Almost all religions in the world are represented in the United States, but the absolute majority of the population consider themselves Christians. Therefore, Easter in America is celebrated very widely.
Easter in the United States is in many ways similar to how this holiday is celebrated in Western Europe. 51.3% of Americans consider themselves Protestants, and 23.9% of the population are Roman Catholics. Therefore, all Christian religious holidays in the United States are celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar.
For Easter week in the United States, vacations are announced for schools, colleges and many government offices. On Sunday, Americans traditionally attend solemn services in churches. In many congregations, parishioners actively participate in the service, singing hymns praising the Resurrection of Christ.
Another traditional part of American Easter is family dinner. The main dish is roasted or baked lamb. The meat is often cooked in backyards on dedicated barbecue braziers. The American spring favors outdoor celebrations in much of the country. All kinds of vegetables or rice are served with meat as a side dish. A must-have table decoration for Easter will be a dish with colored eggs.
Children often receive sweet gifts for this holiday: chocolate eggs, rabbit figurines or just candy bags. Chocolate is given not only to children, but also to adults. This custom came to the United States in the 19th century from Victorian England. Until now, a beautiful box of chocolates remains the most popular Easter gift for friends and family.
From German folklore, the Easter bunny came to the United States. It is believed that this character brings gifts to children on Christ's Sunday. On the streets of cities, in parks and shopping centers, you can often see actors entertaining children in rabbit costumes.
The traditional Easter game is called egg rolling. Painted eggs roll on the grass in the courtyard of the house or let them go downhill. The winner is the one whose egg rolls farther than the others. This game is also played on the White House lawn the day after Easter Sunday. This event took place for the first time in 1878. Children under seven years old participate in the game, and the President of the United States and his wife are the direct organizers of this fun.
