EASTER BONFIRE - AN ANCIENT CUSTOM WITH DEEP SYMBOLISM
The Easter bonfire is not only a beautiful tradition for Easter, but also carries a significant meaning. We have summarized the various backgrounds of this custom.
Easter is one of the most important holidays in Christianity. Once a year, during the Easter holidays, an Easter bonfire is lit. However, the custom does not originally come from Christian tradition.
This is the meaning behind the Easter bonfire
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- Easter falls seasonally in spring, hence lighting a large bonfire was already a custom for pagan peoples to welcome the return of nature.
- The fire is a symbol for the sun, which is joyfully welcomed after a long winter.
- The fire is also associated with safeguarding fertility, growth, and the harvest.
- Easter bonfires have been a tradition in Germany since the 11 century. The Christians adopted the pagan custom and reinterpreted it. The fire was now seen as the light of Jesus, reminding people of the life and resurrection of Christ.
Traditions surrounding the Easter bonfire
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- Depending on the region, Easter bonfires and their traditions vary slightly.
- The most popular time for the fire is Easter night – that is, the night from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday. But fires are also lit in some places on Good Friday or Easter Monday.
- Devout Christians also light their Easter candle at the Easter bonfire. The candle is meant to symbolically bring light into the dark church and eventually carry the consecrated fire into their own homes.
- Some regions also burn a symbolic doll in addition to wood. This is a figure made of wood and straw, representing Judas – the disciple who betrayed Jesus.