From decorating trees to lighting fires: Top ten peculiar Easter traditions across the DACH region Easter throughout the world is a celebratory time – and that’s not any different in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Of course, painting ‘ostereier’ (Easter eggs) and eating lots of chocolate is as part of Easter in these countries as anywhere else. But have you heard of Germany lighting fires or decorating trees in honour of Easter. We explore the top ten peculiar Easter traditions across the DACH region. TEXT: NANE STEINHOFF I PHOTOS: PIXABAY
This year, the Easter weekend falls on the weekend around Sunday, 12 April. People everywhere are expected to be enjoying the long Easter weekend and the correlating school holidays through spending time with their families, going on relaxing vacations and experiencing nature to 16 | Issue 85 | April/May 2020
its fullest. After all, by Easter weekend it can already be quite warm, with flowers blooming in full. What could be better than experiencing the year’s first sun rays in a lovely biergarten with a glass of tasty local beer? And if you prefer your trees covered in eggs, going to see an Easter
bonfire or perhaps visiting an egg museum, Germany, Austria and Switzerland have got you covered. 1) Colourful Easter fountains When coming across one of the everpopular ‘Osterbrunnen’, you’ll know that Easter is upon us. They’re usually displayed from early April onwards and can best be described as colourfully decorated fountains on public squares. They’re a great sight not to be missed and can be found across Southern Germany, where more Catholic areas can generally be found. The most famous