these are common within every village or only the big cities, but I wish they were common in the United States. These markets pop up during the Easter season and are filled with local vendors selling snacks, candy, gifts and Easter eggs. Generally, while this seems similar to the U.S. focus on candy and eggs, there is definitely a higher quality to these goods in Austria. For example the Easter eggs are not plastic but are made with more craftsmanship than that of the U.S. (see the picture featured below on the right - those are hundreds of hand painted eggs). 

The Ostermarkts also feature food stands that sell pretzels, chocolate, and warm drinks such as gluhvein. These markets differ from those in the U.S. because patrons are encouraged to buy a drink and stand at tables set up in the market and mingle with neighbors and friends. I really enjoyed how this tradition was more about gathering with neighbors than grabbing your snack and heading back to your car.

Overall, there are definitely common themes within the Easter celebrations in these three countries. However, it is very interesting which elements are focused on and how each culture interprets the common symbols. Happy Easter to you wherever you are!

Cheers!