Easter Traditions in France

France celebrates Easter with great enthusiasm. The festive mood among the French begins from much before the actual day. Christianity is the main religion of the country, and Easter is one of the

most important festivals of France. As the Easter day arrives, you can notice stores filled with cute chocolate rabbits, fishes, Easter eggs, bells and chicken.

Traditions of Easter in France

Various Easter traditions are followed in France as a part of the celebrations. Some of the best ones include:

Eggs:
You must have heard about the Easter eggs. Haven’t you Well, the Easter eggs find its way to the nests in the gardens of this country too. Rolling eggs down the slope is also an Easter custom followed widely in France. The egg that survives is said to be the victory egg. This egg was referred to the Christ’s tomb that was rolled off. Eastern Sunday morning for children in France however, begin with scattered eggs in the room only to find beautifully decorated eggs in their garden nest.

Fish:
Easter fish is also known as ‘Poisson d’Avr il’in France. This Easter fish is also known as April Fish. The E aster Fish makes its first appearance on the April fool’s day.

Easter special feasts:
Traditional Easter feasts are very much a part of the celebrations. Lamb recipes are the mainly eaten as traditional recipes for the festival. The traditionally cooked lamb leg is also known as ‘Gigot D’agneau’ and is a favorite among the French during the festival. The feasts however begin with a dish of egg like, an omelet.

Flying Bells:
Flying Bells have an interesting Christian belief attached to it. Flying bells are also known by the name of Cloche Volant and is one of the main Easter traditions followed in France. The French believers consider that the church bells of France fly to Rome, taking away the grief of Christ’s crucifixion. The bells return back with an air of joy on Easter Sunday along with resurrection of Lord. The church bells of France thus, do not ring from Good Friday. The bells are rung again from the Easter Sunday, marking the return of Lord. Easter bells in France return with Easter eggs, chocolates and treats that children especially eagerly wait for.

Traditional Easter celebrations in France

Easter is awaited eagerly all through the year. Easter being a major festival is a major holiday. In France, the festival falls during the spring season is a symbol of rebirth. French love food and the festival too give a lot of opportunity to savor some of the best festival delicacies. Various Easter games like Egg hunting are one of the major attractions of this Christian festival in France.

Schools and other institutions have a long holiday for Easter as other Christian observances like Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday and Carnival celebrations take place in the previous weeks of Easter. The festival however, is the best that you can wait for in, with its different Easter traditions in France.

Last Updated on 25/02/2011