Every year ... not only the Santa Claus comes, but also the Easter Bunny :-)

Although every season has its own special charm, I always look forward to Easter in particular, not least because in our village "Geiselsberg", at 1,400 metres above sea level, we have 9 long months of winter and only 3 months of summer, or so they say in our country.

Okay, we don't have it that hard, but the fact is: winter can be really long and hard and then it sits tough in your bones.

It's all the nicer when it's colourful, with decorations and flowers, when the sun no longer just dazzles but also warms you up again. Easter always promises a springtime feeling of happiness.

And because South Tyrol is the land of traditions and customs, Easter is one of the most eventful celebrations of the year. We love them, the Easter customs, honestly more the funny ones than the historical ones, because who, HOHO, laughs, wins!

So, now to the customs:
Should you ever spend Easter in South Tyrol again, ideally with us in the Zirm, hence where it is most beautiful #chuckle, don't be surprised if:
  • on Palm Sunday, meaning the Sunday before Easter Sunday, everyone frantically jumps out of bed. The South Tyrolean custom says that whoever is the last to sit at the breakfast table is given the endearing nickname "Palmesel" (Palm donkey) all day long. But that's not all: the "Palmesel" also has the honour of preparing the Easter Sunday family breakfast and then spoiling everyone else with it.

  • traditionally, on Palm Sunday, the bound palm brooms are also brought into the church for consecration. Palm brooms are bound bushes made of palm catkins and olive branches. To add colour to the bushes, colourful crepe strips are attached. After the consecration in the church, the palm bush is kept between the cross and the Lord God.
    The bundles are lit in the oven at the first thunderstorm, this is said to ward off disaster.

  • according to tradition, Easter eggs are dyed on Maundy Thursday in South Tyrol. Meanwhile, many people have mega artistic ideas to make the "Goggilan", that's the South Tyrolean word for eggs, look dazzling in the Easter basket on Sunday.

  • and then the time has finally come: EASTER SUNDAY! After the colourful Easter baskets have been solemnly consecrated in the church, you can already meet the Easter Bunny on the street. Please don't be scared, just cuddle him and wish him a happy Easter :-).

  • if you see one or two South Tyroleans trying to throw an egg over their roof, don't be surprised, an old tradition says that this brings good luck for the rest of the year. If you get hit, don't be angry, just wish the thrower luck for the rest of the year.

  • "guffen" - ever heard of it? This is the Easter Sunday family fight. Egg versus egg, to be precise, egg-head versus egg-head and egg-bottom versus egg-bottom. One of us encloses his egg with his hand, the other one "gufft" (= knocks) on it, the best methods how to enclose the egg or how to knocks it in the most ideal way, you learn with time, here too you only become a pro after many eggs :-). The one who broke the egg first on the head and bottom, lost, but as a consolation he may consume it in all serenity.
Finally, something very special: the typical South Tyrolean Easter bread which goes fantastically well with the consecrated delicacies from the Easter basket.
Would you like to try it out? Just send an email to our reception and soon you will have the special Zirm recipe in your mailbox.

Happy Easter from the Schraffl family and the whole ZIRMtastic team