The Easter Bunny Arrives at Cheapflights.ca

TORONTO--(Marketwire - Mar 13, 2012) - As the days grow longer and the flowers begin to bloom, spring is definitely in the air. Cheapflights.ca, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, welcomes the season by honouring a family favourite holiday -- Easter. The team got into the spirit of this festive holiday with its list of Top 10 Easter Traditions around the World. From religious traditions such as attending church, to participating in family fun activities such as Easter egg hunts to enjoying traditional Easter cuisine (and maybe a Cadbury's Easter Creme Egg or two), Cheapflights takes a look at Easter celebrations around the world.

• Virtuous in Argentina - Easter is quite a big event in Argentina and various traditions are carried out to mark the occasion. Holy Week continues the style of fasting introduced by Lent where all meat is avoided apart from fish. As such, traditional dishes that normally include meat are replaced by seafood and fish.
  
  Easter Sunday in Argentina consists of consuming and sharing eggs as well as the special Easter cake, rosca de Pascua. Tradition holds that people exchange eggs not only with their family, but also with friends and colleagues and the day culminates in attending mass followed by a big family gathering involving lots of food. Argentinians tend to celebrate Jesus' resurrection with a huge barbeque and a treasure hunt organized by the local governments in the main cities, so that everyone has a chance to participate.
  
  
• Chocolate and Candy in the USA - Apart from dressing up in one's Sunday best and heading off to church on Easter Sunday, Easter in the US is, unsurprisingly, dominated by candy and chocolate. Various popular brands release a special line of sweet treats available only for the Easter period including Easter coloured m&ms, jelly beans, malted milk eggs, Cadbury Mini Eggs, Cadbury Creme Eggs, chocolate bunnies, Reese's eggs, Peeps and Hershey's miniatures with Easter coloured wrappers.
  
  Those headed to Washington, DC can enjoy one other very famous tradition where the White House opens its lawn to kids for some Easter egg rolling. This tradition was first carried out in 1878 and has continued ever since. Other attractions on the day include a visit with the Easter Bunny and an afternoon of storytelling.
  
  
• Festivities and Feasts in Canada - Food, festivals and fun in general are the things that make up Canadian Easter celebrations. Those who are religious may attend church, but even those who aren't partake in the festivities, which include putting on Easter plays, special songs, holding spring festivals and even winter festivals to signify the start of lent and decorate with Easter lilies and the famous bunnies. A good meal is also enjoyed with the Easter menu featuring things like apple tart, Maple Baked Beans and Cape Breton Scones. Uniquely, Canada is also home to the world's largest pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg) located in Vegreville, Alberta. The egg was constructed in 1975 in honour of the Ukrainian settlements in Edmonton. The egg is a symbol of life, prosperity, eternity and good fortune and is recognized the world over as an architectural masterpiece.
  
  
• Greek Methodology - Greece and Godliness go hand in hand. From Mythology to Christianity, Greek religious practices have always been carried out with great zeal. The Greek Orthodox Church follows the Byzantine calendar, so its Easter is celebrated on a different date, which is determined by the moon's cycle. In Greece, it is the most sacred holiday of the year marked by a full week of celebration. This year's Orthodox Easter Sunday takes place on April 15th.
  
  Easter Sunday is a day of food and more fun. After an arduous 40 day fast, the menu comprises spit fire roast lamb and lots of coloured eggs. In the Orthodox tradition, you knock eggs with your neighbour attempting to crack theirs to bring yourself good fortune.
  
  
• Ceremonious in Lebanon - Lebanon's Christians not only make up almost half of the country's population, but are also very fervent in their beliefs. As such, Easter is a big deal here. Visitors will notice the ornately decorated streets, shops and restaurants filled with all things Easter from bunnies to chocolate, painted eggs and even live baby chicks in some places. Good Friday is marked by a mass that symbolizes the crucifixion and depending on one's Christian denomination, can last up to three hours. Easter Sunday is a huge celebration where absolutely everyone goes to church. After taking communion, the 40 day fast comprising a strictly vegan diet is broken with an absolute feast featuring lamb and lots of egg breaking. A custom that is particularly unique to Lebanon is Shanineh, which is held at church where candles decorated with ribbons and flowers are handed to children who form a procession and carry them around the church. Also unique to Easter in the region is the consumption of sweets called Maamoul, these are little cookies made with a mixture of semolina and butter then stuffed with either dates or ground sugared nuts and dusted with icing sugar. They melt in your mouth.
  
  

Rounding out the list are the Easter celebrations in five European destinations including Egg Rolling in Scotland; Celebration and Sobriety in Sunny Spain; Eggy Fun in Sweden; All Bells en France and Toy Hunting in Germany. To read more about these Easter traditions and to see Cheapflights.ca's complete list of Top 10 Easter Traditions around the World, visit www.cheapflights.ca/travel-tips/top-10-easter-traditions-around-the-world/.

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