Germany's Easter Enthusiasm | Painted Eggs, Decorated Trees and Fire Wheels

In Germany, the Easter holiday is celebrated in an explosion of color, with everything from painted Easter eggs hanging from trees to pyrotechnic fire wheels that are rolled down the hillside in one famous local tradition. And the long-established practice of ornately decorating eggs is still going strong.

For many people, Easter is just an excuse to eat far too much chocolate. In many parts of predominately Christian Germany, though, traditional Easter customs still play a strong role in the spring festival.

Across the country, families take part in annual Easter egg hunts on Easter Sunday and decorate trees by hanging colorful eggs from them. Meanwhile Germany's Sorbian minority holds true to its tradition of hand-painting eggs with intricate patterns.

The town of Lügde in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, however, celebrates Easter in grand style. There, locals send burning "fire wheels" hurtling down a hill known as Easter Hill.

Some two-thirds of Germans consider themselves Christians, according to the German government. And while about half of older Germans think of Easter as a religious festival, according to a survey conducted earlier this year by pollster Allensbach, younger Germans say they consider Easter to be more important as a family event and tradition.

Spiegel Internacional