Easter in South Tyrol

The celebrations begin already on the last Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday. On this day, not only the decorated palm branches are carried to the churches, but every family elects the “Easter donkey” too. This title for the one who is the last one getting up in the morning and coming to the breakfast table this day.

Painting & searching Easter eggs

What is baking biscuits at Christmas, is the colouring of eggs at Easter. Usually on Holy Thursday, the family gathers to colour hard-boiled eggs together – with natural colours of beet roots, onion skin and spinach or several other colours and stickers. Partially, blown-out eggs are painted too, that then may decorate the palm branches. The painted Ester eggs are consecrated together with the other Easter foods on Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday in the church. Afterwards, every family enjoys a great Easter menu.

For children, Easter Sunday is a great day. Many families go outside in the morning or after attending the Easter mass, looking together for the Easter nests that have been hidden by the Easter rabbit according to official statements by the parents.

“Osterpecken” tradition

A typical Easter tradition is the so called “Osterpecken“ or “Preisguffen”: It is a kind of competition with hard-boiled and painted eggs. Traditionally, people meet for this competition after church service on Easter Sunday. Two people have to hit two eggs against each other, first the flatter side and then the other one. The winner is the owner of the egg with the hardest eggshell respectively with that egg that at the end is not in pieces.