提到復活節，你會想到什麼呢？是一顆顆精美的彩蛋，還是可愛的兔子？復活節是西方的重要節日之一，紀念耶穌基督被釘死在十字架之後第三天復活的日子。復活節大多在春天慶祝，此時漫長的冬日已經結束，溫暖的春天讓萬物開始復甦，蛋和兔子在古時象徵豐沃多產、重生與新生命，也因此復活節的各項習俗或慶祝活動都與「春天」、「生命」和「希望」有關。
When it comes to Easter, what do you think of? Is it the colorful eggs, or the cute rabbits? Easter is one of the most important holidays in the West, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after the crucifixion. Easter is mostly celebrated in April. During this time, the long winter has gone, and the warm spring is starting to revive everything. Eggs and rabbits were an ancient symbol of fertility, rebirth, and new life. Therefore, the customs or celebrations of Easter are all related to “spring”, “life” and “hope”.

而提到復活節的節花是什麼呢? 就是百合花，迷人的百合花在復活節前後開放，象徵著神聖和純潔，因此在復活節這一天，到處都可以見到漂亮的百合花，人們也以百合花來做為耶穌基督聖潔的代表。
What then is the flower that represents Easter? It is the lily. The charming lily blooms around Easter, symbolizing sacredness and purity. Therefore, on Easter day, you can see beautiful lilies everywhere. Lilies are also used as a representative of the holiness of Jesus Christ.

而在世界各地，復活節也逐漸演變成家庭團圓的日子，除了復活節的由來與意義，你知道世界各地的國家又是如何慶祝復活節的嗎? 就讓我們一起來認識以下幾個國家慶祝復活節的習俗與活動吧!
All around the world, Easter has gradually evolved into a holiday of family reunion. In addition to the original meaning of Easter, do you know how countries all over the world celebrate Easter? Let us take a look at how the following countries celebrate Easter with their own customs and activities!
巴西鋸末地毯Sawdust Carpet in Brazil
在週六復活節守夜禮後的晚上與早晨，巴西鎮民會用花瓣與沙子和彩色鋸末排列成各式各樣的圖案，為次日的大遊行鋪好一公里長的道路。各個家庭也分別負責點綴住家旁的道路，分工佈置各區域。
In the late night and morning hours after Saturday night’s Easter Vigil, townfolk in Brazil decorate the cobblestone streets with a tapete, or carpet, of colored wood shavings to mark the one kilometer route for the next morning’s procession. Families living along the road take ownership over each section, and pre-order large sacks of colored sawdust from the city.

這項傳統起源於聖克魯斯省的基督聖體聖血節，當時聖克魯斯省的街道皆是用花瓣和沙子裝飾，在中世紀時更加精細。地毯的圖案也與耶穌受難日相關，西班牙人將此項習俗帶到拉丁美洲，在殖民期間變成聖週慶祝的一部分，這些活動的其中一個目的是為了提醒世人，用圖案敘述出耶穌受難的故事。
The tradition has its origins for the feast of Corpus Christi in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. There, the streets were adorned with flowers and sand, becoming more elaborate over the Middle Ages. The making of the carpets was then extended to Good Friday with images related to that day – Christ on the Cross and a grieving Virgin Mary. The Spanish brought the custom to Latin America, and it was established during the colonial period as part of Holy Week celebration, especially to welcome Good Friday. Easter processions of religious icons carried through the streets. One of the reasons these were promoted was to educate the people, with the images telling the story of the Passion of Christ and other scenes from his life.

希臘科孚島扔擲陶罐The "Botides" in Corfu, Greece
在希臘西北部的科孚島，人們熱衷於一項與復活節相關的傳統節日活動，將裝滿水的陶罐從家中陽台扔向街道，聚集的民眾也爭相觀看陶罐碎片落在街道上，此習俗象徵迎接春天來臨、未來豐收的農作物也會豐收於新的陶罐中。
Corfiots have marked Easter with an old custom referred to as the "Botides" — where large clay jugs filled with water are thrown from the balconies of homes in the center of town, smashing into pieces on the streets below as thousands gather around to watch. The custom of throwing of pots welcomes spring, symbolizing the new crops that will be gathered in new pots.

這項習俗起源於十四至十八世紀間威尼斯人統治科孚島之時，為了慶祝新年，威尼斯人會把舊物丟棄以代表新年一個全新的起點。
One popular belief has been that it originated with the Venetians who ruled Corfu between the 14th and 18th centuries. To mark the new year, the Venetians would throw out their old belongings to make way for new ones in order to make a fresh start.

百慕達風箏節Bermuda Kite Festival
在耶穌受難日當天，霍斯舒灣的海岸及天空因為百慕達風箏節，充滿了各式各樣顏色的風箏。百慕達人會設計不同大小和形狀的風箏，這些風箏的顏色也非常繽紛，長長的尾巴在空中嗡嗡作響，提供結構完整性的木棒形成一個十字架或星星的形狀。隨著復活節的到來，風箏便接二連三地飛上天空，意指耶穌復活升天。在復活節的晚上，百慕達人會評選出最好的風箏和各種獎項。
On Good Friday, the shores and skies of Horseshoe Bay Beach are filled with kaleidoscopic colors because of the Bermuda Kite Festival. Bermudians make different kinds of kites of various sizes and shapes. It is said that the kites are a celebration of the ascent of Christ.

德國復活節樹Ostereierbaum in Germany
在德國，人們在復活節期間將絲帶或繩子繫在一起，在樹枝上懸掛裝飾彩蛋。各個家庭在復活節前一個月左右，會開始把蛋掛在樹上，一路從靠近樹的內部到外部的樹枝、從樹頂到底部，都掛滿復活蛋，並在長出葉子前將蛋取下，以免影響樹的生長。
In Germany, people decorate live trees or bushes in their yard with colored eggs tied on with ribbons at Easter. Depending on the weather and the date of Easter, the family begins hanging eggs on the tree between late February and late March, roughly four weeks before Easter. They hang the eggs working their way from the inside of the tree trunk to the tree branches outside, and from top to bottom. They remove the eggs before the leaves grow to prevent damage to the tree.

歐洲人一直有復活節樹的傳統。而蛋本身就象徵著新生和春天，復活節樹也是奧地利、匈牙利、波蘭等國家的傳統活動。
Eggs have long been a symbol of rebirth and spring. It is also a custom in Austria, Hungary, Poland.