EASTER MONDAY
Easter Monday is the second day of Easter Week or the Octave of Easter. Easter Monday is an Official holiday in various parts of the Christian world. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and in Eastern Catholic Churches it is called Bright Monday, it the day after Pascha (Easter), and is the second day of Bright Week.
EASTER MONDAY OBSERVATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS
Easter Monday is Celebrated in... Albania (Among Eastern Christians), Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria (Among Eastern Christians), Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Cook Islands, Croatia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cyprus (Among Eastern Christians), Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia (Among Eastern Christians), Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece (Among Eastern Christians), Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia (Among Eastern Christians), Madagascar, Malawi, Martinique, Moldova (Among Eastern Christians), Monaco, Montenegro (Among Eastern Christians), Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Romania (Among Eastern Christians), Russia (Among Eastern Christians), Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia (Among Eastern Christians), Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain (Northern and Eastern Regions), St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Pierre and Miquelon, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria (Among Eastern Christians), Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine (Among Eastern Christians), United Kingdom (except Scotland), U.S. Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In Roman Catholic communities it is sometimes called "Egg Nyte". In Eastern Orthodox Communities, Easter Monday is known as "Bright Monday" or "Renewal Monday". In Australia, Easter Monday is a public holiday. In Canada, Easter Monday is a public holiday, It is a day off for civil service and public schools. In Czech Republic, Easter Monday is called "Pomlazk". In England, Easter Monday is a Bank Holiday. In Germany, Easter Monday Is a day of HolyDay of Obligation for Roman Catholics. It is celebrated with Egg Races by by most denominations of Christians. In Guayana, it is a day for flying holy kites. In Hong Kong, Easter Monday is celebrate with painting Easter eggs and Easter egg races. In Hungary, Easter Monday is called Locsoló Hétfő, "Watering Monday". Water, perfume or perfumed water is often sprinkled in exchange for an Easter egg. In Portugal, the Anjo Festival or Ivy Festival is held on Easter Monday. In Slovakia, Easter Monday is called veľkonočný pondelok, Šibačka, Polievačka, or Oblievačka. In South Africa, Easter Monday is celebrated as Family Day
DYNGUS DAY
In Poland, Easter Monday is called Dyngus Day. Water is poured on people all over the country (usually girls being courted). This action has roots in spiritual cleansing, similar to baptism. This day symbolicly celebrates the baptism of Dyngus (A Pagan God), essentially celebrating the transformation of the Polish from a Pagan to a Christian people. The largest Dynus Day Celebration is actually in Buffalo, New York in the Polonia District, It includes Festivities at Churches and Pubs and The World's First Dyngus Day Parade. Similar to St. Patrick's Day, the theme is "Everybody's Polish on Dyngus Day". Dyngus Day is also celebrated in Chicago and South Bend, IN; New York City, Cleveland, parts of Michigan, and parts of New Hampshire where there are significant Polish communitites.
SHAM EL NESSIM
In Egypt, the ancient festival of Sham El Nessim is celebrated on Easter Monday. It is traditionally celebrated by feasting and painting eggs and egg races by the Eastern Christian Church and the Coptic Church. The festival dates back to Pharonic times (about 2700 BC) and is celebrated by both Egyptian Christians and Muslims more as an Egyptian national holiday with a lesser religious connection.