Osterfeuer
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009An Osterfeuer is a bonfire that is lit on the evening of Easter Saturday, usually in connection with a Church service.
Different parts of Germany associate the fire with different traditions. In Bavaria it is also called the Judasfeuer and a straw figure, similar to a guy, is burnt upon the fire representing Judas Iscariot. In Westfalia it is said to banish the winter.
Some churches have a candle-light service on Saturday evening rather than a fire.
To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:
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