Osterbrunnen (Easter Wells) In some parts of Germany it is customary to decorate the wells and fountains during Eastertide. Typically, evergreen branches, yellow and purple ribbons, and painted eggs are used in the lovely and sometimes very elaborate Easter wells. Decorating the wells seems to have originally been done in conjunction with an annual spring-cleaning of the wells for health purposes. However, Osterwasser (Easter Water) drawn from the depths of the well was especially prized by the village girls for improving their complexions as well as protecting livestock from illness. Babies baptized with Osterwasser were said to become extremely intelligent.There are countless Easter wells in Franconia and the Oberpfalz. In general, Easter Wells stay decorated from Good Friday (Karfreitag) until about two weeks after Easter.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:20:36 +0000
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