Traditions > Holidays > Easter
Easter and the Holy Week
The Ostern (Easter) holiday, observed on the Sunday after the first summer moon as established by the Holy Synod in 325 C.E., originates in pre-Christian beliefs.
In pagan times, the term Easter referred to the name of the Germanic goddess Ēostre. The 19th-century scholar Jacob Grimm proposed the existence of a form of Ēostre (Eastre) among the pre-Christian beliefs of the continental Germanic peoples, whose name he reconstructed as Ostara. Ostara was associated with the coming of spring and the dawn, and her festival is celebrated at the spring equinox because she brings renewal and rebirth from the death of winter.
In pagan times, the term Easter referred to the name of the Germanic goddess Ēostre. The 19th-century scholar Jacob Grimm proposed the existence of a form of Ēostre (Eastre) among the pre-Christian beliefs of the continental Germanic peoples, whose name he reconstructed as Ostara. Ostara was associated with the coming of spring and the dawn, and her festival is celebrated at the spring equinox because she brings renewal and rebirth from the death of winter.
A drawing titled Ostara (1901) by Johannes Gehrts. The goddess Ostara flies through the heavens surrounded by Roman-inspired putti, beams of light and animals. Germanic peoples look up at the goddess from the realm below. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
As Christianity spread over Europe, the pagan traditions of the Germanic tribes were adapted to the new belief system. When the second-century Christian missionaries encountered the tribes of the north with their pagan celebrations, they attempted to convert them to Christianity. They did so, however, in a clandestine manner. It would have been very dangerous for the early Christian converts to celebrate the Holy Days with observances that did not coincide with already established celebrations. To save lives, the missionaries cleverly decided to spread their religious message slowly throughout the populations by allowing them to continue to celebrate pagan feasts but to do so in a Christian manner. The pagan festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ. It made sense to alter the festival to make it a Christian celebration as converts were slowly won over. The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.
The Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther in 1517 again modified the Holy Week and Easter traditions. The Easter hare or rabbit tradition was first found in German literature in the 1570s. Germanic Easter traditions continued to evolve and were carried to Russia by the colonists in 1766. The physical environment and exposure to Russian culture also shaped the holiday customs of the Volga Germans.
The Christian Heilige Woche (Holy Week) leading up to Easter made it a special time of year and one of the most important holidays in Norka. On Palmsonntag (Palm Sunday), the congregation took communion at the church with the new confirmands practicing this ritual for the first time. The days leading up to Gründonnerstag (Maundy Thursday) were very festive (in German, the day is known as Green or Mourning Thursday; in English, it is known as Holy or Maundy Thursday). All celebrations ceased on Gründonnerstag when services were held in the church as they were again on Karfreitag (Good Friday).
Eggs were usually colored on Karsamstag (Holy Saturday). The Volga Germans, as did the Russians, colored their eggs red or a golden tan by using onion peel, purple or pink by using beet juice, and blue by using red cabbage leaves. The colonists also gathered herbs that sprouted in the early spring on hilltops and dry places. Plants such as Eierkräutchen (the lichen Parmelia saxatilis) were used to give the eggs a golden color. Bohnenkraut, an herb that grew on the hills, gave eggs a vivid dark green color. Sprouts from young birch trees were also gathered to produce an extract to color the eggs.
Everyone also did a complete and detailed cleaning of their house and yard on Saturday. Streets and common areas were also cleaned. When the cleaning was finished, homes were decorated with greenery to ward off evil spirits. The floors of homes and the street areas leading to the gate of each house were sprinkled with white sand.
On the days leading up to Easter, the women prepared food for the coming Easter weekend. A roasted chicken and noodle soup were traditional foods for the Easter Sunday meal. The noodle dough was prepared on Saturday. On Easter morning, the dough was rolled out, cut into thin sheets, and placed on the bed pillows to dry. Before Easter morning service ended, the noodles were cut into thin strips. The dried noodles were placed into the chicken broth after the church bell rang when the pastor began reading the Lord's Prayer. At the second ringing of the bell, the chicken was stuffed and placed in the oven. Baked goods such as Riwwelkuchen and Pfefferkuchen were made from leavened dough. A syrup made from boiled sugar beets was used instead of granulated sugar, giving the pastries an aromatic and dark color. Simple cookies were also made. Flour, salt, and baking soda were formed into the shape of dolls (Puppen). Other cookies were flavored with jam and fennel. Some of the women made Schichtkuchen (Napoleons), which were a special treat.
On Easter morning, the children sprung from their beds, eager to find what the Osterhase (Easter rabbit) had brought for them. In Norka, the Easter rabbit brought colored eggs placed in a hat by the door of the house or in a nest of sand prepared beforehand in one of the corridors inside the house. Some may have planted barley in a dish and waited for it to sprout. The sprouts were then used as a nest for the eggs.
After the children received their nest of eggs, they had breakfast and visited their godparents, who provided them with more treats.
After the Easter morning church service and family dinner, the adults visited from house to house. Guests were often greeted with Schnapps, coffee, and cakes. Children were given colored eggs and sweets. Young girls and children often went out into the fields to gather tulips and played on swings set up for the Easter holiday. Payment of one egg allowed a child to swing for 3 to 5 minutes. Young people and the older generations would dance fast polkas and the "skipping" waltz.
Ostermontag (Easter Monday) celebrated the risen Christ and saw the observance of secular traditions. Many games were played, including Eierschuhwelle. This game was played on a square or triangle. Each player dug a small pit on one side of the playing field. The first player who could tip their egg into the small pit received the egg. Another variation of this game was played by drawing a line in the dirt on which every player placed an egg 1/4 of an arschin (an old Russian measure equal to 28 inches) apart from each other. The players then stood a predetermined distance from the line of eggs and, in order, each tossed a hard-boiled egg, attempting to strike another egg on the line. A successful hit meant that the winner could keep the opponent's egg.
Many people played the traditional game of egg knocking to see whose egg would survive the blow without breaking the shell. Bunnock, a game somewhat like lawn bowling but played with painted horse bones, was also popular. Two teams would line up about 33 feet opposite each other and attempt to knock down the other team's line of 22 bones, known as soldiers and guards. The first team to knock down all their opponent's bones won. The game of Bunnock is said to have been created by Russian soldiers to pass the time while stationed in Siberia during the early 19th century and was adopted by the Volga Germans.
Young men often stayed up until sunrise as they strolled through the village and sang Gasse Lieder (street songs) with bawdy lyrics, which the adults ignored.
If Easter wasn't too early in the season, the men would go out to the fields in the evening to get a head start on plowing and sowing.
The Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther in 1517 again modified the Holy Week and Easter traditions. The Easter hare or rabbit tradition was first found in German literature in the 1570s. Germanic Easter traditions continued to evolve and were carried to Russia by the colonists in 1766. The physical environment and exposure to Russian culture also shaped the holiday customs of the Volga Germans.
The Christian Heilige Woche (Holy Week) leading up to Easter made it a special time of year and one of the most important holidays in Norka. On Palmsonntag (Palm Sunday), the congregation took communion at the church with the new confirmands practicing this ritual for the first time. The days leading up to Gründonnerstag (Maundy Thursday) were very festive (in German, the day is known as Green or Mourning Thursday; in English, it is known as Holy or Maundy Thursday). All celebrations ceased on Gründonnerstag when services were held in the church as they were again on Karfreitag (Good Friday).
Eggs were usually colored on Karsamstag (Holy Saturday). The Volga Germans, as did the Russians, colored their eggs red or a golden tan by using onion peel, purple or pink by using beet juice, and blue by using red cabbage leaves. The colonists also gathered herbs that sprouted in the early spring on hilltops and dry places. Plants such as Eierkräutchen (the lichen Parmelia saxatilis) were used to give the eggs a golden color. Bohnenkraut, an herb that grew on the hills, gave eggs a vivid dark green color. Sprouts from young birch trees were also gathered to produce an extract to color the eggs.
Everyone also did a complete and detailed cleaning of their house and yard on Saturday. Streets and common areas were also cleaned. When the cleaning was finished, homes were decorated with greenery to ward off evil spirits. The floors of homes and the street areas leading to the gate of each house were sprinkled with white sand.
On the days leading up to Easter, the women prepared food for the coming Easter weekend. A roasted chicken and noodle soup were traditional foods for the Easter Sunday meal. The noodle dough was prepared on Saturday. On Easter morning, the dough was rolled out, cut into thin sheets, and placed on the bed pillows to dry. Before Easter morning service ended, the noodles were cut into thin strips. The dried noodles were placed into the chicken broth after the church bell rang when the pastor began reading the Lord's Prayer. At the second ringing of the bell, the chicken was stuffed and placed in the oven. Baked goods such as Riwwelkuchen and Pfefferkuchen were made from leavened dough. A syrup made from boiled sugar beets was used instead of granulated sugar, giving the pastries an aromatic and dark color. Simple cookies were also made. Flour, salt, and baking soda were formed into the shape of dolls (Puppen). Other cookies were flavored with jam and fennel. Some of the women made Schichtkuchen (Napoleons), which were a special treat.
On Easter morning, the children sprung from their beds, eager to find what the Osterhase (Easter rabbit) had brought for them. In Norka, the Easter rabbit brought colored eggs placed in a hat by the door of the house or in a nest of sand prepared beforehand in one of the corridors inside the house. Some may have planted barley in a dish and waited for it to sprout. The sprouts were then used as a nest for the eggs.
After the children received their nest of eggs, they had breakfast and visited their godparents, who provided them with more treats.
After the Easter morning church service and family dinner, the adults visited from house to house. Guests were often greeted with Schnapps, coffee, and cakes. Children were given colored eggs and sweets. Young girls and children often went out into the fields to gather tulips and played on swings set up for the Easter holiday. Payment of one egg allowed a child to swing for 3 to 5 minutes. Young people and the older generations would dance fast polkas and the "skipping" waltz.
Ostermontag (Easter Monday) celebrated the risen Christ and saw the observance of secular traditions. Many games were played, including Eierschuhwelle. This game was played on a square or triangle. Each player dug a small pit on one side of the playing field. The first player who could tip their egg into the small pit received the egg. Another variation of this game was played by drawing a line in the dirt on which every player placed an egg 1/4 of an arschin (an old Russian measure equal to 28 inches) apart from each other. The players then stood a predetermined distance from the line of eggs and, in order, each tossed a hard-boiled egg, attempting to strike another egg on the line. A successful hit meant that the winner could keep the opponent's egg.
Many people played the traditional game of egg knocking to see whose egg would survive the blow without breaking the shell. Bunnock, a game somewhat like lawn bowling but played with painted horse bones, was also popular. Two teams would line up about 33 feet opposite each other and attempt to knock down the other team's line of 22 bones, known as soldiers and guards. The first team to knock down all their opponent's bones won. The game of Bunnock is said to have been created by Russian soldiers to pass the time while stationed in Siberia during the early 19th century and was adopted by the Volga Germans.
Young men often stayed up until sunrise as they strolled through the village and sang Gasse Lieder (street songs) with bawdy lyrics, which the adults ignored.
If Easter wasn't too early in the season, the men would go out to the fields in the evening to get a head start on plowing and sowing.
Sources
Dietz, Jacob E. History of the Volga German Colonists. Lincoln, Neb.: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Printed by Augstums Printing Service, 2005. 369. Print.
Olson, Marie Miller., and Anna Miller. Reisbick. Norka, a German Village in Russia. Denver: S.n., 1981. 22. Print.
Spady, Jim. "The Easter Egg Roll". Norka Newsletter. Summer 1998.
"The Official Bunnock Website - A Game for All Ages!" The Official Bunnock Website. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://www.bunnock.com/>.
Yerina, Elizabeth M. "Christmas and Other Traditional Holidays of the Germans on the Volga." Trans. Rick Rye. American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Journal 21.3 (1998): 7-12. Print.
Yerina, Elizabeth. M., and V. E. Salʹkova. Obychai Povolzhskikh Nemt︠s︡ev = Sitten Und Bräuche Der Wolgadeutschen. Moskva: Gotika, 2000. 64-85. Print.
Olson, Marie Miller., and Anna Miller. Reisbick. Norka, a German Village in Russia. Denver: S.n., 1981. 22. Print.
Spady, Jim. "The Easter Egg Roll". Norka Newsletter. Summer 1998.
"The Official Bunnock Website - A Game for All Ages!" The Official Bunnock Website. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://www.bunnock.com/>.
Yerina, Elizabeth M. "Christmas and Other Traditional Holidays of the Germans on the Volga." Trans. Rick Rye. American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Journal 21.3 (1998): 7-12. Print.
Yerina, Elizabeth. M., and V. E. Salʹkova. Obychai Povolzhskikh Nemt︠s︡ev = Sitten Und Bräuche Der Wolgadeutschen. Moskva: Gotika, 2000. 64-85. Print.
Last updated November 28, 2023