4/16/2009 - Experiencing a Different Easter

Curious about some of the experiences that our current students are participating in, we decided to ask students abroad about cultural events taking place in their host countries. The following is a compilation of AFS exchange students sharing diverse traditions in their host countries during the month of April.

Tabeah, currently in Malaysia: “My Buddhist host family doesn’t celebrate Easter. But I will show them how we celebrate Easter in Germany! I brought egg colors and stickers from Germany, and I made egg-holders out of cardboard, and on Sunday, we will feast on blue, green, red and yellow eggs.“

“According to old Scandinavian legends, witches will fly between Good Friday and Easter Sunday and bring misfortune to men and animals alike”, says exchange student Teresa. “Originally, the Easter fires served to expel the witches. Today, the witches have become a symbol for Easter in Finland.”

Galina, currently in Thailand: “Sawasdee! There is no Easter in Thailand, for most people here are Buddhists. There is however a holiday called ‘Songkran’ from April 13th – 15th, which is the traditional Thai New Year. During this time, you are not allowed to be unfriendly or curse. You take sand from the riverbanks and take it to the temple. With the sand, you form ‘Chedis’ to praise Lord Buddha. Afterwards, there are giant water battles!”

“I think it is nice that people give each other presents for Easter“, says Olivia from Costa Rica, who is currently spending a high school year in Germany. “In Costa Rica, people do not eat meat during the entire Easter week, only fish and seafood, and there are colorful Easter processions.“ Mustafa, a host student from Egypt, is curious: “I have never celebrated Easter before. I heard that people paint eggs here. I think that is very funny.“

AFS intercultural experiences are not limited to the exchange students Host families have the possibility to experience the diversity of cultural traditions by hosting an AFS exchange student and learning more about other cultures. Sharing every-day life with a young student from another culture can be an incredibly enriching experience. If you’d like to learn more about that possibility, do not hesitate to locate your nearest AFS office at http://www.afs.org/contact