Easter is a religious holiday celebrated worldwide by people who follow Christianity. The Bible describes that on this day, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God sent to Earth to lead humanity towards a sinless and blissful life following God’s holy words.

In every country, people celebrate Easter in a different way, but I’m going to describe the tradition in my country. In Albania, there is a whole ceremony in all the churches throughout the country with the main event happening in the capital city, Tirana. Easter always starts on a Friday, which is officially called the Good Friday.

In Albanian church, for this day, there is a special ceremony where an artisanal grave (similar to an altar) is created and all the Christian believers pass under it three times. By doing this, the believers acknowledge the pain of Jesus Christ and are thankful for his sacrifice. Furthermore, the believers acknowledge him as the Son of God, who did the ultimate sacrifice to save this world.

Then after this ceremony comes the day where we dye boiled eggs in red color. This is usually done on Saturday in order to prepare for Easter Sunday, during which, it is believed that Jesus Christ resurrected from his grave and joined the Holy Father in Heaven. Eggs are dyed in red to symbolize the blood of Jesus Christ which poured while He was crucified.

On midnight of Saturday, people go to church carrying candles and these eggs with them. When the clock ticks at midnight , all the Christians gather and repeat these words THREE times: Christ resurrected! – Yes, he did!

While saying these words, there is the tradition where we knock the red eggs together on both ends to see which one is the hardest. This is believed to bring good luck to the person who actually has the hardest egg.

After this, the priest shares with the believers the Light through his candle and they carry it to their houses as a symbol of hope and new beginning. Easter teaches us to forgive each other and be there for each other. In addition, since it is celebrated in spring, it demonstrates a zeal for life, an undying desire to live following the holy words of the Bible and a continuing wish for unity no matter our differences.

Actually, based on what I have experienced in Germany, there is a day that families hide eggs, mostly in their garden, and then everyone else, but especially the kids, spread around and look for them. Before that, they eat breakfast together and then spend the rest of the day all together enjoying each-others company. While in Albania, the part of hiding eggs is not a common thing, but on Sunday, families, friends and relatives get together for a well–prepared meal and for a good time in each other’s company.

Happy Easter!

Lusiana Berberi is a bachelor student of Applied Computer Science. She comes from Albania and is a part of ESN Deggendorf. People describe her as an exceptionally optimistic and energetic person. As she states: she enjoys challenges and life is the most interesting one. ,,Be positive and spread happiness“. Just like her motto, she tries her best to keep a positive attitude and be grateful.