Easter in Salzburg – Living Traditions

Easter is just around the corner – a time of new beginnings, the awakening of spring, and especially here in the beautiful Salzburg region, Holy Week is a period of deeply rooted and lovingly maintained customs. Some of these you may know from your own homeland, others only from stories.

In the Salzburg Alps, Easter remains the most important celebration of the year in predominantly Christian communities. For centuries, a fascinating blend of Christian meaning and ancient folk traditions has been practiced across the different regions.

Palm Sunday: The Start of Holy Week

Holy Week always begins with Palm Sunday and its beautifully crafted palm bouquets. The “Palm Donkey” and the popular palm pretzels are part of it. A joyful Sunday that is celebrated happily.

Silent Days and the Tradition of “Ratschen”

The Silent Days start on Holy Thursday when the church bells fall silent. According to tradition, “they fly to Rome.”

This custom, dating back to the 18th century, is carried on by the so-called “Ratschen children” until Easter Night. With their small wooden noisemakers – the “Ratschen” – they walk through the village, replacing the ringing of bells during prayer and mass times.

The rhythmic clatter of the Ratschen, accompanied by traditional rhymes, is a distinctive sound of Holy Week in Salzburg. Passed down from generation to generation, the custom often earns children a small reward on Holy Saturday. There are three different sizes of Ratschen – from ¼ to ½ inch. This Good Friday tradition is now part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Also still practiced on Good Friday and Holy Saturday is the setting up of the Holy Sepulchre. The tomb scene, crafted in different sizes and artistic styles – but without the figure of Jesus – is arranged. The figure of Christ is only placed in the tomb after the Resurrection.

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The Resurrection: Food Blessing and the Glow of Easter Fires

On Holy Saturday evening or the night leading into Easter Sunday, Easter reaches its climax. Darkness is broken by the light of Easter fires. These often meter-high wooden stacks are ceremoniously lit and symbolize the triumph of light over darkness, life over death – the resurrection of Christ. Waiting together by the fire is a powerful communal experience in many villages.

Another key tradition is the blessing of Easter food. Families bring baskets filled with traditional foods to church for blessing. Typical contents include:

• Smoked Easter ham
• Dyed Easter eggs (symbol of life)
• Sweet Easter bread (yeast plait)
• Salt (symbol of covenant and prosperity)
• Horseradish (symbol of suffering)
• Baked Easter lamb (symbol of Christ)

These blessed foods are then served at the first festive breakfast or snack on Easter Sunday.

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Easter Sunday: Feast, Egg Hunt, and “Egg Tapping”

Easter Sunday is a day of joy and family togetherness. After breakfast with the blessed food, the Easter Bunny finally arrives!

For children, the egg hunt in the garden or house is the highlight. Colorful eggs, sweets, toys, and long-wished-for gifts – often cleverly hidden behind bushes, trees, or shrubs – are searched for and found. The whole family usually joins in the fun, with helpful or misleading hints adding to the excitement.

A tradition found in every family is “egg tapping” (also known as egg knocking or egg clashing). Two people knock their hard-boiled eggs against each other – first tip to tip, then base to base. The egg that remains intact wins and claims the broken one. Fun for all ages! Beware: some take the game seriously and choose their “combat egg” wisely – some even try to cheat with plaster eggs!

Why does a bunny bring the eggs – and not a hen?

The bunny is a symbol of fertility. Hares are among the first animals in spring to have many offspring. The Easter Bunny figure was first mentioned in writing in 1682.