One way towns in Germany prepare for Easter is by decorating fountains. These German Easter Fountains are covered with flowers and colored eggs, making them a festive centerpiece in the city center square. Some places get wildly creative with arches and bundles of plastic hanging eggs. Other towns are more conservative, with mostly container plants strung with a few…
Author: karenanne
What is the Easter Fire in Germany? A Symbol of Light in Darkness
What is the Easter Fire in Germany, and why is it lit? The Easter Fire, or Osterfeuer, symbolizes light in the darkness. It can be as simple as lighting a candle or as big as the bonfires ignited all over Germany at Easter. Because fire symbolizes the light of renewal, it signifies the end of Winter and the coming of…
German Easter Story Books For Kids- Perfect for Easter Baskets!
Cute German Easter Story Books for kids are a nice (non-edible and non-messy) addition to the Easter Basket. The stories can be read over and over, long after the chocolate and candies have been eaten. Most of these Easter Stories are in German, and a few are bilingual. They are perfect for young children learning German… and are great for…
Where to Buy German Easter Chocolate for Your Easter Basket!
I love German Easter Chocolate! Right about now, my Christmas Chocolate is a distant memory, and I’m ready to stock up on delicious sweets! This special imported chocolate is not just for kids! Of course, the kids in your world will be delighted if Osterhase brings them a basket or Paper Mache Egg filled with wonderful chocolate treats. Adults will…
German Easter Lamb Cake -Recipe and Lamb Molds
German Easter Lamb Cake is the centerpiece and dessert on many tables at Easter. The sweet lamb is baked into a lamb-shaped mold and then decorated with either a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar or, in some homes, white frosting. The basic cake is a pound cake, sometimes flavored with ground nuts. Why a Lamb? Lambs have long been considered…
Kaffee and Kuchen Germany- Traditional German Cakes
The tradition of Kaffee and Kuchen (cake and coffee) on Sunday afternoons is wonderfully ingrained in the culture. Traditional German Cakes and Tortes, baked from Traditional Recipes, are familiar favorites. Cakes made with real cream, fruit, chocolate, nuts, and streusel make their appearance every week mid-afternoon as a nice treat after a walk or nap. They are served with a…
Some of My Favorite Things to do; Germany… What are YOURS?
)Lately people planning vacations ask me, “What are your favorite things to do? Germany is such a big place.” My smarty-pants answer is “go into a bakery, and take a big sniff, then go into a butcher shop and do the same.” But… I don’t think many people want to spend the cost of a plane ticket to smell bread…
Where did the Easter Bunny Come From? Germany, of Course!
Have you ever wondered, “Where did the Easter Bunny come from?” The whole story of rabbits bringing eggs overnight doesn’t really make sense on the face of it. After all, rabbits don’t lay eggs, so it’s not exactly logical. It turns out that there is a very sweet story, almost a Fairy Tale, associated with the origins of the…
German Breakfast Boards for Frühstück, Abendbrot or Brotzeit
It is typical in Germany to have Abendbrot on wooden boards or Resopal (Formica), which acts as plate and cutting board. In Bavaria, they have Brotzeit, also eaten on a board. My German family eats this way… and here in the US, my mom would often do a simple Abendbrot dinner on Sunday evenings. At Oma’s house, we each had our…