Easter traditions in Germany

Easter egg hunts are a widespread tradition in Germany. Children especially enjoy searching for colorfully decorated hard-boiled eggs on Easter Sunday morning, as seen here near Goethe's garden house in Weimar. The egg symbolizes new life.

In Germany, children are told that a rabbit hides the colorful eggs they must find. But since rabbits don't even lay eggs, where did the idea come from? One theory is that rabbits are known for their fertility, so, like the eggs, they symbolize life.

Germans often eat cakes shaped in the form of a lamb at Easter. Like the rabbit, the lamb is considered a symbol of the holiday. For one thing, the Bible refers to Jesus as the "Lamb of God." For another, the lamb is a reminder of the exodus from Egypt and Passover, when the Israelites sprinkled their door frames with the blood of sacrificial lambs to remind the Angel of Death to spare them.

Germans also prepare for Easter by decorating wells and fountains with flowers and colored eggs in some regions. Some towns get very creative, and include arches and ornate decorations, especially in the area of Franconia in North Bavaria, where the practice originated. It may have began as a way to show gratitude for the water source, as water was once a precious commodity.

Church bells loudly ringing on Easter Sunday announce the "good news" of Christ's resurrection to Christians. In some places, church bells fall silent from Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, to Easter Sunday. According to Roman Catholic legend, bells fly to Rome during that time and return the night before Easter.

During Easter mass in churches, a so-called Paschal candle also plays a special role. The light is passed from candle to candle to remind the faithful that, with his resurrection, Christ brought light into the darkness of the world.

The tradition of having an Easter bonfire probably existed as a pagan ritual among Germanic tribes before the arrival of Christianity to the region. It was meant to dispel the darkness of winter and welcome the spring. Even today, damilies, friends and neighbors meet in the countryside to light large fires.

On Easter Sunday, large oak wheels stuffed with straw are lit and roll downhill. The wheel of fire symbolizes the disc formed by the sun, and the Easter wheels also heralds the coming of spring. This tradition can be found mainly in rural areas of northern Germany and in the Harz mountains.

The Sorbs, a Slavic minority in eastern Germany, have their own Easter traditions. In Bautzen, in Saxony, Easter riders proclaim the Easter message on the Peace Bridge, which they then take to the surrounding communities while singing songs and saying prayers.

Since temperatures are typically milder around Easter, many people enjoy going for walks on Easter day. This tradition was immortalized by German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his work "Faust."