Easter is one of the most important holidays for Christians around the world. For Orthodox Christians, Easter is, in fact, the most vital holiday in the religious calendar. As such countries where this branch of Christianity is the dominant religion are known to celebrate Easter in pretty big ways.

Eastern Europe has one of the richest repertoires of Easter breads. Most of these breads are mildly sweet and enriched with generous amounts of eggs and dairy, which are prohibited during Lent, a period of abstinence prior to Easter. As such, you will find similar breads throughout the region and even as far as Armenia and Georgia, and many share similar names. However, Eastern Europe isn’t the only place with Easter bread traditions. Check out our roundup of some of the most iconic Easter breads from around the world.

Kozunak

Kozunac or Cozonac is an Easter bread that is popular in Bulgaria, Romania and some neighboring countries. Like many easter breads, it is a yeasted bread that is enriched with butter, milk and eggs and only lightly sweetened. It’s said that this type of bread originated in Western and Central Asia. There are many variations of this bread, and some are filled with Turkish delight, nutes or raisins.

Pinca

This is an Easter bread that hails from Croatia. The dough is close to that of Kozunak but flavored with citrus zest. Pinca loaves are typically brought to church, along with painted eggs, for the priest to bless before a family consumes it on Easter.

Mazanec

In Czechia (aka the Czech Republic), no Easter is complete without mazanec, a round loaf with crosses cut into the top of the crust to remind people of Jesus. The slightly sweet bread is studded with rum-soaked raisins and covered slivered almonds.

Judas Buns

These rich, yeasty buns are another specialty from Czechia and mostly sweetened with honey. They are named after Judas Iscariot, whom Christians believe betrayed Jesus, ultimately leading to his crucifixion. According to the Bible, out of guilt, Judas hung himself. These buns are said to be shaped like the rope Judas used to hang himself.

Velykos Pyragas

This is a Lithuanian Easter bread that contains little bursts of sweetness from the addition of golden raisins. Like many Easter breads, the dough is soft, fluffy and buttery. It’s traditionally baked in a loaf pan.

Chalka

Chalka is just one letter off from a more commonly known bread in the US called challah. This isn’t a coincidence as this eggy braided loaf from Poland is also a common Ahkenazi Jewish food tradition. In Poland, it makes an appearance on Christmas and Easter.

Paska

This bread is said to have originated in Ukraine and is closely tied to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. As such, you can find varieties of this bread (with different spellings) from Slovakia to the Middle East. In Romania the bread has an extra luxurious touch of a creamy cottage cheese fillings.

Kulich

This is the Russian version of the Ukrainian paska. Paska in Russia is actually a creamy sort of pudding made from cottage cheese. This bread is traditionally baked in a tall can, like a coffee can. It’s often coated with a white glaze and decorated with nonpareil sprinkles.

Pane di Pasqua

This bread literally means Easter Bread in Italian. It is made with a similar enriched dough as many other types of Easter breads. However, it is flavored with anise seeds, which give this bread a slightly licorice flavor many Italians love. This bread is braided and shaped into a ring with painted eggs baked into it for decoration.

Hot Cross Buns

These are legendary sweet rolls from the United Kingdom with quite a long history. They are traditionally baked and eaten on Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday that marks the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Each element of the hot cross bun has a religious significance, particularly their signature cross. The fruit-studded sweet buns are painted with a flour paste cross, which stands out against the shiny brown crust after being baked.

Tsoureki

Tsoureki is the Greek Easter bread. It is similar to Kozunac but is flavored with orange zest, mastic and mahlab, a spice derived from the ground pits of a particular cherry. It can be braided or made into a loaf, and many versions have colored eggs baked into them, much like Italian Easter bread.

Folar de Pascoa

This is a popular Easter bread in Portugal that shares many features with other European Easter breads. It consists of a slightly sweetened dough that can sometimes be flavored with citrus zest or liquor. Boiled eggs are baked into the dough, but they are often left natural and uncolored.

Osterbrot

In Germany, Osterbrot is eaten to celebrate Easter, and Germans, make this light and fluffy bread extra special with some tasty additions. Many times, the dome-shaped loaf is glazed with apricot jam and sprinkled with slivered almonds. Some versions hide veins of sweet marzipan.

Hornazo

If you’re not really into semi sweet breads, then the Spanish hornazo may be your go-to Easter bread. This savory Easter preparation consists of a yeast dough stuffed with meats, including sausage, and hard boiled eggs. Different versions exist throughout the country, but the variety from Salamanca is one of the most famous.

Chipa

Easter breads aren’t too common in Latin America, and the term “pan de pascua” (literally Easter bread) often refers to a panettone-like bread eaten around Christmas in countries like Chile and Ecuador. However, in Paraguay locals enjoy a Native American style of bread called chipa on Easter. These little rolls are very similar to cornbread but include fresh Paraguayan cheese.

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