Easter is coming up and I am lucky to have so many different cultural influences around me.  I have planned our Easter Sunday lunch together with my best friend who comes from Romania. As always it will be lots to eat and very good food,but that aside, I am not a religious person at all but today is Palm Sunday and there are couple of traditions which belong to it…. When in country do as locals do. So here you go..

I made Palmbuchl for the Kiddo yesterday. He is going to the church with it and it will be blessed. After that I will put it in my vegetable garden to bring good harvest luck for upcoming year. These little bunches from seven different kind of woods represent life, rebirth and resurrection.

 
Tradition says that you should not use nails or wire to bind this bush. Just bands or thin flexible twigs from young willow tree. Seven woods to be used include: birch, buxus, Thuje,oak,hazelnut,willow and cherrywood. These also vary by region.

 People go in a procession into the church to remember the way Jesus arrived to Jerusalem. These bushes can be anything from small ones to something like meters tall. Tallest known Palmbuschen has been five meters tall. Of course the size matters,especially if the carrier is a man 😜 These bushes are decorated with various colorful bands,ribbons,feathers,eggs,apples etc. 

    In Schärding am Inn, my home village the well has been decorated for Easter already. This year is very special because Schärding is turning 700 years!

  
   
   
So let’s enjoy the festive season and happy Easter time to you all!