Easter customs in the Dachstein Salzkammergut
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.
Church services and customs
Palm Sunday
- Palm Sunday in the catholic church Obertraun from 9 a.m.
- Protestant church service in the Protestant prayer house Obertraun 9 a.m.
- Palm Sunday church service in the Protestant church Gosau from 9 a.m.
- Church service in the Protestant church Bad Goisern from 9 a.m.
- Church service in the Protestant church Gosau from 9 a.m.
- Church service in the Protestant church Gosau from 9 a.m.
- Church service in the Catholic church Obertraun from 9 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 4 p.m.
- Liturgy to the Maundy Thursday in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 7 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 8 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 9 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 2 p.m.
- Prayer to the Good Friday in the Catholic church St. Agatha from 2 p.m.
- Celebration of the Lord's suffering and death in the church on the Kalvarienberg Hallstatt from 3 p.m.
- Abendmesse im Benefizium Lahn Hallstatt from 6 p.m.
- Good Friday church service in the Catholic church Obertraun from 7 p.m.
- Good Friday liturgy in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 7 p.m.
Holy Saturday
- Ratchet children walk through the villages
- Evening church service in the Benefizium Lahn Hallstatt from 6 p.m.
- Celebration of the Easter virgil in the Catholic church in Obertraun from 8 p.m.
- Celebration of the Easter virgil in the Catholic church Bad Goisern from 8 p.m.
Easter Sunday
- Resurrection shootout on the bathing island Hallstatt from 6 a.m.
- Resurrection service in the church on the Kalvarienberg Hallstatt from 6 a.m.
- Wake-up call of the Goiserer brass bands in Bad Goisern from 7 a.m.
- Church Service on Easter Sunday in the Catholic church Obertraun from 9 a.m.
- Church service on Easter Sunday in the Protestant church Bad Goisern from 9 a.m.
- Church service in the Catholic church Gosau from 9 a.m.
- Church service in the Protestant church Gosau from 9 a.m.
- Church service in the Catholic church Obertraun from 9 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 from 09:30 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 9 a.m.
- Church service in the Catholic church Obertraun from 9 a.m.
- Holy church service in the Catholic churchBad Goisern from 09:30 a.m.
- Celebration church service in the Catholic church Hallstatt from 10:15 a.m.
