Easter traditions: How it’s celebrated around the world
Did you know that Easter isn’t always just celebrated with chocolate? Easter is marked very differently around the globe.
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Easter weekend is here, and for many Christians, it begins with Good Friday — a day of deep reflection and one of the most solemn observances of the year.
While Easter Sunday is often marked by celebration, Good Friday takes a quieter tone.
Here’s why it is observed and some common traditions across the world.
When is Good Friday 2025? Why is it celebrated?
Good Friday is celebrated on the Friday before Easter and marks the day Jesus was crucified and died. This year, it is observed on April 18, 2025.
Is there a special diet on Good Friday? See fasting rules
Although Lent officially ended with Holy Thursday — also known as Maundy Thursday — many continue to refrain from consuming flesh meat on Good Friday. This includes beef, pork and poultry, allowing fish on Friday. This is done to honor Jesus sacrificing his flesh on Good Friday, according to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis.
Non-flesh products, like milk, cheese, butter and eggs, are still allowed.
During Good Friday specifically, some Catholics choose to fast: They only eat one full meal and may eat two smaller meals as long as they do not equal the one full meal, according to The Catholic Telegraph. Fasting during Lent represents the fasting Jesus did while in the desert.
Common observances on Good Friday
Good Friday is one of the most solemn days in the Christian calendar, observed by millions worldwide during the Easter season. It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, a central event in Christian belief.
According to the Gospels, Jesus was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. Christians believe he died on the cross, was buried in a tomb, and rose from the dead three days later on Easter Sunday.
In many cultures, Good Friday is marked by processions that re-enact Jesus’s final journey to the cross, often featuring participants carrying crosses or religious images. Churches may also hold special services, dim the lights, and muffle bells to reflect the day’s solemnity.
One traditional observance is the Stations of the Cross, a devotion that follows 14 moments along Jesus’s path to Calvary, accompanied by prayers and quiet reflection.
When is Easter Sunday 2025?
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. This year, the spring equinox fell on Thursday, March 20.
Easter is Sunday, April 20.
What does Easter celebrate?
Easter is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year, marked by a season of religious observances, traditions and celebrations leading up to the day — and observed by millions worldwide.
For Christians, Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a fundamental belief in Christianity. According to Christian teachings, Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, and on the third day — Easter Sunday — he rose from the dead.
