32 Classic Easter Traditions to Know

Send Easter Lilies

Symbolic of purity and hope, Easter lilies are steeped in meaning in cultures around the world. The flowers are believed to have sprouted where Christ's blood and tears fell during crucifixion, as well as in the Garden of Gethsemane after his betrayal.

Dye Easter Eggs

There's a reason we're still dyeing Easter eggs today: Our predecessors passed down the fun activity at Easter time. Just look at this young woman busy at work painting holiday decorations in this old photograph (and peep the chick on her shoulder!). Put your own twist on this tradition with these cute Easter egg decorating ideas.

Hunt for Easter Eggs

Again, some things never change. Here, children in the United States scour their living room in the early 1900s.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Bake a Cake

This is the one non-negotiable Easter tradition. There should always be Easter cake. And if your grandma is anything like ours, her Easter dessert is usually carrot-flavored in honor of the bunny.

Serve the Classics

Eat Hollow Chocolate Bunnies

Ever wondered why this Easter candy must-have usually has an empty filling? According to one of the oldest chocolate bunny confectionaries, R.M. Palmer, there's a method to the madness: dental health. "If you had a larger-size bunny and it was solid chocolate, it would be like a brick; you’d be breaking teeth," Mark Schlott, executive vice president of operations, explained to Smithsonian.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Fly Kites

This Good Friday tradition initially gained traction in Bermuda, where it's believed that a local schoolteacher used a kite to demonstrate Jesus's ascension into heaven for his students. Since then, Bermudians have flocked to Horseshoe Bay Beach for the annual Good Friday Kite Festival.

Get Your Feet Washed

The origin of this Christian Holy Thursday practice goes back to the Bible. In the Gospel of John, Jesus chose to wash his disciples' feet during Passover, so members of the congregation were invited to have their priest do the same. Up until 2016, though, only men could receive the symbolic gesture.

Go to Church

After all, it is the reason for the season. Pictured are John F. and Jackie Kennedy at Easter mass with their kids, Caroline and John, in 1963. Others might recall Easter Vigils or Easter sunrise services. Speaking of, these early morning masses date back to 1773 and symbolize Mary visiting Jesus' empty tomb at dawn following his resurrection.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Play Music

Chances are, your gram and gramps were part of the choir or band for church services or the local Easter parade.

Baptize Babies

Many Christian churches will hold a christening during services on Easter Sunday for an extra meaningful ritual. Bette Davis and William Grant Sherry baptized their daughter, Barbara Davis Sherry, on Easter 1948.

Wear Your Sunday Best

The whole family had to look sharp on Easter Sunday, especially if you went to church...

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Give Chocolate Eggs

Some things (such as chocolate) never get old. One of the most popular Easter candies, the history of chocolate eggs goes all the way back to the 1800s.

Wear an Easter Bonnet...

... with all the frills upon it! As the 1933 Irving Berlin song goes: "You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade."

...and Gloves

Like the ones modeled here by lovely ladies at New York's Easter parade on 5th Avenue in 1953.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Pin on an Easter Corsage

Women would wear dress corsages on Easter, typically given to them by their children or husbands. Here, Humphrey Bogart presents the floral accessory to Lauren Bacall (albeit not on Easter, in this instance!).

Gather 'Round the Table...

Whether they hosted a casual brunch party or the traditional Easter dinner, our elders understood the importance of gathering around the table.

...and the Piano

Instead of television, parents turned to this instrument for more interactive entertainment.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Watch a Classic

If you must watch something, make it a classic family film, like one of our favorite Easter movies, 1948's Easter Parade, starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.

Make Hot Cross Buns

Adorned with crosses as a religious reminder, the traditional Easter treat has been made and enjoyed on Good Friday or Easter Sunday for decades.

Get our recipe for Hot Cross Buns.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLvUp6ursZyew6q6xmeaqKVfmru1sdGtmKKmmaO0cLOQb25vbWBrfnCxwKyrnqpdqb%2BisMitoKimo2Q%3D