A German Easter

Despite the fact the America is a more religious nation than Germany, I found that easter in Germany was actually a pretty big deal.

It started on Green Thursday with communion and a short church service. People get out of school and work Friday and Monday for the holiday. On Good Friday it's actually against the law in Germany to dance, but many youth have parties or go to clubs anyway. My host family went to a church service instead. Then on Saturday I went to REfresh, which is a service just for teenagers. The topic was where am I going after I die. It was really cool and I loved the atmosphere. Then on Sunday everyone in the church met early to eat breakfast together. Afterwards we had our normal service. Then we went to my host grandmother's house for lunch. The easter bunny brought lots of candy and goodies this year. After lunch I took a nap and then we all went on a short walk to a park nearby with ducks. Then on Monday we went to my host great grandmother's house to celebrate with the other side of the family. Another day full of good food and family.

So all in all, the easter celebration was about 5 days long. Of course, for the majority in Germany it's just an opportunity to miss a little school, get some presents, and eat food. But I guess for many Americans it's just an opportunity to buy a new dress or suit, eat, and buy cheap candy the next few days.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful easter and kept in mind the real reason to celebrate!