FREE EASTER EVENTS AND CUSTOMS

There are lots of delightful, fee-paying family-fun Easter events in Dublin.  They can be found on this website. This blog, however, will focus on some enchanting, free family events in Dublin, and also the wonderfully wacky, diverse Easter customs from around the world that’s worth reiterating. 

FARMLEIGH FREE EVENTS 16th/ 17th April

“There is plenty here for all the family to enjoy from Falconry displays to Puppet shows & Storytelling sessions.  Experience the magic of the 'Giants Garden' courtyard from 12noon-5pm.  A giant spring garden awaits where mystery guests & surprise performances will enchant & entertain all of the family.

 Farmleigh is the ideal place to enter into the festive spirit this Easter.

All of the events listed are free. Puppet & Storytelling sessions are on a first come first serve basis.” Please click Here for more information.

 FINGAL’S FREE FAMILY FUN

Celebrate culture and creativity at Fingal’s Cruinniú na Cásca. “There will also be an opportunity to learn more about the history of Swords and its heritage sites, including Swords Castle, St. Columba’s Round & Square Towers, St.Colmcille’s Well, Peter Wilson’s Bridge and the Carnegie Library, from the free open top bus tours running on the day. These tours can be booked in advance by emailing events@fingal.ie.”This free event takes place in Swords Castle on Easter Monday, 17th April 2017, from 12 noon to 6pm and is part of the Creative Ireland Programme.

For more information visit www.fingal.ie

FREE FUN AT DUBLIN HAMLEYS

“Bring kids on an adventure in our Easter Party Room where you will take part in variety of Easter activities from arts & crafts to fun-filled games, plus you’ll get to nibble on lots of scrumptious sweet treats. You can also have a selfie with Hamleys Bunny Bear and before you leave each child will receive extra goodies to take home.”

This all takes place in Dublin Hamleys, Unit 13, Dundrum Town Centre, on Friday 14 April, 2017 through Wednesday 19 April, 2017. For times and more details, please click Here.

EASTER CUSTOMS

There’s some extraordinary Easter customs practised around the world, including men spanking women( all in good fun, actually);drenching ladies in water( perfectly legal, believe it or not);people throwing pots out of windows onto the streets below; children making effigies of Judas and burning them on large bonfires; children dressing as witches; sprinkling perfumed water on females(again with the water); citizens solving murders; replacing chocolate bunnies with chocolate rodents; specially made Easter kites for flying, and making a giant omelette to feed a thousand people. 

These varied customs certainly puts our stuffing-our- faces- with- chocolate eggs custom into the ha’penny place; although, I do like chocolate. As chocolate is made from cocoa beans, I consider it part of my 5-a-day.

POLAND

According to my Polish barber, Polish Easter traditions dictate that women do not engage in housework on Easter Sunday, including cooking.  Easter Monday is a different story, however.  They’ve a tradition called Smigus Dyngus whereby men drench women with water.  Buckets or basins are all legitimate vessels for the soaking process, apparently.  In fact, the wetter the recipient gets the better chance she has for getting married.

There’s nothing as queer as folk, I thought, as I packed a suitcase with water pistols for my Polish holidays.

NORWAY

Norway’s larger cities present a Good Friday 'Procession of the Cross'. This custom entails a leading person carrying a large cross, and joined by many followers. They stop at various stations and pray. Nice.

Also, Norway’s Easter begins on a Wednesday and ends on the following Tuesday, and the citizens use the long break to solve crimes. This curious custom began in 1923, when Easter-Thrillers books (known as Påskekrimmen in Norway) became all the rage.  In Norwegian, Påske means Easter and Krimmen means Crime.  Crime stories, illustrated by cartoons, appear on milk cartons during this period, so most Norwegians enjoy the reading and detecting.

Cornflakes and crime; it sure puts the buzz back into breakfast.

SWEDEN

Egg painting and kitting out in witches’ attire are Swedish Easter customs. Children don witches’ clothing, paint their faces and go door to door in pursuit of treats (Or Halloween 11, as I call it).  During Easter, a Swedish fable states, witches fly to"Blåkulla" (Blue Mountain) to meet the devil. 

I think I’ll cancel that trip to the Hellfire Club.

GERMANY

Massive bonfires, fuelled with old Christmas trees, are a German Easter custom.  Derived from a pagan ceremony tradition, these fires are lit on Easter Saturday.  Nice one with the blazing infernos, but it could get messy if you bring your chocolate eggs along.

CORFU

Corfiots begin their Pot Throwing (tossing pots from balconies down to street) on Holy Saturday morning.  Similar to the Greek tradition of smashing plates, this custom of Pot Throwing also marks the First Resurrection.  Furthermore, a Corfu Easter is a huge celebration involving bands and singing among the locals and their many visitors. 

And a smashing time is had by one and all.

CRETE

The fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and the largest island in Greece, Crete is one of the many places around the world that burns an effigy of Judas at Easter time.  Crete women donate old clothes to deck out the hay-stuffed “Dirty Judas”, men will make a large gully for the burning, and Crete children will create an effigy and prepare the giant bonfire.

Although similar to the British Guy Fawkes Day, it’s no doubt great craic.

CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAKIA

Using special sticks made from willow rods, Czech and Slovak men spank women on their bottoms during this Easter Monday tradition.  I’m assured by my Polish friend that all these various Eastern European traditions are playful fun, and carried out in a good-spirited manner without harm or offence to anybody.  According to folklore, the willow rods (called pomlazka in the Czech language) have a magical quality that brings fertility to women. 

All in the best possible taste, of course.

HUNGARY

Another Eastern European custom is called ‘Sprinkling’, and carried out on Easter Monday or ‘Ducking Monday’ as it became popularly known.  Young men spray water, perfumed water or just perfume on young ladies. Old beliefs maintain that water has fertility qualities.  Don’t mention that to Irish Water, there’s enough hassle going on as it is.

AUSTRALIA

In preference to the Easter Bunny, the Easter Bilby is a growing tradition in Australia. The bilby, a rodent with long, rabbit-like ears, is in danger of extinction.  Rabbits are a scourge to Australian farmers and their crops, and the country has an organization called ‘The Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia’ (poor bunnies).  Also, Darrel Lea, the largest, Australian chocolate manufacturer (and bilby breeding sponsor) fills shops with chocolate Easter Bilbies every year. 

Still, chocolate is chocolate in my world; it can like a rat for all I care.

BESSIERES, HAUTE-GARONNE, FRANCE

Some French story-tellers maintain that Napoleon is responsible for the Easter Monday, giant omelette-making tradition in France. His travelling army used to be fed omelettes when passing through villages.  So he ordered a giant omelette to be made for his hungry, war-weary troops.

Thousands gathered in France, last year, to watch dozens of cooks make a giant omelette to celebrate Easter in the town of Bessieres, Haute-Garonne, France.  10,000 people watched as 15,000 eggs were used by the Giant Omelette Brotherhood of Bessieres to make the monster munch.  I reckon the cholesterol tablets are kept handy.

BERMUDA

According to Bermuda-online, “There is a special Bermuda civilian religious significance to kite flying. It started on Good Friday when a local teacher with a British Army connection had difficulty explaining Christ's Ascension to Heaven to his Sunday School class. So he launched a kite with a likeness of Christ. A traditional Bermuda made kite, from different colours of tissue paper, is still in the shape of a cross. Originally, kites were not flown until after 3 pm. Now, they stay up all day. Only if it rains do they come down. Bermuda kites have long cloth tails and are in different colours of paper tissue, wood, metal and string.”

I like this custom, as it points to the traditional meaning of Good Friday and Easter.

Most of these world-wide Easter customs stem from a combination of folklore, national ethos, story-telling, ancient and pagan rituals, and they all develop their own nuances and cultural aspects over time.  Viva la difference, I say, sure it would be a boring world if we all had red hall-doors.

Happy Easter.

Tomas O’hArgadain