Frohe Ostern! Happy Easter!

Frohe Ostern!
Happy Easter!
Easter Customs and Traditions
in German-Speaking Europe
modified from http://german.about.com/library/blbraeuche_ostern.htm
The Germanic celebration of Easter (Ostern in German) is very much like that in most of
the Christian world. It features the same fertility and spring-related icons—eggs, bunnies,
flowers—and many of the same Easter customs. The three major German-speaking
countries (Austria, Germany and Switzerland) are predominantly Christian and Easter is
an important time for both Catholics and Protestants in the German-speaking lands.
Similar to Americans, the Germans celebrate Easter with colored eggs, Easter egg hunts,
family and often Church. One large difference, however, to the typical American family,
is that many children in Germany decorate eggs shells that have been emptied of their
contents. To do this, a German person will poke a small hole through the top and bottom
of the egg and blow the contents out (hence “ausgeblassene
Eier,” or “hollowed out eggs”. Once the egg has dried, the
children will paint the egg very ornately before hanging
them on a tree (or at least many tree branches in a vase or
pot). Another difference between American and German
celebrations is that in Germany, the Monday following
Easter Sunday is also a holiday. This allows large families
to spend the Holiday with both sides of the family.
Origins of Easter
The Easter celebration goes back to the earliest days of the
Christian church. But the date of this festival has been
controversial from the very beginning. Even the origin of the name of the most important
celebration in the Christian calendar is unclear. But there is agreement on the fact that,
like several other Christian holidays, most Easter customs can be traced back to preChristian, pagan rites and celebrations related to the arrival of spring. It is not by accident
that Easter features such symbols of fertility as the egg and the rabbit, a.k.a. the Easter
bunny (der Osterhase).
The Easter celebration (das Osterfest) takes on both religious and secular forms. The
Christian religious celebration is the most important day in the church calendar, reflecting
Christianity's very beginnings in the Resurrection of Jesus. In the western church, Easter
is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox
(die Tagundnachtgleiche). (Eastern Orthodox Easter follows the same formula, but with
the Julian calendar, so the date can fall one, four, or five weeks later.) Because this
"movable feast" depends on phases of the moon (Mondphasen, Mondwechsel), Easter
can be observed between March 22 and April 25. In 2007 Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag)
falls on April 8. (March 23, 2008 | April 12, 2009)
Ostern • Easter
Easter Facts
Here are some key facts about the religious celebration (in
German and English):
OSTERTATSACHEN
WAS? Fest der Auferstehung Christi. Das
älteste und wichtigste christliche Fest.
WANN? In der westlichen Kirche am
ersten Sonntag nach dem ersten
Frühlingsvollmond.
WIE? Christen gehen in die Kirche, der
Papst hält seine Osteransprache am
Petersplatz, Kinder jagen nach bunten
Ostereiern.
EASTER FACTS
WHAT? Celebration of Christ's
Resurrection. The oldest and most
important Christian festival.
WHEN? In the western church, on the first
Sunday following the first full moon of
spring.
HOW? Christians go to church, the Pope
holds his Easter address in St. Peter's
Square, children hunt colorful Easter eggs.
Easter Timeline
The Easter celebration is much more than just Easter Sunday! It is an annual cycle that is
central to the entire Christian calendar. The Easter cycle begins with Mardi Gras
(Fasching/Karneval) and the Lenten period leading up to Easter. It ends with Pentecost
("fiftieth day"), the seventh Sunday after Easter Sunday. Here is a bilingual summary of
the Easter cycle:
OSTERFESTE
EASTER CELEBRATIONS
FASTENZEIT:
LENT
Die 40 Tage vor Ostern, die am
The 40 days of fasting before Easter begin
Aschermittwoch beginnen.
on Ash Wednesday.
PALMSONNTAG
PALM SUNDAY
Der Sonntag vor Ostersonntag
The Sunday before Easter Sunday
KARFREITAG
GOOD FRIDAY
Feiert den Tag der Kreuzigung
Marks the day of the Crucifixion
OSTERSONNTAG
EASTER SUNDAY
Ostermontag ist auch ein Feiertag in vielen Easter Monday is also a holiday in many
Gegenden
regions.
CHRISTI HIMMELFAHRT
ASCENSION DAY
40 Tage nach Ostern
40 days after Easter
PFINGSTEN
PENTECOST/WHITSUN
Sieben Wochen nach Ostersonntag
Seven weeks after Easter Sunday
German writers and poets have often found inspiration from Easter and the Easter
celebration. Here is a bilingual version of an Easter verse by the German poet Eduard
Mörike (1804-1875):
OSTERGEDICHT
Auf ein Ei geschrieben
von Eduard Mörike
EASTER POEM
Written on an Egg
by Eduard Mörike
Ostern ist zwar schon vorbei, Easter is indeed past,
Also dies kein Osterei;
So this is no Easter egg;
Doch wer sagt, es sei kein Segen,
But who says it's not a blessing
Wenn im Mai die Hasen legen?
When the rabbits lay in May?
MORE: The entire German text of this poem can be found at Ostergedichte in
Deutschland.
Jetzt bist du dran. Färben Sie das Osterei. Wenn Sie fertig sind, schneiden Sie es aus
und hängen Sie es an den Baum.
Easter Glossary
Easter das Ostern, das Osterfest
at Easter an/zu Ostern
on Easter (Day) an Ostern
Happy Easter! Frohe Ostern!
Happy Easter! Ein frohes Osterfest!
egg hunt das Eiersuchen
Easter egg das Osterei (-er)
Easter egg hunt das Ostereiersuchen
Easter holiday, vacation die Osterferien (pl.)
bunny der Hase (-n), das Häschen (-)
Easter bunny der Osterhase
The Osterhase tradition dates back to a 1678 account by the German medical professor
Georg Franck.
Ascension (of Christ) die Himmelfahrt
Ascension Day Christi Himmelfahrt (40 days after Easter)
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mariä Himmelfahrt (15. August)
Ash Wednesday der Aschermittwoch
The day after Carnival/Mardi Gras ends and when Lent begins also marks the start of
the Easter cycle. Aschermittwoch gets its name from the ashes of burnt palm fronds from
the previous Palm Sunday - used to mark the foreheads of the faithful. - See: Fastnacht
Glossary
daffodil die Osterglocke (-n)
decorate, paint (eggs) (Ostereier) bemalen, verzieren
decorated eggs bemalte Eier, verzierte Eier
dye, color (eggs) (Ostereier) färben
colored/dyed eggs gefärbte Eier
Carnival, Mardi Gras der Fasching, die Fastnacht, der Karneval
The date for Karneval or Fasching/Fastnacht depends on the date for Easter. - See:
Fastnacht Glossary
chick, baby chicken das Küken (-)
Christ (der) Christi, Christus, Christ (obs.)
The term Christ/Christus comes from the Greek "christos" for the Hebrew "messiah" or
"anointed one" (der Gesalbte).
Christian (person) der Christ, die Christin
Christian (adj.) christlich
Christianity das Christentum
Christ's grave, tomb das Grab Christi
color, dye (eggs) (Ostereier) färben
colored/dyed eggs gefärbte Eier
colorful bunt
cross das Kreuz (-e)
crucifix das Kruzifix
crucifixion die Kreuzigung (-en)
crucify kreuzigen
OSTERFEIERTAGE 2007
DATES - DATEN
Palmsonntag 1. April 2007
Ostern 8. April 2007
Pfingsten
27. Mai 2007
Answer the following questions about what you read:
1) According to the text, Easter as it is celebrated today in Germany is a mixture of two
different traditions; what are they?
____________________________ and __________________________
What are two symbols from each of those traditions that are used in modern celebrations
of Easter?
2) Summarize two similarities and one difference of German and American customs:
3) Write a short paragraph, in German, about what your family does (or doesn’t do) for
Easter.
4) According to the text, Easter is more than just one day of celebration, it is a whole
season. What does that mean? Give examples.