You won’t see many chocolate eggs in stores in Mexico. Rather, the Mexican staple during Lent is the empanada, a flaky crust folded into a triangle and containing cheese, tuna, mushrooms, potatoes, strips of chilis and other non-meat fillings.
They are sold everywhere from bakeries to street corners during the Easter season.
The custom of dyeing and hiding Easter eggs is an important part of the celebration in the United States and Canada, to name but a few of the countries that deal with the Easter Bunny. The elusive bunny hides the eggs from the children who find them and either gobble them down or indulge in egg rolling contests, the most famous of which being that party held on the White House lawn. It has been speculated that this custom represents the rolling away of the stone from the sepulcher of Christ.
In Greece, immediately following morning services, friends are greeted by tapping red-dyed eggs symbolic of joy while uttering the tradition greetings of “Christ is risen” and “he is risen indeed” as they are exchanged.
In Austria, hollowed eggs are dyed and hung from branches mounted around the house as seasonal decorations. Small birds’ nests are made of grass and then hidden from family members around the house.
Easter dinners vary according to each family tradition or heritage. Greeks prepare a special dish of lamb’s heart and liver to eat after morning services. The evening supper consists of roast lamb with a dessert of typical Greek sweets.
If Easter is not celebrated with a big family supper in Austria, the meal is often taken in mountain chalets where the sun is just beginning to melt the snow. Ski weekends are popular at this time because the season is coming to a close. One of the hearty dishes served is a pea soup with sausage.
Hot cross buns are an Easter favorite that originated in England. The sweet rolls are dotted with currants or candied fruit and have a cross in frosting over the glaze. Greek loaves of bread are round and decorated with a cross and red eggs.