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We do not know a great deal about German Easter (Ostern) celebrations. We notice a huge number of family Christmas snapshots, but relatively few Easter snapshots. The main day in German Easter celebrations is Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag). After Church in the morning the children search for Easter eggs (Ostereier). I think that there are also Easter egg rolls. German immigents apparently brought these traditions to America. Many Germans went to Church Easter Sunday. The children here are not dressed up, we wonder if the went to church (figure 1). They clearly had an Easter egg hunt. I think the hunts mostly took place inside the home. Presumably theEaster egg rolls were conducted outside. I think chocolate eggs are especially popular in Germany. They were of course hidden by the Osterhase (Easter bunny). The Easter rabbit is a popular symbol in Germany. Germans tell the children that the Easter rabbit brings the eggs and hides them in houses. We notice children with very large eggs. I assume that they were chocolate eggs. We also notice chocolate Easter bunnies. The item here seem to be the standard items. We notice another photograph showing a wide range of delectables made for Easter. I'm not sure if the children color eggs like American children. Nor do I know if Easter baskets were common. We see some kind of container in front of one of the boys, but it does not look like an Easter basket. Germany has both a Catholic and Protestant population. Catholic. Protestants were dominate in the north and Catholics in the south. There are of course denominational differences in how Easter was celebrated.
Thus Germany has both Protestant and Catholic Easter traditions. Easter egg rolls were also popular in Germany. I am not sure if the denominational differences affected how the children celebrated the holiday. For lunch relatives come and in the afternoon there is cake and coffee. Hopefully our German readers will provide more details on German Easter celebrations.
We do not know a great deal about German Easter (Ostern) celebrations. We notice a huge number of family Christmas snapshots, but relatively few Easter snapshots.
The Passion (or Holy) week starts in the family the Sunday before with Palmsonntag (Palm Sunday). For children it is important. The family member who goes latest out of bed in the morning is the "Palmesel" (Palm donkey) with long ears and is ribbed the whole day.
Germany has three legal holidays for Wster: Karfreitag (Good Friday), Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. In school there are 2 to 3 weeks of Osterferien (Easter holidays. Families to-day go skiing or fly to Dubai or other sunny location. For deeply religious protestant families, Good Friday is remembering the death of Jesus, no meal, black clothing. It is said the catholic churches are cleaned on Good Friday for the Easter services.
The main day in German Easter celebrations is Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag). Many Germans went to Church Easter Sunday. Germany has both a Catholic and Protestant population.
Catholic. Protestants were dominate in the north and Catholics in the south. There are of course denominational differences in how Easter was celebrated.
Thus Germany has both Protestant and Catholic Easter traditions. I am not sure if the denominational differences affected how the children celebrated the holiday.
The children here are not dressed up, we wonder if the went to church (figure 1). We notice quite a few photographs of children who do not look like they are dressed up for church. Easter was a time to buy children and adults new outfits. This was an became an important American family tradition. I'm less sure about Germany.
The Easter bunny is an important familt tradition. The Easter eggs that the children hunt for were of course hidden by the Osterhase (Easter bunny). The Easter bunny comes in the night, hidding a lot of nice things in the garden or in the home. As a result there were also chocolate bunnies to go along with the Easter eggs. We aso see toy bunnies along with the chocolate bunnies. The Easter rabbit is a popular symbol in Germany. Germans tell the children that the Easter rabbit brings the eggs and hides them in houses. We also see Easter bunny costume portraits. I'm not sure how common this.
We notice children with very large eggs. I assume that they were chocolate eggs. We also notice chocolate Easter bunnies. The item here seem to be the standard items. There were, however, quite a range of Easter candy with attractive wraping. We notice another photograph showing a wide range of delectables made for Easter. I'm not sure if the children color eggs like American children. We do not see colored eggs in the photographs we have collected. Most of whart we see are chocolate eggs. I think chocolate eggs are especially popular in Germany. We also need large egg-shaped containers. I'm not sure what was inside.
A major part of American Easters is the Easter backet. That is where you put the eggs found in the Easter egg hunt. And of course most come already filled with goodies. I do not know if Easter baskets were common in Germany. We see some kind of container in front of one of the boys, but it does not look like an Easter basket. We notice several other photographs who do show small baskets.
After Church in the morning the children search for Easter eggs (Ostereier).
The children have to find them. There are baskets with painted eggs, sugar eggs, and chocolate eggs. Parents provide carton rabbits where the head is removable to fill it with small sweeties. Real chocolate or sugar bunnies may be found. A big chocolate egg, sugar egg or - most favourable - a Krokantei (a sweet mass of splitted nuts in sugar syrup) with some pleasant decoration will be best hidden. To-day, children may also find a new bike or inline skates or additional hardware for the computer - very strong work for the rabbits to produce it, isn't it! German immigrants apparently brought this traditions to America. The children in the photograph here clearly had an Easter egg hunt. I think the hunts mostly took place inside the home. Given the even distribution of the loot the German Easter egg hunt here does not seem very competitive (figure 1).
I thought that since Easter egg hunts were such an important Easter tradition that Easter egg rolls were also a German tradition. This does not appear to be the case, A German reader, however, tells us that Easter egg rolls were not part of German Easters. She writes, "Here it is called "Eierlauf" but it is absolutely not a German specialty of Easter. I have never ever heard that as well as my Mum who is 30 years older than me. This is a typical game you play on a children's birthday party or any children festival." Another German reader tells us, "I also do not remember Easter egg rolls."
Some German families have lunch with relatives and in the afternoon there is cake and coffee. Other families after church on Easter Sunday have lunch with the immediate family. Then, in the afternoon they visit the grandparents, meet uncles and aunts, cousins - for cake and coffee. A popular mel is the baked Easter lamb.
Easter Monday is for relaxation by the adults. Today, if at home, the family will often take the car and go hiking in the fresh air or to a sports event.
Until after World War II, German schools began during the Spring around Easter. Thus you have some portraits that are mixed Easter-First School Day portraits. You can generally tell how parents viewed the portrit by the way the child is dressed. Generally a school satchel and goodie cones means that it was primarily a first day of school portrait. A good example is an unidentified boy in 1928.
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