Easter In Germany

If you happen to be in Germany during Easter and a passer-by greets you with the words 'Frohe Ostern', don't be taken aback. He is only wishing you a 'Happy Easter', as 'Ostern' is the German word for Easter. The Cross is covered on Good Friday, when Germans eat fish delicacies. Easter in Germany is commenced by the organization of a mass prayer in churches, on Saturday evening, which continues until the dawn of Sunday. On Easter Sunday, families gather for the holy Easter lunch, which is served with colored eggs and a lamb-shaped cake, among other traditional recipes. Children in the country are very fond of receiving the attractively decorated Easter eggs as gifts from their parents and elder family members, on the festival. Go through the following lines to know more about Easter celebrations in Germany.

Easter Celebration In Germany

Germany is regarded the birthplace of modern day Easter icons such as Easter bunny and Easter tree. German kids were told of an "Easter bunny" (Osterhase) that hid eggs and chocolates for children to find on Easter Sunday. German immigrants to America - particularly Pennsylvania - brought the tradition with them and spread it to a wider public. Today, Easter eggs are exchanged as presents in Germany. The tradition of egg tree is also popular in Germany. The eggs used for cooking Easter meals are not broken, but are emptied by blowing the contents into a bowl, through pinholes at either end of the egg. The hollow eggs are then beautifully decorated and hung from shrubs and trees, during Easter week.

Easter tree, another symbol associated with the celebration of the festival in Germany, is embellished beautifully with hollowed eggs, which are dyed and hung with colorful ribbon, throughout the Holy Week. The decoration of Easter tree is indigenous to the country and hence, a specialty of the nation. This tradition is followed by the natives of the country, since ages. The occasion is considered an opportunity to spend some quality time with family and close friends.

In Germany, the Lent season is preceded by a carnival called 'Fasching'. In Fasching parades in the city of Cologne, people wear masks and giant-sized papier-mache heads, sometimes twice the size of their bodies. In some villages of the country, people hold an Easter walk or ride in memory of the walk Jesus took to His death. Another unique custom associated with the celebration of Easter in Germany is the "Easter fire". For the fire, all Christmas trees are collected and burned in a special place, making a huge bonfire, clearing away the last signs of the winter and preparing for the spring. The bonfire welcomes the bountiful spring and bids goodbye to the chilly winter.