Czech Republic | Moonlight Over Charles Bridge, Memories of Chocolate Skies
From giant eggs in Brazil to spring markets in Prague — rediscovering Easter
I spent the last few days in Munich and Prague, soaking in the joys of spring—especially the mild, beautiful weather. The highlight was definitely Prague. The sun stayed out the entire time I was there, and I even caught a full moon lighting up the Charles Bridge at night. It felt like a scene from a movie.
Prague is a stunner. Its mix of Renaissance, Gothic, and Baroque architecture, the slow Vltava River winding through the city, and the majestic Prague Castle rising above it all—it’s no wonder people fall in love with the place.
While the city is full of history and various museums, I found myself constantly drawn to something else: the Easter Markets.
Even though the communist dictatorship that ruled the former Czechoslovakia cracked down on religious gatherings and expressions, most people to this day still celebrate the traditional Christian festivities, such as Easter and Christmas.
🍫 A Brazilian Easter, Super-Sized
Easter is one of those holidays I grew up loving. After all, what kid wouldn’t enjoy receiving several Easter Eggs on a random Sunday in April? Like most children, I never really questioned the tradition.
I just thought it was awesome!
My mom strictly only allowed chocolate on weekends, and even so I couldn’t go crazy and indulge until my belly would hurt. Except for Easter.
If you're not from Brazil, you might be asking yourself: is it really that much chocolate? But in Brazil the food companies drove the Easter Egg segment to new heights through a creative trade marketing strategy in partnership with a then-leading retail company.
Ironically, they are called Lojas Americanas (it translates literally to “American Stores”).
Lojas Americanas is now in serious legal trouble and facing the possibility of bankruptcy due to accounting issues, but it is still one of the main retailers in Brazil.
Think of them as a Target or Walmart, except that they don’t sell fresh produce.
In the 80s, a shrewd and aggressive investor group acquired a controlling majority in the company, and started to grow the business.
In retail, the margins are super thin, so having empty shelf space was a big no-no. There is no room for waste.
Then, an executive from a chocolate manufacturer told the Lojas Americanas leadership that there was a lot of space in the stores that could be used to sell the Easter Eggs, which range in size but can get really large in Brazil.
And I mean it when I say really large.
Think about the size of a football (the American one). Most of the eggs are this size, and some are even larger!
One major difference between Lojas Americanas (and any other retailer in Brazil), when compared to leading US grocery stores, is that they don’t have seasonal aisles. In the US, the seasonal aisle is never empty, so it is not a problem.
I may be forgetting some, but I believe the seasonal aisle rotation pretty much follows this sequence. It starts at Valentine’s Day and then it goes: Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July, back-to-school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then finally Christmas and New Year’s.
For those candy-oriented holidays, the candies are at times the same, only the packaging changes.
In Brazil, however, it would be a big operational issue to add all those gigantic Easter Eggs on the shelves. What do you do with the empty shelf afterwards?
Under this context, they came up with a creative solution: they would install metal frames spanning the top of shelves, and hang the Easter Eggs there.
This was good for the retailer: more merchandise without needing additional shelf space.
It was also good for the chocolate factories: even though they likely have a higher cost structure on a per unit basis, they also sell these Easter Eggs at a big premium.
Competitors soon followed suit, and every single grocery store in Brazil ended up with chocolate ceilings.
So, that’s how my Easter experience was shaped in Brazil.
At a young age, it was fascinating. I’d look up and there they were: glowing with bright colors. All the chocolate in the world.
My parents and grandparents would give me those really big Easter Eggs. Then some aunts and uncles would give me some too. Yes, it was a lot of chocolate.
Now, on the other hand, I have to duck when I walk by these aisles so that I don’t hit my head on the Easter Eggs and knock them over.
I find them extremely annoying, but oh well #tallpeopleproblems
🙉 Wait, this isn’t normal?
For most of my life, I assumed this was how Easter was celebrated everywhere (in Christian regions, of course). But, to my surprise, I saw the massive Easter Eggs weren’t really a thing in the US.
In fact, in over 13 years there, never really saw them, except in Brazilian markets.
In the first few years living there, I didn’t think much of it.
Then, a few weeks before graduating from college, I went to Kyiv for a few days in April. They were gearing up for Easter.
It was fascinating. They had human-sized sculptures of carefully decorated eggs all over the city.
They even had a square filled of the Easter Eggs throughout it. My immediate thought was “wow, they take Easter very seriously here”.
I then started to read more about the Easter traditions and learned that most Eastern European countries celebrate Easter with rich traditions, including markets with live music and folk dancing.
🐣 Easter in Eastern
Hence, experiencing Easter in Europe is a lot more special than in Brazil.
It is not as commercial, and it is anchored on their traditions. It happens in spring, which fits the rebirth, fertility, and renewal themes, unlike in Brazil, where Easter is in the fall season, as nature winds down.
I won’t say one is better than the other—but Easter in Prague was special.
From the local foods at the markets to the folk music and the festive energy, it felt both joyful and rooted in tradition. Not just about selling chocolate—but about celebrating a season and a belief system that’s spanned centuries.
If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend spending Easter in Europe—especially in the East. Go for the atmosphere, the culture, and the sense of spring in full bloom.
Happy Easter to those who celebrate!
🌍 Upcoming Itinerary
📍April 21-22: Berlin, DE
📍April 23-25: Kraków, PL
✉️ Enjoying the journey so far?
💬 I’d also love to hear from you — what’s Easter like where you’re from? Do you have unique traditions or memories tied to this time of year?
Que lindo texto, filho! Mais especial ainda por trazer suas impressões sobre a Páscoa, as da sua infância e a de agora. Amei!! 😍❤️
I also hate hitting my head at chocolate eggs at Easter. It makes me spend less time shopping. #tallpeopleproblems And nowadays those eggs are so expensive that they are begining to shrink, with more toys and small prizes than actually chocolate. Still, can't avoid to buy for the kids...