Ansbach, Germany (March 11, 2015) -- The spring and Easter season in Franconia is a time for renewal and awakening just like everywhere else.
As winter loses its grip on the Franconian landscape, the people of the area are getting ready for spring. Windows and doors are thrown open to air out the homes, pillows, blankets and rugs are hanging in the sunshine from balcony railings, and mops and dust cloths are wielded for the annual spring cleaning. People follow ancient rituals and celebrate the beginning of the new season with treasured, old-time traditions.
A few weeks before Easter, many Franconian communities adorn their well or fountain with fresh spring greens and colorful, hand-painted eggs. The origins of the "Osterbrunnen" tradition can be traced back to the Fränkische Schweiz ('Franconian Switzerland'), a region located between the cities of Bamberg, Bayreuth and Forchheim; from there it spread to other areas. Tourists flock to the Fränkische Schweiz as participants of Osterbrunnen tours. Hikers and bikers combine their outings with stops at different locations to admire the detailed and artful arrangements on the wells and fountains. The tourist offices of the region offer different routes and locations for visitors. For a sample list of Osterbrunnen villages, visit "Fraenkische-Schweiz Osterbrunnen list" or "Osterbrunnen list" in the "Related Links" section on this page.
The Easter holiday season in Germany starts with the beginning of Holy Week on Palmsonntag (Palm Sunday), the Sunday before Easter. A favorite pastime for children during Holy Week is to blow out the egg yolk and color eggs to decorate budding tree branches in a vase or to dye hard-boiled chicken eggs for the breakfast table on Easter morning. Gründonnerstag (Holy or Maundy Thursday) is the classic day for spring cleaning and decorating. Cut branches of bushes and trees are brought inside, put in a vase and decorated with colorful eggs. Traditional food on "Green Thursday" includes spinach, kale, cress, leek, chives and green herbs, based on an old belief that eating green-colored food that day would keep one safe for the rest of the year.
Easter markets take place all over the region, sometimes for a few weeks, sometimes just for a day. One of the longer and larger ones is the Easter market in Nürnberg, located downtown on the Hauptmarkt (just like the famous Christkindlmarkt during Christmas). This Ostermarkt is scheduled for March 20 through April 6 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (except for Good Friday, April 3). More than 80 vendors offer Easter decorations, household products, wood and ceramic crafts, curtains, clothes, books and much more. To learn more about the Nürnberg Ostermarkt, visit the "Related Links" section on this page.
Good Friday, a nationwide German holiday -- called "Karfreitag" in German -- is also known as "Quiet Friday," as church bells are not rung in churches. Fasting rules on Good Friday used to be much stricter than today; alcohol and meat were strictly forbidden. Many families still eat fish on Good Friday; in Franconia the tasty regional carp is a popular Good Friday dish. Many communities conduct a procession, reenacting the suffering of Jesus. Neunkirchen am Brand (near Forchheim) and Lohr am Main uphold a tradition from the 17th century by carrying life-size statues through town. The processions are not considered a festivity, but offer a chance for quiet reflection for participants and audience.
Many churches and communities light a bonfire Saturday or Sunday night. Sacred oils are burned in the fire, and the flame is used to light the Easter candles. The villages often compete for the largest wood pile and brightest fire. In rural areas it is custom to guard the piled-up wood during the nights prior to prevent an untimely kindling by rivals.
As in many other countries, symbols of Easter in Germany are eggs and the bunny. The Easter bunny (Osterhase) brings eggs and sweets on Easter Sunday to the children, who have to search for them indoors or outdoors. The Freilandmuseum Bad Windsheim hosts an Easter egg hunt for children Easter Sunday, April 5, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., where children need to keep their eyes open for more than 1,000 hidden eggs and some nests. To learn more about the open air museum in Bad Windsheim, go to the "Related Links" section on this page.
A large Easter dinner is typically served on Sunday. Popular dishes are lamb, rabbit or poultry. Families often bake an 'Osterlamm,' a lamb-shaped cake, for Sunday.
The Easter celebrations are continued with an additional federal holiday on Monday, which is often used for short day trips and visits to other family members.
In some towns community members meet for Easter games. One such game is "Eierhodeln," where hard-boiled eggs are rolled down a track made of two rakes. The goal of the game is to kick an opponent's egg away or hit as many of the other eggs already on the playing field as possible. To watch such a competition, visit Schwanstetten-Schwand Monday, April 6 at 10 a.m. at the Marktplatz. A popular Bavarian Easter game is the "Eierpicken," a simple game where two hard-boiled eggs are banged together at the tips; winners are whose eggs stay intact. They get to take the losers' egg.
For more Easter events and activities in the region, go to "Was ist los in Franken?" or check into the Facebook site USAG Ansbach Community Relations at the "Related Links" section on this page.
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