Celebrating Easter Abroad

The Easter holiday is quickly approaching, and even if you’re not celebrating for religious reasons, it can still be a great time to come together with friends and family to celebrate spring, new beginnings and warmer weather. If you’re traveling during the Easter season, you may want to explore local Easter weekend celebrations. Here are a few that might catch your interest.

The Fairyhouse Easter Festival in Ireland

Located about 20 miles outside of Dublin, the Fairyhouse Racecourse holds their Easter festival Saturday through Monday, featuring the Irish Grand National on the last day. They’re not only about the races, though — the festival also features food, music and other entertainment and is considered a family affair.

Scoppio del Carro in Florence, Italy

Scoppio del Carro, or literally The Explosion of the Cart, is on Easter Sunday and celebrates the holy flint stones brought back from the Jerusalem Crusades in the 11^th century. A large cart loaded down with fireworks is pulled through the streets by adorned oxen and then after the processional, the cart and its contents are lit, resulting in a large fireworks show.

Easterfest in Toowoomba, Australia

Easterfest is a large, four-day outdoor music festival for families, with a little bit of something for everyone. The itinerary includes musical performances of a wide array of genres (dance, funk, metal, jazz), extreme sports performances, movie showings, carnival rides and markets for local foods and craftsmanship.

Oistins Fish Festival in Barbados

From Saturday to Monday, the Oistins Fish Festival celebrates Barbados’ fishing industry over Easter weekend. Attractions include live music, a street market and lots of fried fish. Competition seems to be a running theme throughout the festival, and events include boat and crab races, a fish-cleaning race and a grease-pole competition.