Ostern Easter
Frohe Ostern! |
Happy Easter! |
How to determine when it is Easter:
Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after March 21. Easter thus always falls between March 22 and April 25.
Palm Sunday:
Palmsonntag is a Christian feast that commemorates Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. It is the start of Holy Week.
Maundy Thursday:
In German, the word Gründonnerstag derives from the old word greinen meaning 'to grieve'. Although the word did not derive from the German word for the color green, a tradition of eating primarily green dishes developed. These are dishes in which the main ingredient is either spinach, kale, or some other green vegetable. In some areas green soups are made. Maundy Thursday is also the day when church bells ring for the last time before Easter Sunday.
Good Friday:
The Easter weekend in Germany begins with a quiet Good Friday (Karfreitag). Many families eat fish as their traditional Good Friday lunch. Good Friday is a public holiday and generally quiet.
Easter Saturday:
Easter Saturday is a great day to visit an open-air Easter market, where you can browse for artistically handcrafted Easter eggs, carved Easter decoration, and local arts and crafts. Stop by a German bakery for a special Easter treat: a sweet cake in the shape of a lamb.
On Saturday evening, regions in the north of Germany will light Easter bonfires, chasing away the dark spirits of winter and welcoming the warm season.
Easter Sunday:
Ostersonntag is the highlight of the holiday weekend. In the early morning, parents hide baskets filled with colored, hard boiled eggs, chocolate bunnies, sweets, and little presents for the kids. Many families attend an Easter service, followed by a traditional Easter lunch, lamb, potatoes, and fresh vegetables.
Easter Monday:
Many people in Germany annually observe Ostermontag- on the day after Easter Sunday. It is a public holiday in all states. It is observed with various local customs. These include early morning candle-lit parades, walks in the countryside and egg races.
Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after March 21. Easter thus always falls between March 22 and April 25.
Palm Sunday:
Palmsonntag is a Christian feast that commemorates Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. It is the start of Holy Week.
Maundy Thursday:
In German, the word Gründonnerstag derives from the old word greinen meaning 'to grieve'. Although the word did not derive from the German word for the color green, a tradition of eating primarily green dishes developed. These are dishes in which the main ingredient is either spinach, kale, or some other green vegetable. In some areas green soups are made. Maundy Thursday is also the day when church bells ring for the last time before Easter Sunday.
Good Friday:
The Easter weekend in Germany begins with a quiet Good Friday (Karfreitag). Many families eat fish as their traditional Good Friday lunch. Good Friday is a public holiday and generally quiet.
Easter Saturday:
Easter Saturday is a great day to visit an open-air Easter market, where you can browse for artistically handcrafted Easter eggs, carved Easter decoration, and local arts and crafts. Stop by a German bakery for a special Easter treat: a sweet cake in the shape of a lamb.
On Saturday evening, regions in the north of Germany will light Easter bonfires, chasing away the dark spirits of winter and welcoming the warm season.
Easter Sunday:
Ostersonntag is the highlight of the holiday weekend. In the early morning, parents hide baskets filled with colored, hard boiled eggs, chocolate bunnies, sweets, and little presents for the kids. Many families attend an Easter service, followed by a traditional Easter lunch, lamb, potatoes, and fresh vegetables.
Easter Monday:
Many people in Germany annually observe Ostermontag- on the day after Easter Sunday. It is a public holiday in all states. It is observed with various local customs. These include early morning candle-lit parades, walks in the countryside and egg races.
Sources and more information:_
http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/en/04__W__t__G/01/03__Easter/__Easter.html
http://www.germanfoodguide.com/holiday-easter.cfm
http://german.about.com/od/holidaysfolkcustoms/tp/German-Easter-Tradition.htm
http://www.dw.de/german-easter-traditions/a-1520904-1
http://luegde.de/osterraederlauf_ (Offical site of Lügde in Wesebergland in German)
http://timpg.edublogs.org/2012/07/10/the-easter-wheels/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8603685.stm (Easter Wheel information and video)
http://www.osterbrunnen.de/index.html (Pictures of Easter Wells, in German)
http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/en/04__W__t__G/01/03__Easter/__Easter.html
http://www.germanfoodguide.com/holiday-easter.cfm
http://german.about.com/od/holidaysfolkcustoms/tp/German-Easter-Tradition.htm
http://www.dw.de/german-easter-traditions/a-1520904-1
http://luegde.de/osterraederlauf_ (Offical site of Lügde in Wesebergland in German)
http://timpg.edublogs.org/2012/07/10/the-easter-wheels/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8603685.stm (Easter Wheel information and video)
http://www.osterbrunnen.de/index.html (Pictures of Easter Wells, in German)
Some Easter Traditions in Germany and German Speaking Areas
Ostermarkt
A few weeks before Easter Sunday you will see Easter Markets selling decorated and chocolate eggs, spring decorations, and Easter crafts. Osterbrunnen
This old tradition, started in the Franken area of Germany, is to celebrate the importance of water as a life giver. Eggs are collected throughout the year then used to make colorful garlands and decorate village wells or fountain. Osterfeurer
A pagan tradition whereby a large bonfire is lit on the night of Easter Sunday to welcome the sun and the spring. Ostereier
Colored and often decorated eggs used to decorate, hide, or just eat during Easter. Gebackene Osterlamm
Cakes, baked in the form of a lamb, which can be simple yeast dough version or with a rich, creamy filing in the center are a popular dish to be served. |
Osterbaum
Colored, hollowed, and ribbon-strung eggs are hung on trees or gathered branches to decorate the inside and outside of German homes. Osterrad
This pagan tradition from northern Germany helps predict whether the year's harvest will be good. The city of Lügde in Wesebergland has been doing this for over a thousand years. Click here for a map and directions to Lügde. Ostereier suchen
German children go out with their baskets to find the hidden eggs and sometimes small treat that are waiting for them. Spiele - Opfer
There are many games to play with Easter Eggs. This is one. Two eggs are hit against each other with one cracking and one not. The winner continues on to the next contestant and the loser eats his/her egg. Osterkranz
This is a sweet bread, often adorned with decorated eggs, and in the shape of a wreath or braid. It is a popular Easter treat. Passionspiele
In a town called Oberammergau, a passion play is performed every 10 years at Easter time since 1634. The next performance will be in 2020. Click here for more information. |
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A German retiree has fulfilled a lifelong Easter ambition. Volker Kraft now has 10,000 decorated eggs hanging on his tree.
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Europe boasts a wide variety of Easter traditions. In Germany, the Easter bunny brings colorful eggs, Italians eat pannetone and colomba, a dove-shaped bread, the French indulge in chocolate fish and flying bells, and Easter wouldn't be Easter in Russia without kulich, a tall, cylindrical cake.
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See the Frankfurt Easter Egg Market 2012.
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In addition to being a religious holiday,Easter is also a festival of spring with many rituals that are beloved by children. Easter eggs are ubiquitous in Europe,but other traditions and symbols vary from country to country.
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The Easter wheel ceremony in Lügde, Germany on Easter Sunday in 2013. Click here for more videos from Lügde and how this ceremony works.
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Treffpunkt Osterfeuer mit Osterräder in Leeste (in German)
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Photos used under Creative Commons from