4 of the most peculiar traditions of Holy Week in the world

Encounters, ruptures and even wars…

Every year, the approximately 2,380 million Christians in the world observe, with greater or lesser fervor, their Holy Week.

LOOK: Easter: why do the dates change every year? (and how Christian and Jewish Passover differ)

Although several of the traditions are common, many places have their particular customssome of which literally flavor these dates.

Delicacies such as the Argentine Easter cake and the Easter Colomba -Italian Easter pigeon-, as well as the brioche du care either hot cross bun -glazed raisin rolls with a cross on top- and the deep crimson red eggs that decorate the tsoureki sweet bread -a bread scented with orange and spices- from Greece deliciously mark the holiest week of Christianity.

But few of these delicacies reach the dimensions of the first of these 4 curious traditions.

1.- Broken eggs

Every Easter, members of the World Brotherhood of the Knights of the Giant Omelette meet in at least six cities in the south-west of France to fulfill their mission: “prepare and serve, for free and full of joy, a giant tortilla“.

GETTY IMAGES.

Some 50 volunteers break about 15,000 eggs, add several kilos of duck fat and a good amount of salt, pepper and the local hot pepper d’Espelette, and pour them into a giant frying pan, measuring about four meters in diameter.

The chefs, wielding huge wooden spoons that look like oars, stir the mixture over an open fire in the town square for about 30 to 40 minutes, until it’s ready to dish out to the festivities.

The tradition started in 1973, but according to legend, was born from a visit to the region of Napoleon Bonaparte who, after savoring an omelette prepared by a local innkeeper, ordered the locals to gather all the eggs they could find to make a giant one for his army.

Over time, the custom crossed the border and, although not always with the same recipe or at the same time, thousands of eggs are also broken in places in Belgium, Canada, the United States and Argentina.

And speaking of breaking…

2.- Shattered vases

On the Greek island of Corfu, as bells toll at noon on Holy Saturday, residents throw huge vases adorned with ribbons from their balconies decorated with red flowers.

GETTY IMAGES.

They noisily celebrate that death has been defeated by the Resurrectionwith the breaking of the vases symbolizing the earthquake that occurred when Christ’s tomb was opened.

The inspiration for the noisy event comes from Venice, where people would throw their old belongings out of the window on New Year’s Day in the hope that it will bring them news.

The residents of Corfu adopted the custom for the most important day in Greek Orthodoxy, the Day of Resurrection, choosing such vases precisely because they make a lot of noise when broken.

But Corfu is not the only Greek island that celebrates the Resurrection at full volume.

3.- War!

Throughout Greece, midnight mass on Easter Sunday is celebrated with a fireworks display, but on the island of Chios, things are serious.

Two rival churches re-enact a “rocket war” or let’s rooketopolein Greek.

The Panaghia Erithiani Church is hit by rockets from supporters of the Aghios Marko Church. (GETTY IMAGES).

It is not known when the brawl began, although local tradition says that it dates back to the Ottoman era, and no one remembers the reason anymore, but the parishes of San Marco and Panaghia Ereithiani, built on hills 400 meters from each other, open fire against the bell tower of the opposition All night long.

Until 1889 they did it with cannons and, when these were prohibited and confiscated, the parishioners resorted to homemade rockets.

The sign of victory is the most direct hits inflicted on the opponent, which are counted the next morning, to declare the winner.

But each year both congregations declare themselves winnersand agree to disagree and settle accounts the following year.

Now, if you wanted to celebrate the Resurrection in an equally exciting but kinder way, your destination could be the hometown of the Roman poet Ovid in Italy.

4.- The Madonna that escapes

The medieval city of Sulmona makes a narrative recreation of the meeting between the mother of Jesus and the risen Christ.

On Easter Sunday, the Virgin leaves the San Filippo Neri church, on a corner of Piazza Garibaldi, wearing a white scarf and dressed in black, for her mourning, held aloft by members of the confraternity of Santa Maria de Loreto (luterini ) who take her through the main passage of the square, and accompanied by two apostles.

nun dressed in black

At one point, the atmosphere becomes tense. The two apostles stop, while, from afar, the Virgin looks for her son.

Suddenly, sees it

At 12.00 sharp there is a loud whistle and a knock.

In an instant, with an ingenious system of threads (known only by the brotherhood and by the family that has the privilege of dressing the Virgin), the black cloak and scarf fall away, revealing a splendid gold-embroidered green dress and a red rose, while 12 doves fly through the air.

Green represents hope. (GETTY IMAGES).

The luterini begin to run, the Virgin seems to fly between the applause of the people, the notes of the band, the ringing of the bells and the rumble of firecrackers, to meet her risen Jesus, a statue that had been placed at the beginning of the ceremony next to the central arch of the Roman aqueduct that frames Piazza Garibaldi.

The meeting is celebrated with hugs and even some tears.

The ritual has its notes of superstition: if the whole sequence goes smoothly (race, fall of the mantle and handkerchief, flight of the doves), the tradition predicts that the year will be auspicious, while if something does not go as expected, or misfortunes.

Concerns are heightened if the Madonna statue is damaged or falls during the race, as it did in 1914, which some say heralded the subsequent war.

Source: Elcomercio