Easter, Passover, and Spring Holidays

Easter, Passover, and Spring!

Happy Easter! Chag Sameach! And welcome to spring!

As you know, spring is a very special time of the year for people of varying faiths, cultures, and traditions. One thing that has always fascinated us is how these religious holidays symbolize growth and renewal. That’s no surprise – this is also the time of the year when flowers bloom, hibernating animals emerge, and many species give birth to their young. In fact, in ages past, people thought of Easter – and spring in general – as a time for new resolutions and new beginnings instead of the calendar year like we do today. It was akin to the fresh start we all feel after a good ‘spring cleaning’.

Every year, we like to celebrate the spirit of the Easter and Passover season in a new way. Here are a few of our favorite traditions for this time of year from various places around the world:

Cherry Blossom Festival – Japan

The significance of the cherry blossom tree in Japan goes back hundreds of years. Each year in Japan, the people look forward to the blooming of the cherry blossom trees. It is a time for families and friends to gather, picnic, and enjoy music. In 1912, Japan gifted 3,020 cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C. During World War II, the parent stock of trees from which the U.S.’s trees were gifted had fallen into decline and Japan reached out for help. In response, “the National Park Service shipped budwood from descendants of those same trees back to Tokyo” in 1952. Throughout the past 71 years, cherry blossom trees have been gifted between the two countries and “through this ongoing cycle of restoration and growth, the cherry trees [continue] to fulfill their role as a symbol and an agent of friendship”.1

The Songkran Festival – Laos

In April, the country of Laos turns into a giant water fight in celebration of its New Year. Think of it as a way of washing out the old to bring in the new. This tradition falls at the peak of the dry season and extensive heat. During this time, homes and holy places alike are cleaned. You may also get soaked while walking down the street – all in good-natured fun, of course!

Sechselauten – Switzerland

The end of this holiday is the burning of winter, a figure of a snowman filled with explosives. This is hardly subtle, but it’s an effective way to celebrate the start of a new season of growth and life! For Easter proper, children in Zurich will hold a hard-boiled egg in their hands while an adult tries to throw a coin in such a way that it will lodge in the shell. If the coin falls to the ground, the child gets to keep both the egg and the coin. This is a way for children to begin the season with hope and expectation.

Ostern – Germany

Easter in Germany is referred to as Ostern. There, they serve fish on Good Friday, have a large bonfire on Saturday, and exchange particularly well-decorated eggs with friends and family on Easter Sunday. All three make a great way to kickstart the spring!

Ostern – Austria

Ostern in Austria is a little different. There, the season begins with Maundy Thursday, or Green Thursday. Green food is eaten all day. This is a way of celebrating the growth that comes with spring.

These celebrations remind us that this truly is a season of renewal and personal growth. Personally, we find that spring always brings a renewed outlook on the possibilities of life during this beautiful time of year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells of a fresh new world. It’s an opportunity to participate in an old tradition, or even start a new one.

It’s an opportunity to make our lives whatever we want them to be.

On behalf of everyone at True Wealth & Company, we wish you a Happy Easter, Chag Sameach, and a wonderful spring.

 

 

 

1 “History of the Cherry Trees.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/history-of-the-cherry-trees.htm. Accessed 29 Mar 2023.