If you’re curious about Hinduism, and their similarities with other religions, you must also wonder if they celebrate the same holy festivals and holidays, for example Easter.
This begs the question; do Hindus celebrate Easter?
Hindus in India and all over the world not only celebrate Easter but also other religious festivals and holidays with unrivaled enthusiasm. Their rendition of the Easter celebrations also called the ‘Good Friday’ includes the classics; Easter eggs and Easter bunnies.
Read ahead for all you need to know about how the Hindus celebrate Easter, what’s different in their celebrations compared with others, as well as what other festivals they celebrate outside of the ones in their own religion.
How Do Hindus Celebrate Easter?
The country has a Christian population of 24 million, equal to the population of a small European country, according to Walkthrough India.
Along with the Christian population, the Hindu majority of the country also likes celebrating the Christian festivals and holidays in respect of their religion and in the spirit of rejoicing together.
Most people including Hindus visit the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, that’s located in Goa.
The churches are bustling with people, decorated beautifully for the holiday. There are also festivals located near the church in commemoration of Easter which houses classic and traditional food to visiting Hindus and Christians alike.
There are also decorations available that is specific to the Easter holiday, some of the decorations being:
- Easter eggs
- Easter bunnies
- Plastic egg ornaments
- Lanterns
- Flowers
- Baskets full of goodies
- Easter grass
Hindus often decorate their homes and backyards with these decorations. Not only that, but there are also carnivals and processions on the Easter decorated streets of India, which many Hindus enjoy seeing and taking part in.
What do Hindus eat on Easter?
According to The Hindu, to celebrate Easter, Hindus prepare a variety of dishes at home as well as eat at different Easter carnivals and festivals. Some of the dishes are mentioned below:
- Simnel cakes – fruit cakes with almond paste filling – served on Easter Sundays
- Pork – the usual family tradition is to eat a full roasted pig, but alternatively, people eat pork sambari or pork sorpotel (prepared for days in advance).
- Duck and rabbit – a common dish among the East Indians
- Pulao – an elaborate dish made with meat and rice, and topped with garnish like boiled eggs, herbs, and caramelized onions
- Mutton tope – a curry full of spices made by mutton
- Meat aloo curry – a traditionally Indian curry made with herbs and spices, with a side of halwa, pulao, and raita as a condiment
- Baked coconut, semolina, thali sweets, and Easter eggs – used as desserts after a hearty meal, all these delicious treats are every Hindu’s favorite thing to eat after an Easter meal.
How does the Hindu celebration of Easter differ from other religions?
Since the celebrations are being undertaken in a country with a very different culture, cuisine, and history compared to the west, the traditions naturally get integrated with how the Hindus celebrate Easter.
Where cuisine is concerned, the Hindus like to eat a lot of their traditional desserts and dishes during and on the day of the Easter holiday, for example, mithai, pulao and the sorts, as compared to the west which have a staple food they like to eat during the Easter holidays, much like how they celebrate Thanksgiving dinners.
The festivals that Hindus partake in naturally also consist of the more traditional forms of entertainment like carnivals and processions, that the Hindus enjoy.
The decorations adorning the streets and the churches include a mix of the classic and the traditional aspects, having Easter bunnies and Easter eggs around as well as colorful flowers and ornaments.
What other festivals do Hindus celebrate other than Easter?
Including the traditional Hindu holidays like Diwali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Navaratri, and Krishna Janmashtami, Hindus in India and all over the world join in with their families, friends, and neighbors to celebrate other holidays of religious significance such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Eid, Halloween, et cetera.
Conclusion
Not only do Hindus celebrate their own festivals and holidays with enthusiasm, they also partake in festivals privy to other religions such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Eid.
Hindus often join in with their family and friends to celebrate festivals no matter what the religion, and are quick to join in on any celebration, as is their friendly and easygoing nature.
