Easter egg rolling

The people of Bautzen have a very special custom surrounding Easter eggs. 

The city of Bautzen has a unique Easter tradition, which attracts many people every year. Children and adults alike gather on the local hill called »Protschenberg« for a unique custom called »Ostereierschieben«, which can be translated to Easter egg pushing.

The »Ostereierschieben« was first mentioned in 1550, although back then it was still called Easter egg rolling, since that better describes what is happening during this tradition. Originally, wealthy children used to roll eggs and other round objects down the hill, which the poorer kids had to catch. Later, they would also roll nuts, oranges, apples or even baked goods down the hill.

The children on the bottom of the »Protschenberg« were allowed to keep whatever they could manage to put in their bags. Nowadays the children roll and catch small plastic balls, which can be exchanged for small prizes. The whole event is moderated by the so-called »Eierjokel«, who used to be a street vendor in torn clothing.

There is also a slightly different version of this custom, where the children just let their eggs roll down the hill. The winner is the person whose eggs either have not broken during the tumble, or have rolled the longest. The custom of Easter egg rolling has been revived in 2001 and is now one of the major attractions in Bautzen during the Easter holidays.