Easter Markets in Germany are a way to rediscover artistic traditions, to prepare for the Easter holidays. The Sorbs of Lusatia, photo, a small ethinc group near the Polish border, have a rich tradition.

Easter Markets take place on the weekends before Easter and showcase designs of regional and international artists.
They are held all over Germany, but especially in Baden-Wuerttemberg in the southwest, eastern Bavaria and of course in the region of Lusatia, south of Berlin bordering Poland.

The region is home to the ethic group of the Sorbs, who are well known for their Easter traditions: Bautzen, the main city, is also called the ‘Easter Town’ and visitors can experience some long-standing German Easter traditions.

Among the highlights is a visit to the local the Easter Egg markets, that display Sorbian Easter eggs that are made with special techniques and are renown for their beauty.

Easter events in Bautzen include the procession of Easter Riders in traditional customes who march on richly decorated horses through the town of Bautzen and the villages around on Easter Sunday. Photo: The Sorbs' national flag: blue, red, white.

The Sorbs, Germany’s small Slavic minority, recently celebrated Zapust, an important cultural festival in the Lausitz region near the Polish border. Zapust, or Shrovetide, is one of the most popular Sorbian celebrations and it is deeply linked with the working life of the tight-knit community.

Traditionally, the festivities would last one week before the spring sowing of the fields and would culminate in a procession.
Modern Shrovetide usually consists of a carnival and a parade.

Young unmarried couples wear traditional dress – the women and girls in dancing dresses and the men and boys wearing flowers given to them by their female partners.

Traditions like Zapust are an important way to help preserve the Sorbian language and culture. The current premier of Saxony, Stanislaw Tillich, is the most prominent member of the Sorbian community.

Source: Travel Germany/The Local