German Easter Customs: The Easter Walk

Goethe’s “Osterspaziergang” Poem The Easter (Ostern) observance in the German-speaking world tends to be much longer than in Anglo-American regions. Good Friday (Karfreitag), the day commemorating Jesus’s crucifixion, starts the final countdown...

Groundhog Day: The German Connection

Candlemas and the Grundsau Candlemas on 2 February, the 40th day following Christmas, is a Roman Catholic and Protestant observance that celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. Also known as the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (Darstellung des Herrn in...