Memory Lane: Easter 2009 was surely a memorable one. I was in Germany for my semester abroad and we had a class break. Since I was part of an exchange program, I was assigned to a program buddy named Lisa – someone who participated in the exchange at a University of Wisconsin school and acted as a “buddy” to help me become acclimated to the student community and Germany in general. She brought me home to her family for the holiday. She had a vehicle, my first time in those Euro-sized sedans, I packed things up and went to this cute town in the Limburg district (like the cheese, except this wasn’t the town known for Limberger cheese. That cheese is actually Belgian!.) Anyways. I was really excited to celebrate Ostern (Easter) with family and see how the German tradition was compared to back home.
That was one of the first times I was actually away from campus and being with the locals. The town was very small, quaint, and picturesque. The family had a gorgeous, comfortable home with a large backyard. I also remember a dining area with a long, large table, clearly meant to host several people with yummy meals. For some reason, that room is the most prevelent memory of the home.
We took a walk around the town, saying hello to everyone. The town knew Lisa and her family due to its size. Our walk reminded me a lot like home – the family clearly knew everyone in the community, we could walk safely with little traffic to mind, and were surrounded by quaint little farms and fields. It also was a great opportunity to challenge my German. Because of the small town was away from any larger city, the locals spoke only German. I really had to dig around in my brain to communicate. Lisa and her sister helped with translations, but neither their parents nor brother knew English. This made my Easter a memorable learning experience!
On Easter morning, we got up early for a church service at sunrise. To this day, I’m not sure if it was a Lutheran service or Catholic Mass – not that it matters. I mention that because having a Catholic background, the service was familiar and of course everything was in German. I remember the church was centuries old, and I actually don’t recall modern lighting. The church inside grew lighter and lighter as the sun rose. We had candles and partook in the services.
Afterwards, we walked down the road to a community center. It was a glorious Easter FEAST! Eggs, Würste, cheese, fruit, yogurt, and the BREAD. Oh gosh, you’ve never had bread until you’ve had delicious, soft, chewy, German bread. I’ve been around the world and they do it right. We sat with the other church-goers, talking and laughing. A very tight-knit community that made me feel welcomed. Although I was foreign, it honestly reminded me so much of home, my own community, the foods I grew up eating. Almost like we never changed the recipes from Germany and Austria when my g-g-grandparents arrived to the USA.
After the service and brunch, we went back to the house. Lisa’s mom hid Easter eggs and baskets for her children and me in the yard. Yes, 20-somethings still got baskets in their house! My basket was full of German candies; it was really thoughtful! I felt bad traipsing around their back yard and lifting things to search, and Lisa’s mom did her best to give me hints. We ended the evening with a delicious Easter dinner with more family and neighbors. The whole weekend emphasized the importance of community and family time and is one of my cherished memories during my study abroad.
I held off on finishing this post because tomorrow (April 12) is actually the Greek Orthodox Easter celebration! Thanks to my algorithm on social media, I can be more aware of other practices and approaches to the Easter holiday. Whether or not you celebrate Easter for religious reasons or general holiday family time, I hope you had also made some great memories, a belly full of good food and laughs!
Happy Easter! Frohe Ostern!
