There are only a few weeks now until Easter – but how is Easter actually celebrated in Germany? Is it the same as in Ireland?
Well, mostly. But unlike Ireland, Easter is a public holiday in Germany. School usually pauses for a whole week and almost all stores are closed.
Of course, there are also church services during Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Many people attend them on both days.
A few days before Easter, people start painting Easter Eggs with their children and decorate their house and garden. Some areas of Germany, for example the Lausitz in Saxony, are famous for their carved Easter Eggs. Those so called “Sorbian Eggs” are either painted and a pattern is scratched into them or they are decorated using a wax-technique. Usually, the whole family gets together at some point during the holidays. Either they are having a brunch or some cake and coffee. After that, there is of course an Easter Egg Hunt: adults would hide chocolate Easter Eggs (and sometimes real ones) and other sweets for the children and for each other.
In the evening, often an Easter Fire (Osterfeuer) is lit, as a symbol of the end of winter.