Austrian Easter traditions

IN AUSTRIA, STUDENTS have more than one week of easter holiday. This is because Christianity is an important part of our culture.

Unlike in Finland, most people still practice old easter traditions and most of them take place on easter Saturday, when there traditionally is a big family reunion.

Here is a short selection of our favourite easter traditions.

Weihfeuertragen

For the children the easter Saturday starts early in the morning when they all meet at the church to get “Weihfeuer”. “Weihfeuer” means “blessed fire” and is just a small, burning piece of wood that children put in old cans (image).

They carry their cans from house to house, hand out small pieces of the “blessed fire” to the owners and get a little bit of money for it. To keep the fire burning, the children add more wood every few houses. Fleischweihe

“Fleischweihe” takes place around noon. People gather in a church or some other religious place and bring a basket of food.

The word “Fleischweihe” actually means “meat consecration”, but the priest also blesses other food like boiled eggs, bread and cheese.

Easter bonfire

In the evening, after eating the blessed food, many families ignite a big fire which is a symbol for Jesus and his resurrection. The fires usually consist of old wood like Christmas trees and are often many meters high. If the fires are too big or too close to houses and trees, it can be extremely dangerous.

So if you want to make an easter bonfire yourself, remember to keep it small and to always have an eye on it. Of course there are many more easter traditions in Austria that vary from place to place. But these three are most common and our personal favourites.

Text Karin Pontasch, Simon Schrettle, Gabriel Gissing and Marie Saubart Photos Own photoalbums