Whether your students celebrate Easter for religious reasons or focus on bunnies and Easter egg hunts (or both), there are more traditions to Easter than what students see in the United States. There are so many Easter traditions to help your students learn about Easter around the globe. Travel around the world with Easter activities around the world.
How do Different Countries Celebrate Easter Around the World?
Easter traditions around the world are so special to different countries. Overall, sharing them with your students not only teaches them about different places in the world but also fosters empathy and understanding about other cultures.
Ukraine
First, in Ukraine, there’s a beautiful Easter tradition called pysanka. This is where people decorate eggs in intricate designs using a special wax-resist method. Each pysanka egg is like a small work of art, filled with patterns, shapes, and colors that symbolize things like hope, love, and protection. First, to make a pysanka, wax is carefully drawn onto the egg to create a design, and then the egg is dipped into different dyes. Next, when the wax is removed, the colorful patterns appear! These eggs are not just decorations; they’re also meant to bring good luck and blessings. Of course, it’s a wonderful way for Ukrainians to celebrate the season of new beginnings.
Have your students decorate their eggs in the tradition of pysanka, and learn more with Easter scavenger hunts to teach about Ukranian traditions.
Easter Traditions Scavenger Hunt
I love using Scavenger Hunts to teach about Easter around the world. This scavenger hunt not only shares traditions from Ukraine but also Mexico, Finland, Greece, and more!
In this activity, students search for code words hidden around the classroom in this engaging activity. First, simply print the 10 reading passage cards, cut them in half, and place them around the room for students to discover. Students begin at any card, reading the passage and noting the question labeled code word at the bottom. Next, the code word directs them to a different card, but the exact location isn’t obvious. To find the answers they need, students explore, skim, and revisit the cards multiple times. Of course, this repeated reading and skimming help reinforce the information and improve retention! Your students learn about Easter traditions, and they also increase reading comprehension. Since they read the passages over and over, they are improving their reading skills as they look for text evidence.
The Easter scavenger hunt includes:
- Reading Passages (10)
- Question Trails (10)
- Recording Sheet for Students
- Student Directions
- Teacher Directions
- Answer Key
- Extension Activities (2)
Use the scavenger hunt for an anticipatory set, early finishers, gallery walks, stations or centers, independent work, and more!
Mexico
Next, in Mexico, a popular Easter tradition includes enjoying a special dessert called capirotada. Capirotada is a type of bread pudding often made during the season. It is prepared by layering toasted bread with ingredients like raisins, nuts, and cheese, then soaking it in a sweet syrup made from piloncillo (brown sugar), cinnamon, and cloves. Overall, this dessert is loved for its unique combination of flavors and its connection to family gatherings and seasonal celebrations, making it a cherished part of Mexican Easter festivities.
Easter Traditions Escape Room
It’s simple to teach Easter traditions around the globe with a print-and-go Easter traditions escape room. Countries include Ukraine, Mexico, Finland, and Greece.
First, students rotate around the classroom, visiting 5 stations with their reading passage. At each station, they solve to determine a 4-digit code and uncover a “letter clue” that helps them figure out the final ALPHA code. To “escape,” students present the 4-digit codes from all stations, along with the completed final ALPHA code. They need to show they have completed all stations to successfully finish the activity.

Stations include fill-in-the-blank, find the paragraph, true and false, lock combination, and multiple choice.
The Easter traditions escape room includes:
- Reading Passage
- 5 Stations
- Teacher & Student Directions
- Text Marking Option
- Answer Key
- Prop Signs
Since no prior knowledge is needed, this is the perfect activity for an introductory activity and previewing vocabulary. In addition, it’s also a great celebration game for Easter or spring parties.
Finland
In addition, a Finland Easter tradition involves children dressing up as Easter witches, known as pääsiäisnoita. Wearing colorful clothes, aprons, and scarves, and painting their faces with freckles, they carry willow twigs decorated with bright feathers and ribbons. On Palm Sunday or Holy Saturday, they go door-to-door reciting rhymes to wish neighbors good health and happiness, receiving treats in return, similar to trick-or-treating. Of course, these customs combine old folklore with a cheerful celebration of Easter in Finland.
Easter Around the World Cube Code
This Easter activity features six engaging stations with reading comprehension puzzles, making it perfect for exploring the holiday in a fun and interactive way! Students work through activities such as fill-in-the-blank, find the paragraph, true or false, lock combination, multiple choice, and identifying the main idea or topic. After completing all the stations, students color and assemble cubes, with the flaps featuring a fun design for easy assembly and a pop of color. Once finished, hang the colorful cubes around the classroom, creating a bright and festive decoration made by your students!
The Cube Code activity includes:
- Reading Passage
- 6 Stations
- Teacher & Student Directions
- Station Cards
- Text Marking Option
- Alternate Station 6
- Answer Key
Try this activity for extension activities, sub plans, partner work, and more!
Greece
Finally, in Greece, a popular Easter tradition is the cracking of red eggs, known as tsougrisma. During festive family gatherings, each person is given a brightly dyed red egg, symbolizing good luck and renewal. Participants take turns tapping their eggs against each other’s, to crack the other person’s egg without breaking their own. The person whose egg remains unbroken is said to have good fortune for the year. Of course, this fun and lively activity is a cherished part of Greek Easter celebrations, bringing people together in a spirit of joy and togetherness.
Easter Traditions CSI Mystery
Engage your students with an exciting mystery activity. First, students act as detectives, solving a “case” by completing four reading comprehension tasks that focus on Easter traditions from countries like Ukraine, Mexico, Finland, and Greece. Students work individually or in pairs, racing to solve the mystery by earning “clue cards” after completing each task. Tasks include cloze reading (fill in the blank), fixing incorrect statements, true or false with a secret word, and identifying main ideas with supporting details. After each task, students bring their answers to you for quick checking before earning another clue card to eliminate suspects and evidence. The activity also includes a “Top Secret Case File” and props to create a crime scene atmosphere. With less than an hour to crack the case, students love the challenge and fun of solving the mystery while learning about Easter traditions around the world.
Reading About Easter Around the World
Along with engaging in interactive activities, check out these awesome texts to read about Easter traditions.
National Geographic: Celebrate Easter
Even though this book is fairly simple to read for your upper elementary kids, the pictures are such a good way to learn about Easter around the world! From Easter Parades to the White House Easter egg roll, there are so many images in this book to learn about Easter traditions.
Pysanky for Beginners
Teach your students how to make their own pysanky eggs (plural of pysanka). Of course, these tutorials in the book make it easy to teach your students this Ukrainian Easter tradition. Practice at home then try it with your students.
Why is it Important to Learn About Easter Around the World?
Of course, learning about Easter around the world is not just about studying history or religious traditions. It’s about teaching your students empathy and understanding of other cultures and countries. Allow your students to talk about their own Easter traditions. Perhaps, some of your students are already familiar with some of these Easter traditions in their family celebrations. Use these interactive activities to introduce Easter around the world.