--- title: Easter customs in the Dachstein Salzkammergut url: "https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/en/artikel/detail/3913/easter-customs-bad-goisern-gosau-hallstatt-obertraun.html" description: "In Obertraun, wheels are hung on roofs, the ratchet jacks are moving through the villages, the palm bush is put into the ground. Why? It is Easter!" date: 2012-06-19 modified: 2026-03-06 --- # Easter customs in the Dachstein Salzkammergut Easter customs in the Dachstein Salzkammergut ============================================= **What does a palm bush consist of, what are the ratchet boys doing and why should you put everything together around your house in Obertraun?** The palm bush ------------- It has nine components: blessing tree, holly, sendl, daphne, oak leaf, box tree, palm catkin, hazelnut and yew. The **sacred palm bush** is put into the ground, it decorates the corner of the Lord's God and **protects the house, courtyard and hallway**. Ratchet boys ------------ With the last ring on Maundy Thursday, the bells fall silent until the resurrection ("they fly to Rome"). Then the ratchet boys move through the places to replace the bell ringing with their ratchets. Oaradln or Eier-Radln or eggs-wheeling -------------------------------------- Particular popularity enjoys e.g. in the Easter time, the in **Obertraun's area** practiced and popular custom called **"Eier-Radln"**. It is a matter of taking away at night **all agricultural implements with wheels** (wheel blocks, hay carts, ...), which were not housed in buildings on Easter Sunday and remained outside, and **placing them on the roof of a house** - far away from the original farm. This is to denounce the owner of the equipment for his **"untidiness"**, so to speak. Nowadays it is not only agricultural implements that are taken away; everything that has wheels and is discovered by the nightly "egg wheelers", e.g. bicycles, disc chests, car tires etc. is deposited on the surrounding house roofs. Get here more information about[ **craftsmanship, tradition and customs of the Dachstein Salzkammergut**](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/en/things-to-do/culture-traditions.html "Craftsmanship, traditions and custom in the Dachstein Salzkammergut"). The following photo gallery can be navigated with the arrow keys (left, right). Open copyright © Easter egg (photo: Michaela Kefer) Close copyright [ ![A typical Easter custom in the Dachstein Salzkammergut is hiding the Easter eggs. (photo: Michaela Kefer)](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/fileadmin/_processed_/8/e/csm_Osterei-Ostern-Foto-Michaela-Kefer_14b11a6ac2.jpg "Easter egg (photo: Michaela Kefer)") ](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/fileadmin//user_upload/dachstein-salzkammergut/boxen/boxen-groß/handwerk-brauchtum/Osterei-Ostern-Foto-Michaela-Kefer.JPG "Easter egg (photo: Michaela Kefer)") Open copyright © Easter custom Ratschen (photo: Ulli Hillbrand) Close copyright [ ![In the Easter custom "Ratschen", the "Ratschen" boys go from house to house and replace the church bells. (photo: Ulli Hillbrand)](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/fileadmin/_processed_/2/7/csm_Ratschen-Ostern-Foto-Ulli-Hillbrand_3d114fc67b.jpg "Easter custom Ratschen (photo: Ulli Hillbrand)") ](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/fileadmin//user_upload/dachstein-salzkammergut/boxen/boxen-groß/handwerk-brauchtum/Ratschen-Ostern-Foto-Ulli-Hillbrand.jpg "Easter custom Ratschen (photo: Ulli Hillbrand)") Open copyright © Easter custom "Eier-radeln" in Obertraun (photo: Peter Perstl) Close copyright [ ![In the Easter custom "Oaradln", all objects with wheels are mounted on the roofs on Easter night to show the owners that they must be tidy. (photo: Peter Perstl)](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/fileadmin/_processed_/f/a/csm_Oaradln-Obertraun-Foto-Peter-Perstl_3d25473eb5.jpg "Easter custom "Eier-radeln" in Obertraun (photo: Peter Perstl)") ](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/fileadmin//user_upload/dachstein-salzkammergut/boxen/boxen-groß/handwerk-brauchtum/Oaradln-Obertraun-Foto-Peter-Perstl.JPG "Easter custom "Eier-radeln" in Obertraun (photo: Peter Perstl)") Open copyright © Palm bush (photo: Ulli Hillbrand) Close copyright [ ![At Easter, consecrated palm bushes are put into the ground to protect the house, courtyard and hallway. (photo: Ulli Hillbrand)](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/fileadmin/_processed_/9/c/csm_Goiserer-Kinderpalmbuschen-Foto-Ulli-Hillbrand_db64c43529.jpg "Palm bush (photo: Ulli Hillbrand)") ](https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/fileadmin//user_upload/dachstein-salzkammergut/boxen/boxen-groß/handwerk-brauchtum/Goiserer-Kinderpalmbuschen-Foto-Ulli-Hillbrand.JPG "Palm bush (photo: Ulli Hillbrand)") [ previous slide ](#ttgDetailSiteCarousel "back") [ next slide ](#ttgDetailSiteCarousel "forward") Church services and customs --------------------------- **Palm Sunday** - Palm Sunday in the catholic church Obertraun from 09.00 a.m. - Protestant church service in the Protestant prayer house Obertraun 09.00 a.m. - Palm Sunday church service in the Protestant church Gosau from 09.00 a.m. - Church service in the Protestant church Bad Goisern from 09.00 a.m. - Church service in the Protestant church Gosau from 09.00 a.m. - Church service in the Protestant church Gosau from 09.00 a.m. - Church service in the Catholic church Obertraun from 09.00 a.m. - Palm sanctification at the market place Bad Goisern from 09.15 a.m. - Church service in the Catholic church Kirche Bad Goisern from 09.30 a.m. - Holy church service in the Catholic church Hallstatt from 10.15 a.m. - Opening of the Holy Week at the market place in Hallstatt from 10.15 a.m. - Church service in the Protestant church Hallstatt from 10.15 a.m. **Maundy Thursday** - Liturgy to the Maundy Thursday in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 04.00 p.m. - Liturgy to the Maundy Thursday in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 07.00 p.m. - Evening church service in the Protestant church Bad Goisern from 07.30 p.m. - Service from the Last Supper in the Benefizium Lahn Hallstatt from 08.00 p.m. **Good Friday** - Protestant church service im evangelischen Bethaus Obertraun from 08.30 a.m. - Good Friday church service in the Protestant church Bad Goisern from 09.00 a.m. - Last Supper in the Protestant church Hallstatt from 10:15 a.m. - Good Friday church service in the Protestant church Bad Goisern from 02.00 p.m. - Prayer to the Good Friday in the Catholic church St. Agatha from 3 p.m. - Celebration of the Lord's suffering and death in the church on the Kalvarienberg Hallstatt from 03.00 p.m. - Abendmesse im Benefizium Lahn Hallstatt from 06.00 p.m. - Good Friday church service in the Catholic church Obertraun from 07.00 p.m. - Good Friday liturgy in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 07.00 p.m. **Holy Saturday** - Ratchet children walk through the villages - Evening church service in the Benefizium Lahn Hallstatt from 06.00 p.m. - Celebration of the Easter virgil in the Catholic church in Obertraun from 08.00 p.m. - Celebration of the Easter virgil in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 08.00 p.m. **Easter Sunday** - Resurrection shootout on the bathing island Hallstatt from 06.00 a.m. - Resurrection service in the church on the Kalvarienberg Hallstatt from 06.00 a.m. - Wake-up call of the Goiserer brass bands in Bad Goisern from 07.00 a.m. - Church Service on Easter Sunday in the Catholic church Obertraun from 09.00 a.m. - Church service on Easter Sunday in the Protestant church Bad Goisern from 09.00 a.m. - Church service in the Catholic church Gosau from 09.00 a.m. - Church service in the Protestant church Gosau from 09.00 a.m. - Church service in the Catholic church Obertraun from 09.00 a.m. - Church service on Easter Sunday in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 09.30 a.m. - Church service in the Catholic church Bad Goisern with Martins Chor from 10.00 a.m. - Last Supper in the Protestant church Hallstatt from 10.15 a.m. - Holy church service in the Catholic church Hallstatt from 10.15 a.m. **Easter Monday** - Church service in the Protestant church Bad Goisern from 09.00 a.m. - Church service in the Catholic church Obertraun from 09.00 a.m. - Holy church service in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 10.00 a.m. - Celebration church service in the Catholic church Hallstatt from 10.15 a.m.