Easter Monday

Easter Monday is one of the 26 December and the whit to the second public holidays of the highest Christian festivals. In many countries, including Germany, Austria and many parts of Switzerland, he is celebrated as a public holiday, as in the Netherlands, Italy, Croatia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, UK, Ireland, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary France and Spain.

The high Christmas and Easter festivals, formerly Pentecost are celebrated with a octave, which includes the following Sunday. Here, every day of the octave is celebrated liturgically as a Solemnity.

Liturgical meaning

Easter Monday is a holiday devoted to the second Easter. However, here is another passage in the Bible is used, which tells the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the perspective of the Emmaus disciples. Strictly speaking, the Monday is thus the continuation of Easter and thus - liturgical - only partly seen as a distinct day. Biblical history is anchored on Easter Sunday and not on Easter Monday.

During the day 's Gospel ( Lk 24:13-35 EU) are two disciples on the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus departed from Jerusalem to return to Emmaus. On the way there is a third, unidentified man joins them. This scrutinizes the grief of the two returnees and finally explained to them that the Messiah had to suffer these things, as it had predicted the ancient writings. In Emmaus arrived, the disciples invite the man to an inn a. He breaks the bread at the table, and in that moment they recognize the risen Jesus, but disappears before their eyes. Instantly returns to achieve the same night back Jerusalem and tell the disciples gathered there yet from their experience.

Local customs

Since the fasting ends on Easter Sunday, developed for this occasion celebrations, such as sports competitions and numerous ritual celebrations. By introducing a second holiday own customs could arise in the German-speaking countries for the Easter Monday. So reminiscent of the Emmaus passage or Emmaus Easter walk to the transition of the two disciples of Christ from Jerusalem to Emmaus, where they encountered the risen Jesus of Nazareth. Most of the Emmaus passage begins before the parish church and ends in a chapel.

In Traunstein Chiemgau of Swords Dance and Georgiritt is celebrated on Easter Monday, in which today symbolically out the winter.

In many rural communities in Upper Bavaria the old custom of the paschal field intercourse is still alive. The farmer, accompanied most of all residents, is the rye and Weizensaatfeld, even Winterfeld called from.

Since 1720 in the city of Bern Easter Monday parade detectable, in which the magistrates moved from Münster to City Hall and organized the crafts of coopers and the butcher processions through the city. On this day a festive competition in the swing also took place at the Great Hill in Bern until the 19th century.

In addition, have been preserved over the centuries different customs, such as the " Traditional Remlinger egg and spoon race " in Remlingen ( Lower Franconia ), the " Schönecker egg situation " in Schönecken (Eifel ) or the Easter ride in the Lausitz (predominantly in the Catholic Lusatia ), in the often the hymns are sung in Sorbian.