Audrey Thronson '23 | German Easter Traditions

Spring has sprung - meaning, Easter is just around the corner. Many traditional Easter traditions have historical roots in Germany. Germany itself also has a number of unique Easter traditions. Get yourself in the springtime spirit or find some new Easter celebrations to try by checking out some German traditions below!

1. The Easter Bunny (der Osterhase)

Did you know that the Easter Bunny is German? Though rabbits and eggs were long associated with Easter and springtime’s theme of rebirth, some scholars theorize that the folkloric figure of the egg-carrying Easter Bunny originated with German Lutherans. The earliest mention of the Easter Bunny bringing Easter eggs is in the 1682 book, “De ovis paschalibus – von Oster-Eyern” by Georg Franck von Franckenau. According to some sources, the Easter Bunny was brought over to the U.S. by German immigrants in Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Until the 20th century, a number of other animals were said to hide the Easter eggs, including cuckoo birds, storks, foxes, and roosters. In the early 1900s, with the informal adoption of the bunny as the holiday animal, bakers across Germany began to create a wide variety of baked goods and chocolate in the animal’s image, which are now staples for the holiday. In Germany today, children paint Easter eggs and leave them in a basket for the Easter Bunny, who then hides the eggs for the children to find on Easter morning. 

German Heritage USA

2. Easter Eggs (Ostereier)

Hand-painted eggs have a long history in Germany that predate Easter celebrations - the earliest example of a hand-painted egg was found at the tomb of a young girl in Worms, Germany, and was dated to the 4th century! Some of the most beautifully decorated Easter eggs come from the ethnic Sorbs of East Germany. Traditionally, the colors of the eggs had specific religious meanings: red for the sacrifice of Christ, yellow for the desire for enlightenment and wisdom, white for purity, green for innocence, and orange for strength and ambition. Nowadays, the practice is based less in religion and ethnicity, and is enjoyed by a wide variety of Germans.

A German Girl in America

Just like in the US, German children paint Easter eggs and hunt for them (as well as a variety of Easter sweets) in their house or yard. Painted eggs also serve a number of purposes in other Easter decorations and games, for example:

• Easter bushes and trees (Ostersträucher und Ostereierbäume): Branches are adorned with decorated easter eggs, as well as wooden ornaments in the shape of bunnies or other Easter motifs. Similarly, Easter wreaths (Osterkränze) will be hung with hand-painted eggs.
• For indoor decorations, Germans will make a bouquet of budding fruit tree branches in a vase to hang their decorated easter eggs on.

Holz Leute

Outdoors, whole trees or bushes may be adorned with decorated easter eggs.

The Local

• Egg-tapping: This game is very popular, and its name varies by region (e.g, Ostereititschen, Eierklopfen). Two players each hold a hardboiled egg. The premise is to try and crack your opponents’ egg as much as possible without damaging your own.

Wikipedia

• Egg roll/slide (Ostereierschieben): This is another tradition that likely has Sorbian origins. Children take hard boiled eggs and roll them down a grassy hill. Players can push their egg with a stick when it gets stuck. The egg that makes it to the bottom of the hill first, wins!

3. Easter Meals and Traditions

In Germany, Easter is celebrated from Thursday to Monday, with traditional dishes for certain days.

• Maundy Thursday (Gründonnerstag): Thursday is the day of the Last Supper. The name Gründonnerstag derives from the word greinen, an old German word for crying or mourning. However, since the word sounds like “Green Thursday,” many people celebrate by eating something green. Regional specialties include Hessian savoury leek cake, or Frankfurt’s Grüne Soße (Green Sauce).

Wikipedia

• Good Friday (Karfreitag): On Good Friday, it is common to eat a fish dinner, since it is considered a sin to eat meat on Fridays during Lent.

• Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag): In the morning on Easter Sunday, it is common for families to eat Osterbrot, a decorative, sweet bread. The bread is commonly made in a three-strand plait to represent the Holy Trinity. On Easter Sunday, families come together for a big dinner feast. Often, the main dish is lamb because of its religious connotations. Alternatively, some Germans may bake cakes or bread in the shape of a lamb.

Love That Bite

• Chocolate & Sweets! No German holiday would be complete without dessert. Along with traditional German chocolates, some unique German Easter sweets include nougat-filled egg shells (carefully cleaned and refilled with delicious hazelnut chocolate), marshmallow kisses (Schaumküsse), and Luebecker marzipan filled eggs.

4. Easter Bonfires

The night before Easter Sunday, it is common for large bonfires to be lit across Germany. The practice of lighting a fire to welcome spring and usher out the winter cold has its roots in pagan traditions.

Some regions of German up the ante of this tradition with an Easter wheel run (Osterräderlauf). Instead of a simple bonfire, they fill a wooden wheel with straw, set it on fire, and roll it down a hill. The wheel is supposed to bring a good harvest if it rolls straight down the hill.

The Local

5. Spring Cleaning and Getting Outside

Beyond the holiday-specific traditions, Easter is also used as an opportunity to prepare for and enjoy the new season. A common practice over Easter weekend is to thoroughly clean one’s house for spring. Easter Monday (Ostermontag) is also a public holiday in Germany. Many Germans use the time off as an opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the spring weather for activities such as hiking.

Which of these traditions will you be giving a try this Easter? Do you have other favorite German Easter traditions that aren’t mentioned here? Let us know in the comments!