Easter is one of the most important holidays in Christianity. This day marks the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his crucifixion, and this year takes place on Sunday, April 17.  It is also the cheerful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence. Like other holidays, Easter is celebrated in many different ways and traditions.

To start off, it is most common in the U.S. to hold Easter egg hunts for kids. Eggs are filled with fun treats or toys for kids to enjoy looking for.  Special services are held on Easter Sunday like Mass. Although it is not an international holiday in the U.S., the Spanish have a whole week dedicated to Easter. They call it “Semana Santa” and will take place in cities all over Spain – specifically Andalucia. During this week, people celebrate with large festivals, multiple days of Mass, and gifts of la Mona de Pascua, a type of dessert. Thousands of people participate in carrying huge floats of religious statues towards the church. Marching bands also follow along with cheerful music. 

The fifth-largest island in Greece, Chios has a totally different way of doing things. Two churches, Saint Mark and Virgin Mary Erethiani Church have an intense rocket war. The event is called Rouketopolemos and starts the night before Easter. As any Christian would, they attend mass and prepare for the stand-off. Local buildings surrounding the location of this event are boarded up and protected with mesh or metal sheets. Besides being an annual tradition, it has also become a source of tourists attractions in the area.