{"id":1457,"date":"2012-04-07T19:15:59","date_gmt":"2012-04-07T19:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=1457"},"modified":"2019-01-21T20:28:33","modified_gmt":"2019-01-21T20:28:33","slug":"ostern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/ostern\/","title":{"rendered":"Ostern"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hot<\/a><\/p>\n

A friend has reliably informed me that the ribbon covered bush\/stick things we saw in Austria are actually called Palmbuschen…\u00a0\u00a0 On Palm Sunday people take them to church to be blessed, and then take them back home to either display in their fields (where they will hopefully bring luck for good harvests for the coming year), or keep them indoors where they will take pride of place by the family crucifix.\u00a0 Apparently they also protect the household against thunderstorms and disease.\u00a0 We haven’t had much of a problem with thunderstorms yet, and even though we are not religious, I am beginning to think we could do with a Palmbuschen what with the amount of bugs we have had so far this year…<\/p>\n

Here in Bavaria another notable Easter tradition is the very sweet Osterlamm<\/a> cake, that is also sometimes taken to church to be blessed (before being devoured after Easter lunch I expect).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I was the kind of child that would have wanted to keep one of these until it grew green “wool”, and my mother would have had to secretly dispose of it. \u00a0 Knowing The Seven Year Old would probably feel the same way, I resisted the urge to buy one…<\/p>\n

Although all these bushes and cakey lambs are all very well, and it’s lovely to experience the traditions of others,\u00a0 there are certain English Easter things that I always miss each year.\u00a0 Mostly (M&S) Hot Cross Buns. \u00a0 Obviously they are quite hard to come across, so each year I resort to trying to make my own.\u00a0 Experience proves that even if they are not quite up to scratch, they make the house smell great while they are baking, and this helps with the M&S deprivation somewhat (I have since discovered that the combination of my husband and the bread machine make a much more authentic bun<\/a>, so it’s their job from now on)… !\u00a0 \u00a0 The first batch I made didn’t look too bad though, so I subjected some German friends to them.\u00a0\u00a0 I also made them bacon rolls with HP Sauce, and insisted that they try Marmite.\u00a0 I wonder if I will ever see them again?<\/p>\n

Anyway, I will leave you with a few topical pictures taken recently.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Happy Easter!\u00a0 I hope the Easter Hare (he is here anyway!) is good to you!<\/p>\n