Unusual Easter Celebrations

The Czech Republic has a custom of men spanking women with handmade whips made of willow which are adorned with ribbons and feathers. The friendly spanks symbolize fertility and good health transferred from the willow tree. For their considerate whipping, the men are rewarded with colored eggs.

The Greek Island of Corfu welcomes spring with the sounds of smashing pottery. After a traditional Easter mass, a bell-chime at 11AM signals locals to join in the fun and toss old pots out of their windows. In doing so, the broken pots symbolize the idea of ‘out with the old, in with the new!”

Since 1878, the White House has hosted an annual Easter celebration on Monday for kids and their parents. Families enter a lottery for the event, and winners get to hang out on the South Lawn for the day, enjoying activities, music, and of course--the egg roll race, where kids push colored eggs across the lawn with spoons.

Copper Mountain, located about 90 minutes west of Denver, is a popular ski resort town that certainly knows how to throw an egg hunt! Kids hunt for a whopping 65,000 eggs, filled with prizes, stickers, and candy, spread throughout 2,500 acres. Our editors are wondering who gets to count and fill the eggs...

In New Jersey, even the Easter Bunny does a little G(ym)-T(an)-L(aundry) come spring. In the beach town of Belmar, town organizers spread about 3,000 eggs all over the sand, and invite local children ages 1-9 to fill their baskets. Kids are especially interested in locating one of the special eggs that hold an exclusive prize.