Easter traditions in France

It is the Easter weekend, and in our article on Christmas traditions in France, we will explore what the Easter traditions are in France. As you might notice, most of these traditions are centered around food so we will be sharing some Easter food ideas with you!

Church bells

“Les cloches” or the church bells, are usually silent during the Holy Week before Easter Sunday as a sign of grievance. It is not until the night of Easter Saturday to Easter Sunday that churches start ringing their bells to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Once the church bells start ringing, they fill gardens with candy that children will later look for during the traditional Easter egg hunt.

Like chocolate eggs and rabbits (which were a symbol of fertility), it is also common to find chocolate bells in stores.

Easter egg hunt

As mentioned before, once the church bells start ringing, it is a sign for children that they will be able to do the Easter egg hunt in the morning. But what is the meaning of the Easter eggs? In Christianity, the Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus. When this tradition began, the eggs contained a story that would help children understand the significance of Easter. Nowadays, it is a candy that allows them to experience happiness and joy, the same feelings that Christians felt with the resurrection.

Easter food traditions

Like Christmas, Easter is a religious celebration that is particularly important in France. Like in Canada, Easter Monday is a statutory holiday in France, and hence, many regions organize large festivals centered around traditional Easter food.

Easter Omelette

During the Middle Ages, farmers would join to share their eggs and then create a large omelet that they would share with the most impoverished people. This tradition continued and became a large town celebration where they made a giant omelet for sharing with everyone.

More commonly found in southwestern France, the Easter omelet or “oumeleto” can be either salty and eaten with asparagus or sweet (with a bit of rum, in some instances).

Lamb

Lamb is also a traditional dish for Easter. According to Christianity, as with many aspects of this religious holiday, the lamb represents innocence and obedience, representing faithfulness and loyalty to God.

Rabbit

The most identifiable symbol of Easter is also a dish. Cooked with thyme, saffron, or mushrooms, it is a traditional Easter food.

L’omelette géante, edition 2017.
(©Confrérie Mondiale des Chevaliers de l’Omelette Géante de Bessières.)

Easter pie Berrichon

In the region of Berry, they prepare a pastry filled with a mix of pork and veal, shallots, hard-boiled quail or chicken eggs.

Easter nest brioche

As a dessert, other than chocolate-filled rabbits or eggs, you can also find a brioche in the form of a nest filled with chocolate. To serve it, place a few chocolate eggs in the middle of the bread to give the impression of an actual nest.

Photo by: Cuisine AZ

Those are just some of the Easter traditions and Easter food ideas that you can find in France. Do you celebrate Easter? Are there any traditions in your house? Please share them with us in our Social Media post!

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