German Vocabulary • Easter | Ostern

Easter | Spring | Frühling | Ostern | Osterhase | Osterei

An Annotated English-German Glossary of Easter Terms
In this annotated English-German glossary, you’ll find vocabulary and facts related to the Easter celebration and springtime customs in German-speaking Europe.

Also see: German Easter and Springtime Traditions, the German-English version of this glossary and the Easter Greetings section below.

German Language > Easter: German-English > Easter: English-German

ABBREVIATIONS:
adj. (adjective), adv. (adverb), lit. (literary), n. (noun), pl. (plural), sl. (slang), v. (verb), vul. (vulgar)

Glossary Copyright © 2002-2023 Hyde Flippo

A

Ascension (of Christ) die Himmelfahrt
Ascension Day Christi Himmelfahrt (40 days after Easter)
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mariä Himmelfahrt (15. August)
Ash Wednesday der Aschermittwoch
»» The day after Carnival/Mardi Gras ends and when Lent begins also marks the start of the Easter cycle. Aschermittwoch gets its name from the ashes of burnt palm fronds from the previous Palm Sunday – used to mark the foreheads of the faithful. Also see: Fasching and Karneval.

B

bunny der Hase (-n), das Häschen (-)
Easter bunny der Osterhase
»» The Osterhase tradition dates back to a 1682 published account by the German medical professor Georg Franck.

The Easter Bunny is German – The history of the Easter Bunny (der Osterhase) is fascinating – and German.

Free PDF Download! A PDF printable birthday dates calendar for notable people from Austria, Germany and Switzerland, plus the dates of holidays and observations. More: The German Way Birthday and Holiday Calendar

C

Carnival, Mardi Gras der Fasching, die Fastnacht, der Karneval
»» The date for Karneval or Fasching/Fastnacht depends on the date of Easter. See: Fasching and Karneval for more.
chick, baby chicken  das Küken (-)
Christ (der) Christ, Christi, Christus
»» The term Christ/Christus comes from the Greek “christos” for the Hebrew “messiah” or “anointed one” (der Gesalbte).
Christianity das Christentum
Christ’s grave/tomb das Grab Christi
color, dye v. (eggs) (Ostereier) färben
colored/dyed eggs gefärbte Eier
colorful bunt
cross das Kreuz (-e)
crucifix das Kruzifix
crucifixion die Kreuzigung (-en)
crucify kreuzigen

D

daffodil die Osterglocke (-n) – See photo.

decorate, paint (eggs) (Ostereier) bemalen, verzieren
decorated eggs bemalte Eier, verzierte Eier
dye, color v. (eggs)  (Ostereier) färben
dyed/colored eggs gefärbte Eier

Osterfeiertage • Daten 2021-2025 Dates of the Easter celebration • From Mardi Gras to Pentecost
Fasching (Mardi Gras) Shrove Tuesday	16. Februar 2021 1. März 2022 21. Februar 2023 13. Februar 2024 4. März 2025
For more about Mardi Gras (Fasching) in German-speaking Europe, see: Fasching and Karneval.
Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday)	17. Februar 2021 2. März 2022 22. Februar 2023 14. Februar 2024 5. März 2025
Palmsonntag (Palm Sunday)	28. März 2021 10. April 2022 2. April 2023 24. März 2024 13. April 2025
Karfreitag (Good Friday)	2. April 2021 15. April 2022 7. April 2023 29. März 2024 18. April 2025
Ostern (Easter)	4. April 2021 17. April 2022 9. April 2023 31. März 2024 20. April 2025
Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day)	13. Mai 2021 26. Mai 2022 18. Mai 2023 9. Mai 2024 29. Mai 2025
Pfingsten (Pentecost)	23. Mai 2021 5. Juni 2022 28. Mai 2023 19. Mai 2024 8. Juni 2025
For more about Mardi Gras (Fasching) in German-speaking Europe, see: Fasching and Karneval.

E

Easter das Ostern (-)
»» at Easter an/zu Ostern
»» on Easter (Day) an Ostern
»» Happy Easter! Frohe Ostern!
»» Happy Easter! Ein frohes Osterfest!
Easter bonfire, Easter fire Osterfeuer, das (-)
»» The Easter bonfire custom is popular in some regions of Germany, mostly in the Northwest. But Easter fires are also found in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and parts of Austria and Switzerland. The fires take place after dark on various days of the Easter celebration, depending on the region.
Easter bunny der Osterhase (-n)

The Easter Bunny is German – The history of the Easter Bunny (der Osterhase) is fascinating – and German.

Easter card die Osterkarte (-n)
Easter egg das Osterei (-er)
Easter egg tree/branch (see photo above) der Osterstrauch (-sträucher)
Easter fountain/well der Osterbrunnen (-)
Easter holiday, vacation die Osterferien (pl.)
Easter mass die Ostermesse (-n)
Easter Monday der Ostermontag
Easter service der Ostergottesdienst (-e)
Easter tree der Osterstrauch (-sträucher)
egg das Ei (Eier)
egg shell die Eierschale (-n)

F

flower die Blume (-n)

G

Good Friday der Karfreitag
»» The Friday before Easter commemorates the day of Christ’s Crucifixion. The week leading up to Easter (Holy Week, Passion Week) is known as die Karwoche.

Glossary continues below…

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Greetings for Easter | Ostergrüße

Easter Greetings (Ostergrüße)
If you’d like to send someone Easter greetings or eine Osterkarte (an Easter card) in German, here are some suggested phrases and sentiments you can use.

Frohes Osterfest! Happy Easter! (“happy easter celebration”)
Frohe Ostern! Happy Easter!
Österliche Grüße von… Easter greetings from… (your name)

Herzliche Ostergrüße! Viel Spaß beim Eiersuchen!
Heartfelt/Warmest Easter greetings! Have fun with your (Easter) egg hunt.
Wir wünschen euch von Herzen ein frohes Osterfest und sonnige Frühlingstage!
We wish you (all) sincerely a happy Easter celebration and sunny spring days!
Zu Ostern wünsche ich dir stressfreie Tage und viel Erfolg bei der Eiersuche.
For Easter I wish you stress-free days and good luck (“much success”) hunting for eggs.
Ein frohes und gesegnetes Osterfest! Wir wünschen euch viele bunte Eier und erholsame Feiertage!
A happy and blessed Easter! We wish you (all) many colorful eggs and restful holidays!

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H

Happy Easter! Frohe Ostern!
Holy Thursday Gründonnerstag another name for Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday
Holy Week, Passion Week die Karwoche (-n)
»» The week leading up to Easter (Holy Week) is known as Karwoche in German. Also see “Good Friday” Karfreitag above.

J

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus von Nazareth (“Jesus” pron. YEH-ZUS)

L

lamb das Lamm (das Osterlamm)
Lent, the Lenten season die Fastenzeit
»» Lent, the 40-day Fastenzeit, begins on Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch) and ends at Easter (Ostern).

More on The German Way • Eggs on trees – 5 favourite German Easter traditions • Spring has sprung, officially Two German Way Expat Blog posts about Easter and spring

M

Mardi Gras Fasching – Karneval
Mary Magdalene Maria Magdalene
Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday Gründonnerstag, der (the day before Good Friday/Karfreitag, part of the Easter Holy Week)

P

paint, decorate (eggs) (Ostereier) bemalen
palm, palm tree die Palme (-n)
palm frond der Palmwedel
Palm Sunday der Palmsonntag
»» The Sunday before Easter gets its name from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (der Einzug Jesu in Jerusalem) when palm branches were strewn before him.
paschal festival das Passahfest, das Osterfest
»» The terms “paschal” and Passah– are derived from Hebrew Pesach and Greek Pascha – and are related to the Jewish Passover.
paschal lamb das Osterlamm
Passover das Passah/Passahfest (see “paschal festival” above)
Passover meal (Seder) das Passahmahl
Pentecost, Whitsun das Pfingsten
More under “Whitsun”
pope, the der Papst

R

Resurrection (of Christ) die Auferstehung
Romans, the die Römer (pl.)
Rome (das) Rom

S

Shrove Tuesday der Fastnachtsdienstag, der Faschingsdienstag
spring der Frühling, das Frühjahr
St. Peter’s Square der Petersplatz

T

tulip die Tulpe (-n)

W

Whitsun, Pentecost das Pfingsten
»» The 50th day after Easter or Passover. (Der 50. Tag nach Ostern.) The seventh Sunday (Whitsunday) after Easter commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (die Herabkunft des Heiligen Geistes auf die Apostel).

Next | Easter: German-English Vocabulary
More | German Easter and Springtime Traditions
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