to 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 271px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/SeDLS2e8YqI/AAAAAAAAC5Q/z0DOWlxLZHU/s320/osterhase.jpg” border=”0″ />
top:2px;padding-right:5px;font-family:times;”>Hippity, hop, hop, hippity, hop, hop… Spring has sprung in Berlin just in time for Easter! Obviously Mother Nature knew that Easter is considered one of the most important events of the year in Deutschland – and brought out the sunshine to welcome the holiday with a sunny smile!
A walk down the Ku’damm is a delight at the moment bursting with Easter displays, yellow daffodils and chocolate bunnies tempting me with their brightly colored foiled packages! Did you know that many of the customs associated with Easter originated in Germany – including the use of decorated eggs as well as the Easter Bunny?
to 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/SeDLS1aMgkI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/EcSTsttMnP4/s320/212.JPG” border=”0″ />Getting in the spirit of the holiday, I’ve spruced up my house, German style, in the time honored tradition of hanging eggs on the branches of the “Osterbaum” (Easter Tree)! Of course, I’m taking liberties with the tradition and pairing the hanging eggs with a bouquet of tulips paying tribute to my time in Holland.
In fact, this Easter my husband WG & I are mingling a montage of cultures. German/American friends The Pelikan Pen Guy and The Swiss Miss (along with The Little Swiss Miss) are in town this holiday weekend visiting us from their home in Zurich! Needless to say, we’re having a dashing good time! Today we hit the Berlin Trodelmarkt and I’ll soon be sharing some of our guest’s purchases with you in a special feature blog! But the culture connections continue from here – we first met these friends when we were all living in Paris years ago. So to commemorate the Paris Connection in Berlin we are doing Easter dinner at the French Restaurant Juliette in the German town of Potsdam. But the countries connection continues… this world-class restaurant lies in the center of the restored Hollandisches Viertel (Dutch Quarter) in Potsdam. 
The Dutch Quarter will remind us of when these same friends visited us on an Easter of yesteryear when we were living in Holland!
It’s a small world after all!
The Antiques Diva™ (and friends)
To learn more about German Easter Traditions visit to-germany.com/easter-in-germany.html” target=”_blank”>Journey to Germany
Hi Marlene,
It’s so nice to hear from you! We’ll start with Berlin Tours Summer/early Fall 2009 and will spread from there throughout the next year! If you send me your email address I’ll let you know once we’re up and running!
Yours,
The Antiques Diva (TM)
Greetings,
It sounds like you are settling in Berlin nicely. Are you doing antiquing tours in Germany yet? I’ll be in So. Germany in early July. Would love to go on a Munich or Frankfurt tour with you!
Phivos,
It is interesting to know that the traditions are the same in Cyprus!!
Hope you are having a lovely spring!
Rose,
Thanks!! They did me too… it was such a lovely vintage postcard I couldn’t help but to share it! And now, that I know about you I’m going to have to share details of your art with readers!
Karen,
And Happy Belated Easter to you too!! I’m really enjoying learning how German immigrants brought so many traditions to America! I can’t wait until Christmas!! Oh tanenbaum, Oh tanenbaum!!
Interesting information. The traditions more or less are the same with ours!
Happy Easter Toma! Lovely post.. those bunny rabbits remind me of my childhood.
By the way, you once asked if I sell my paintings.. yes, I take commissions.
Happy Easter! How fun to learn that so many of our traditions started in Germany.