Easter is both a secular and religious holiday, a moveable feast whose date varies each year. In 2013, Easter falls on Sunday, March 31. Some traditions are universal, such as attending Mass or a religious service, while other Easter traditions reflect the rich cultural heritage of individual nations. Here are five Easter traditions from the global community that go beyond chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.

Red Eggs in Greece: Holy Week – the period from Palm Sunday to Easter, is the most important time in the Greek Orthodox Church’s calendar. While eggs are dyed, the only color used is red to symbolize the blood of Christ. Red is also the color of life. The eggs are distributed by priests following the Easter liturgy.

The Easter Bilby in Australia: Rabbits are considered invasive and destructive pests in Australia, so the Easter bunny isn’t a popular figure. Instead, since 1991, many Australians enjoy a chocolate Easter Bilby, an endangered rare marsupial. Money raised by chocolate bilby sales fund protection campaigns.

Like Halloween in Finland: Beginning on Palm Sunday, many children dress as witches and  go door to door, wishing each householder God’s blessing while fanning them with willow branches. In return, they receive sweets, Easter eggs, and chocolates. The Easter witch is a popular character in many Nordic countries. While this began as two separate traditions in different parts of the country, they have blended together in modern times.

Watering of the Girls: In Hungary, an old folk custom and fertility rite  is followed on Easter Monday, also known as Ducking Monday. Young men and women dress in traditional costume, and the young men sprinkle or spray water on the girls (or sometimes empty an entire bucket over them). Instead of water, a boy might spray the girl with perfume or cologne instead. Afterward, he asks for a kiss and may also receive a red dyed egg.

Whip It in Slovakia: As part of the Easter celebration, men and boys carry a traditional woven willow cane decorated with ribbons. They chase girls and women and “whip” them on the legs, but the blows are supposed to be symbolic rather than painful. The woman offer children chocolate and men a drink of spirits, and also add a ribbon to the cane. While the folk custom is becoming rarer in cities, and many modern women dislike the practice, in rural areas it’s still believed to help women be fertile and healthy for the coming year.

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