In many European countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, there are various traditions surrounding the use of bread during the Easter holidays.

The recipe for sweetened or "honey-leavened" bread may date back as far as the Homeric Greek period based on anecdotal evidence from classical texts.

It is usually found alongside another traditional sweet bread which Romanians make for Easter and Christmas called Cozonac.

Syrnyk is a quickbread with cheese (similar to a cheesecake) that in Ukrainian Orthodox culture is often included in Easter food baskets which are taken to church to be blessed on Easter along with ham, sausages, relishes, chocolate, cheeses and other foods that were forbidden during Great Lent.

People enjoy it either for breakfast or for tea time (in German: Kaffee und Kuchen, lit.

Casatiello (Neapolitan: casatiéllo;[4] Italian: casatello) is a leavened savory bread originating from Naples prepared during the Easter period.

Its basic ingredients are flour, lard, cheese, salami, cracklings, eggs and black pepper.

The bread's name derives probably from the Neapolitan word caso (Italian: cacio, 'cheese', hence casatiello), an ingredient that is part of its dough.

The dough is then fashioned into a dove shape (colomba in Italian) and finally is topped with pearl sugar and almonds before being baked.

[7] Pastiera is a type of Neapolitan tart made with cooked wheat, eggs, ricotta, and flavored with orange flower water.

[14] According to religious tradition, the pizza di pasqua should be prepared on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday to be eaten only at Easter, that is, at the end of the period of fasting and abstinence dictated by lent.

[15] Once ready, then, it was customary to bring the pizza di pasqua to the church, so that it would be blessed together with the other foods to be consumed on Easter day.

A peasant proverb mentions, "Chie hat pane mai non morit — one who has bread never dies".

"The egg and the points that recall birds in flight speak of fertility, sexuality, and procreation — basic themes in Easter and its pagan precursors".