Easter in Austria

Easter Eggs

There's two kinds of Easter Eggs - and both of them (very) colourful: decorative and yummy Easter eggs. For decorative Easter eggs were painted and coloured eggs, which we have carefully blown out before. After that they are used as a decoration, they hang in the windows, on plants or foliating twigs of sallow ('Palmkatzerln').
Yummy Easter eggs are boiled before colouring.

Easter Egg Hunting

As a tradition for kids, colourful Easter eggs, sweets and small presents are hidden in the house or - if the weather allows - in the garden by the (mythological) "Easter Bunny". There's also a delicious pastry in the form of a lamb ('Osterlamm'), which is traditionally given to the kids by their godfather or godmother.

Easter Sunday

At Easter, we have this habit of first celebrating it at home, and then driving to my grandma’s summer house.

Because of the rain the night before, the “Easter Bunny” (who of course is my mum, but pscht!) hid most of the chocolate and eggs inside, but a few tough Milka bunnies camped in the garden.

Speaking of decoration, there weren’t only bunnies on our breakfast table.

The home is decorated, the eggs are hidden - the family brakfast can start! The children try to finn the hidden Easter eggs or chocolate bunnies and after that the family has breakfast together.

Decoration

My mum also very beautifully decorated our breakfast table, and we all sat down to do “Eierpecken”, where each one gets an egg and smashes it against another. The one, whose egg stays unharmed, wins.

Visiting relatives

Of course, they also put up nice Easter-decoration.

    Written & pictures by Betty Kotlan