What makes Easter Monday so special? Is the high church holiday also a legal one? Here you will find everything about customs, meaning and date.
Munich – Easter Monday is a public holiday throughout Germany, Austria and many other European countries. Most workers have the day off and most shops are closed.
When is Easter Monday 2022?
The content of Easter Monday refers to a specific passage in the Bible in which disciples tell of the resurrection of Christ. Easter Monday is therefore primarily an addition to Easter Sunday: the Emm exit, which has become a custom today as an Easter walk, is reminiscent of this story. In many regions, the festivals are celebrated colorfully and cheerfully: the 40-day Lent ends on the Sunday before Easter Monday. According to the Jewish calendar, Christians always celebrate on the first weekend after the first full moon in spring Easter Sunday – this year on April 17th. The associated Easter Monday is therefore always one day after this date and varies annually between March 23rd and April 26th. This year Easter Monday falls on April 18, 2022.
Easter Monday: origin of the word and origin of the church holiday
While the “Kar” in Good Friday comes from the Old High German term “Kara” and means sorrow or mourning, a change of mood is announced from Easter Sunday. Colorful eggs, allowed from Easter Sunday due to an old custom, and the name “Easter” introduce the time until Pentecost and the end of Lent. However, the origin of the word Easter has not been clearly clarified: there is much to be said for a derivation from the old Germanic “Austro”, which translated means “dawn”. Alternative explanations lead the word back to the Germanic spring goddess Ostara as namesake.
The story told in Luke’s Gospel specifically says that on that day two disciples were on their way to the town of Emmaus near Jerusalem. The stranger they met introduced himself that evening as Jesus Christ, who had risen from the dead the day before – on Easter Sunday. Good Friday is considered the day of Jesus’ death.
Although the tomb no longer housed a body, the disciples were doubtful by then. Only when the risen Christ appeared to them were their doubts removed and they spread the good news about the true resurrection of their Lord. However, the Roman Catholic Church emphasizes: “The resurrection of Jesus is not to be understood as a miraculous raising of the dead back to earthly life. The risen Christ appears – according to the Gospel stories – in a transformed body and is not immediately recognizable as such.”
The peculiarities of Easter Monday: regional customs and festivals
Easter Monday is closely linked to many different customs. In Traunstein in Bavaria, for example, the day is celebrated with the Georgiritt. This is intended to drive away the cold winter in a symbolic way. About 500 horses, festively decorated floats and bands parade through the streets celebrating the beginning of spring. Some municipalities in Upper Bavaria also maintain the custom of going around the field. The farmer walks the rye and wheat seed field together with all the residents of the house. The Easter candle and – in some communities – the Easter fire, which can be understood as a symbol for the resurrection of Jesus, have also become established in the church.
The Remlingen Egg Run has also been taking place in Lower Franconia since around 1738. At that time, Countess Dorothea Renata von Castell-Remlingen renounced the so-called Hubeier, which were part of the rural taxes, and gave them to the young people in the village. They should celebrate and have fun – this is how today’s folk festival developed, which is celebrated annually.
Easter Monday 2022: In which federal states is it a public holiday?
Like Good Friday, Easter Monday is a public holiday in all federal states. Depending on the regulation, employees who are on duty on Easter Monday receive a holiday bonus – unlike, for example, Easter Sunday, which only counts as a holiday in Brandenburg, or Holy Saturday, which is not a public holiday in any federal state. Around Easter, it is always a good idea to take time off throughout Germany. With only four vacation days (Tuesday to Friday after Easter Monday) you get ten days off. We have summarized further tips for the bridging days 2022 for you here.
- Baden-Wuerttemberg
- Bavaria
- Berlin
- Brandenburg
- Bremen
- Hamburg
- Hesse
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Lower Saxony
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- Saarland
- Saxony
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Schleswig Holstein
- Thuringia
You can read here how terms such as death, resurrection and Easter can be explained to children in general. (nap)
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