Easter escape: The best destinations to celebrate Easter!

Vatican City is the most important holy site in Christianity for the followers of Catholicism and serves as the seat of the Pope. Naturally, Easter being one of the most significant events, is celebrated with great reverence. People participate in the Easter Mass followed by blessings held at St. Peter’s Square. The rest of the day is all about spending time with loved ones, over Easter brunch at home or in restaurants. It’s also the perfect day to head out on day trips and explore. So, if you plan to celebrate Easter in Rome, here are a bunch of things you can do to have an exciting trip!

Easter is big in the Big Apple, but not in the same way it’s celebrated in Europe, you know? Here, Easter egg hunts are organized for kids which are super fun and the highlight being the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival! This tradition began in the 1870s and folks participate in the parade by donning their best bonnets and costumes. So, make sure to head down to Fifth Avenue and experience Easter the New Yorker way!

If you’re hoping to spend Easter in the Bay Area, you can’t miss the celebration in Dolores Park! It usually begins with an Easter Hunt organized for kids with the Easter bunny making a special appearance in the first half of the day. Later on, you can indulge in the Bonnet Contest open to everyone! There’s also the Hunky Jesus Festival + Foxy Mary contest organized by the Sisters of Indulgence, where participants cross-dress as Jesus & pregnant Mary in unusual ways.

But consider this as a disclaimer – the Hunky Jesus Festival may be considered sacrilegious, so if you religiously celebrate Easter, you must skip it!

With a large Catholic population, Madrid takes Easter celebrations and festivities to a whole new level. The Semana Santa marks the last week of Lent from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. The week leading up to Easter in Madrid is a fantastic time to visit and experience Madrid. To sum it up – Parades, Holy processions, delicious traditional Semana Santa food and local markets to shop at amongst all the other cultural experiences! While there is so much more to do, read more in this guide to plan your time in Madrid!

If you thought New Orleans was popular only for Mardi Gras, then you’re highly mistaken! Easter is celebrated with just as much excitement — Parades, Masses, egg hunts, must-try dishes from New Orleans and jazz music! The historic French Quarter parade makes its way with mule-drawn carriages through the streets while handing out easter goodies to little kids. Mass is held at St. Louis Cathedral. And folks, head out for Easter brunch! New Orleans is known for its hospitality, so if you’re planning to spend Easter here, we assure you that you’re going to have a splendid time grooving to the jazz music while devouring those iconic Beignets!

Easter time in Paris is marked with chocolate confectionery in the form of rabbits and eggs! So much so, that you can go on Parisian chocolate-making tours and try out different kinds of chocolate. Apart from that, religious services are held, egg hunts are organized in the most scenic locations and special concerts are held in several churches! If you intend to experience a Parisian Easter celebration, here’s a detailed guide for things you can do in Paris!

Being the birthplace of Orthodox Christianity, Easter celebration is significant in Greece. The Greek Easter or Pascha is an experience in itself. The holy fire is brought straight from Jerusalem via a plane, and the flame is transferred to all the churches in Athens on Easter Saturday. Even if one isn’t religious, all the Greeks take part in the age-old tradition of a candle-lit march on the streets. While others attend midnight mass, the night is concluded by memorable fireworks. And finally, Easter Sunday is marked by lamb being cooked for brunch with other traditional Greek food!

Here's a trip planner curated specially for Athens!

London has some unique and fun traditions during Easter week! The Brits take their Hot Cross Buns very seriously – which represents the Easter story as the cross on top of the bun is a symbol of the crucifixion. Another tradition followed is the practice of eating fish and chips on Good Friday, as everyone avoids (warm-blood) meat during the 40 days of Lent. And the fun ones include painting eggs in different colours at home with your loved ones and taking part in egg-rolling competitions!

So, if you choose to be in London during Easter, here are some really fun things to do there!

Venetians celebrate Easter with a mix of religious customs and local traditions. You've got church services at iconic landmarks like St. Mark's Basilica, followed by lively processions and feasts featuring specialities like Frittelle and Colomba. Perhaps the most iconic Venetian Easter tradition is the Scoppio del Carro, or "Explosion of the Cart." It’s a giant cart filled with fireworks, paraded through the streets. And when the cart reaches its destination in Piazza San Marco, it's set ablaze!

If you’d like to experience Easter in Venice, make use of our guide to plan it out!

Pretty sure it’s surprising to see Tokyo on this list! But, guess what? People in Japan celebrate Easter too! Not in the literal religious sense though, because there is a very small Christian population found here. But, in a cute family-friendly way – gathering for egg painting, buying Easter baskets and organizing Easter egg hunts for the kids. It’s also a day for retail therapy with Easter sales around the city.