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The Week in Germany: Culture April 30, 2007 German Easter Traditions: Dances with Swords and Wheels of Fire
St. George's Parade in Traunstein: At Eastertime the knights receive their blessing Hundreds of colorfully-garlanded horses throng the center of of Traunstein, bells and fanfares ring out and the air is filled with noise. At 10 am on the dot the herald raises his baton and the procession sets off. Every year on Easter Monday men and women from the Upper Bavarian town of Traunstein and the surrounding area take part in the St. George's Parade, during which both man and beast are blessed. The spectacle regularly attracts several thousand onlookers. The knights wear historical costumes and the herald dons a suit of armor. Those taking part wear medieval costumes, with leather jerkins, white shirts, waistcoats and wide-brimmed hats. The women are dressed as castle maidens or wear traditional Bavarian garments. The carriages are reserved for local dignitaries, such as the mayor, the pastor and the district council representative. The central figure of the procession is the warrior saint St. George who rides on his white horse dressed in a red cape and armored breast plate. He is the patron of knights, farmers, horses and beasts in general and it is after him that the procession is named. Those on horseback proceed to the pilgrim's church at Ettendorf, some three-and-half kilometers away. While the pastor blesses those taking part, the procession comprising nearly 400 horses circles around the church. The St. George's Parade can look back on a centuries-old tradition and has been held regularly since 1892. The horses used to be essential to all agricultural activity in these parts and the blessing was supposed to bring luck and good fortune to the farmers, their horses, farmsteads, and the rest of their livestock. The procession is also a way of ushering in the spring season. The procession lasts for two hours and both beginning and end are marked by ritualistic sword dances held in Traunstein. The costumed men brandish their swords to signify the victory of spring over the winter months. The dancing has been passed down since the 16th century, while the ceremony has been held in its present form since 1926. (dpa) Easter bonfires and burning wheels are used to drive out the winter
The burning of Easter bonfires is one of the most common Easter customs in Germany. The practice is especially popular in rural parts of northern Germany but some of the blazes are lit in the gardens of city houses or along the beach of the River Elbe in Hamburg. Villagers, neighbors and friends traditionally gather around these bonfires which are usually lit on the Saturday before Easter starts. In some areas the custom does not take place until Easter Sunday or Monday. The bonfire is fuelled with branches and twigs taken from the garden. The Easter bonfires can trace their origin as a custom back to the 16th century but probably date back to pre-Christian times. The light from the fire symbolically represents the driving-out of winter and the coming of warmth. The practice is also supposed to increase the fertility of fields. In the Christian tradition the Easter bonfire is a sign of the resurrection of Christ. Easter wheels are another variation. Giant flaming wheels made of wood
and straw are rolled down hills every year in the town of Luedge in the
German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. They leave a blazing trail stretching for several hundred meters and hark back to fiery wheels used to symbolize the sun 2,000 years ago. These too, marked the end of winter. (dpa) Easter mail, magic water and hunting for Easter eggs, Goethe-style
In most German families the Easter bunny and Easter eggs are an integral part of the celebration of Easter. The bunny traditionally hides the eggs in the garden and the children swarm out to find them. There are a few rare regional variations though, for example an egg-rolling custom called Eier trüllen in northern Germany, the search for Easter water or looking for eggs in a manner known to Goethe. In the northern region of East Freesia the Easter eggs are rolled or thrown from hills and the slopes of dykes, or else knocked together. The low German term for the pastime is Eier trüllen. Children love to compete against each other, letting their eggs run down sandy hillocks - the winner is the one whose egg arrives at the bottom in one piece. In Weimar a local custom harks back to the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who lived in this picturesque town for decades, until his death in 1832. Once a year on Green Thursday (the Thursday before Easter) he would invite children into his garden where he had hidden eggs for them to find. Weimar maintains the tradition to this day and invites youngsters to "Search for the Easter eggs" in the park on the river Ilm where Goethe's residence still stands. The town of Ostereistedt, literally "Easter egg town", in the northern state of Lower Saxony has made a tradition out of its name: Legend has it that an Easter bunny called "Hanni Hase" lives here. Thousands of children write letters to him with their wishes very year. The replies are dealt with by an official at the German Post Office. An extremely unusual Easter customer is being sent to fetch Easter water.
According to local myth, such water has magical qualities and promotes
both health and beauty. This only applies if liquid is taken from a body
of flowing water and is brought straight into the home and the bringer
is not even allowed to talk while doing so. (dpa) Links:
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