How to celebrate Easter in Germany

Christians all over the world celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. In Germany, Easter is known as "Ostern" and the commemoration begins a week before, on Palm Sunday, marking Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The week leading up to Easter is known as Holy Week, or "Karwoche" in German.

Good Friday, "Karfreitag," the day of Jesus' crucifixion, is a public holiday in Germany, as is the Monday after Easter Sunday ("Ostermontag"). Don't think you can enjoy the long weekend by hanging out in clubs, though. In 12 of Germany's 16 states, events with loud music are prohibited all day on Good Friday. In three states, loud music is just banned during certain hours.

According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified around the time of the Jewish Passover, which was observed at the first full moon following the vernal equinox. Based on the Gregorian calendar, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after Passover. Depending on lunar cycles, that falls between March 22 and April 25. German pupils look forward to two weeks of vacation surrounding the Easter holiday.

Pagan festivals were often celebrated during the vernal equinox to mark the beginning of spring. Since the rituals roughly coincided with Easter — which also celebrates new life — some of the symbolism was shared. That may be how the egg and the hare, which both stand for fertility, made their way into our modern-day Easter celebrations.

It was German scientist Georg Franck von Franckenau who in 1682 first wrote about the tradition of a mythical Easter Bunny that hid eggs in the garden for children to find. The custom was being practiced in the central and southwestern German regions, including Alsace and Palatinate. The tradition stuck, and now kids around the world try extra hard to find the eggs they missed last year.

As every farm kid knows, rabbits don't lay eggs. They grow on trees — at least in Germany. Decorating both full-sized outdoor trees and smaller indoor versions with colorful eggs, similar to a Christmas tree, is a centuries-old German Easter tradition. Often, indoor trees are adorned with elaborately decorated porcelain eggs. The custom joins two symbols of life: the egg and the tree.

Chocolate does not symbolize life, spring or fertility — but it's nevertheless inseparable from Easter. Over 200 million chocolate bunnies are produced in Germany each year, with around 40% being exported. Lindt, pictured, is actually a Swiss company, but has a factory in Aachen, in westernmost Germany, and is one of the most common bunny brands.

While the egg as a symbol for life dates back to ancient Rome, the symbolism of the lamb is much older. The Jews of the Old Testament sacrificed unblemished lambs in religious rituals. Christians later adopted the image of the sacrificial lamb in reference to Christ's crucifixion. In Germany, lamb isn't just a main course: Sweet Easter lambs made from cake and powdered sugar are common.

The gift of calories is still the most popular Easter present in Germany, according to a 2015 Statista survey: 62% give sweets on Easter, while 38% give eggs. However, nearly half (45%) said they purchase small items like games, books or stuffed animals for their loved ones, especially kids. But not everyone participates in Easter commerce: 22% don't give gifts.

According to an early Saxon tradition, fires are lit in Germany and elsewhere in northern Europe on Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday. In the pre-Christian spring ritual, the fire was likely meant to expel winter. In rural northern Germany, Easter bonfires are lit by official brigades or on private premises and can turn into small festivals. The fire generally burns throughout the night.