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Deutschland Schleife 2025 | Traditionelle Sorbische Ostereier auf Ostermarkt
Image: Markus Schreiber/AP Photo/picture alliance

Easter

Easter is when Christians mark the time they believe Jesus rose from the dead. Today, it's also known for bunnies and decorated eggs. In 2025, Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians celebrate on the same day.

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All Content on this topic

Chick being held in a human hand

Surprising stories hatching from eggs

Animals hatching include fascinating species, from giant birds to lizards called dragons.
ScienceApril 14, 20229 images
A demonstrator holds an egg reading sure we will win while signing a three-finger salute

Myanmar protesters demonstrate with Easter eggs

Protesters used the holiday symbol to take a stand against the military overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's government.
ConflictsApril 4, 2021
Pope Francis celebrates Easter Mass at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican

Christians mark second Easter under lockdown

Christians around the world have been celebrating a second Easter under coronavirus restrictions. Read DW for more.
ReligionApril 4, 2021
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Polizei Kontrolle Verbot touristischer Reisen

Tourists expelled from German state over COVID restrictions

Police expelled more than 500 vacationers from Mecklenburg-West Pomerania as part of the state's ban on tourism.
HealthApril 4, 2021
Bunny with Easter basket

Where the Easter Bunny came from

How did bunnies and eggs become inseparable at Easter? We got to the bottom of this — and other — odd Easter traditions.
CultureApril 3, 2021
BG Ostern - das gegenwärtige Heilige Land

Easter celebrations in Jerusalem

Thanks to high vaccination numbers, Israeli-Arab Christians can enjoy Easter with the family.
SocietyApril 2, 202102:50 min
Candles and musician with a COVID mask

COVID: Another 'Silent Easter' in Berlin

A Protestant pastor watched half the residents of the nursing home in his parish lose their lives during the pandemic.
SocietyApril 2, 2021
A police officer stands guard in front of St. Anthony Church in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the anniversary of the 2019 Easter bombings

Sri Lanka: 'No one cares more about human rights than us'

Sri Lanka's civil war ended 12 years ago, but sectarian tensions remain. Is the country protecting human rights for all?
PoliticsMarch 31, 2021
Female nurse administering a jab

Germany's COVID vaccinations hit Easter snag

Some German states are pausing vaccinations over the long Easter weekend. They blame supply and logistical issues.
SocietyMarch 31, 2021
Spain, Mallorca: people under a parasol on an empty beach

Vacations on Mallorca ― a guilty pleasure

At Easter, German tourists will return to Mallorca ― but things are not as carefree on the island as they used to be.
TravelMarch 29, 2021
Osterhase

The Easter Quiz

How well do you know Easter traditions in Germany? Test your knowledge!
TravelMarch 29, 2021
DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

The Easter reversal & new info on introverts

The Easter lockdown is canceled. But at what cost? Also, the COVID-19 introverts vs. extroverts debate gets fresh fuel.
ScienceMarch 25, 202109:49 min
German Chancellor Angela Merkel talking in the Bundestag

Merkel urges vigilance after Easter U-turn

The German chancellor addressed the German parliament after rejecting calls for a vote of no-confidence.
PoliticsMarch 25, 2021
external

Merkel's U-turn 'necessary'

Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist and lawmaker for Germany's Social Democrats, speaks to DW's Michaela Küfner.
PoliticsMarch 24, 202103:53 min
Thurau Jens Kommentarbild App

German government is in free fall

Jens Thurau
After Angela Merkel announced a U-turn on the Easter shutdown, Jens Thurau warns the chancellor has lost her way.
PoliticsMarch 24, 2021
Chancellor Angela Merkel

Merkel backtracks on Easter lockdown after uproar

Chancellor Angela Merkel and her conservative party are under attack over anti-coronavirus measures.
PoliticsMarch 24, 2021
DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

Easter, 'reactivated corona' and blood clots

Germany's hardest lockdown yet, blood clot concerns, and is it possible for COVID-19 to "reactivate" months later?
ScienceMarch 23, 202110:07 min
Coronavirus - Aachen

German travel sector disappointed by the sustained lockdown

Flights to Mallorca are possible but domestic tourism is on hold, and the industry is reacting with incomprehension.
TravelMarch 23, 2021
external

Hospitality sector not amused about Easter lockdown

The CEO of the German Hotel Association tells DW that he's not supportive of a stricter lockdown over Easter.
BusinessMarch 23, 202103:02 min
Empty tables and chairs outdoors at a restaurant in Aachen

Germany imposes strict lockdown over Easter

"We are in a new pandemic" due to the spread of virus variants, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.
HealthMarch 23, 2021
Germany has taken the Spanish island and holiday hotspot off its list of high-risk destinations.

Mallorca braces for tourists

Germany has taken the Spanish island and holiday hotspot off its list of high-risk destinations.
March 22, 202103:01 min
Eurowings Airbus A320 in Mallorca

Germany: Eurowings adds 300 extra flights to Mallorca

The budget airline has responded to an influx of bookings by expanding its services to the Spanish island.
BusinessMarch 15, 2021
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Tesla Symphony

A Tesla moves to the beat. A musical experiment.
Cars and TransportationJanuary 20, 202101:12 min
Sri Lanka's Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Ranjith

Sri Lanka remembers Easter Sunday bombing victims

The first anniversary of Sri Lanka's 2019 Easter Sunday bombings has been marked with silence and bells amid its coronav
TerrorismApril 21, 2020
Cyril I, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, conducts the main service of the Church in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour to celebrate the Orthodox Easter.

Orthodox Christians worldwide celebrate locked down Easter

More than 260 million Orthodox Christians have found ways to celebrate their holiest day as church pews remained empty.
ReligionApril 19, 2020
A very small number of worshippers attended the Palm Sunday service at the Church of St. Tatiana in Moscow

Orthodox Easter online in Moscow

Orthodox churches in Moscow are closed to Easter worshippers due to coronavirus restrictions
April 18, 202002:28 min
external

Easter during a pandemic

The Ark, a small German Christian charity, brings Easter goods to kids from families facing tough times.
April 12, 202001:23 min
An empty church in South Korea

Christians celebrate distanced Easter

The coronavirus pandemic forced Easter Sunday church services to move online because of social distancing regulations.
ReligionApril 12, 2020
Chocolate rabbits with face masks

Belgian chocolate Easter treats

In Belgium, some masked chocolate Easter bunnies are giving a small business an unexpected boost.
April 12, 202002:29 min
Police officers stand in St. Peter's Square, as Pope Francis holds his Easter Sunday

Coronavirus latest: Pope mourns dead in Easter message

Pope Francis has offered sympathy to those who weren't able to say goodbye to their loved ones. Follow DW for more.
HealthApril 12, 2020
external

A quiet Eastertime in Berlin

How are people getting into the Easter spirit while staying home? We asked around in Berlin.
SocietyApril 11, 202003:07 min
Belgien Lonzee | Osterhasen mit Mundschutz

Confectioner uses confinement to make solidarity sweets

Belgian artisan boosts supply of both masks and morale for frontline healthcare workers.
CultureApril 10, 2020
A Catholic Mass being recorded and streamed live from Trier Cathedral

Religious celebrations in the time of coronavirus

Easter, Passover, Ramadan – how can the faithful fulfill their religious obligations despite coronavirus.
ReligionApril 10, 2020
An empty street in Jerusalem's Old City

Coronavirus: An eerily different Easter in Jerusalem

The coronavirus pandemic has also gripped the Holy Land. Easter this year will look a lot different in Jerusalem.
SocietyApril 9, 2020
Inside Europe Teaser

Inside Europe 09.04.2020

On this weekend's podcast: EU's coronavirus rescue efforts disappoint Italians — Christians celebrate Easter under lockdown in Poland — Why Germany's COVID-19 mortality rate seems lower than other nations — Erdogan quarrels with opposition mayors amid coronavirus outbreak — Chocolate Easter bunnies provide a sweet spot to Belgian artisan.
PoliticsApril 9, 202054:59 min
external

Restricted Easter in Jerusalem

Coronavirus restrictions in Jerusalem impact traditional Easter celebrations. Now they’re going online.
ReligionApril 9, 202002:07 min
A priest in Achern holds mass with photos of people who cannot attend in person

Not this Easter, German courts tell churchgoers

Catholic and Protestant leaders are urging congregants to stay "responsibly" in isolation on the Christian holiday.
ReligionApril 7, 2020
The Arugam Bay Strand in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka sees tourism revival after Easter attacks

Sri Lanka's tourism industry is slowly reviving seven months after the deadly Easter Sunday attacks by Islamist groups.
SocietyDecember 11, 2019
external

Sri Lanka votes

Concerned about religious and minority rights as Sri Lanka approaches election day
PoliticsNovember 14, 201903:38 min
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks at the front line position from a shelter as he visits the war-hit Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine

Ukraine ready for peace: Zelenskiy

With conflict simmering in the east, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told DW he wants a political solution.
ConflictsJuly 5, 2019
Soldiers guard St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings that rocked the country

Sri Lanka arrests top officials over bombings

Sri Lanka's top police inspector and a former defense secretary have been arrested for failing to avert deadly attacks.
TerrorismJuly 2, 2019
Security personnel stand guard in front of St Anthony's Shrine, days after a string of suicide bomb attacks across the island

Sri Lanka extends emergency after Easter bombings

Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since a string of bombings killed more than 250 people in mid-April.
SocietyJune 22, 2019
A Sri Lankan security officer in Colombo

Religious tension grips Sri Lanka

Muslims and Catholics have become divided by suspicion and anger after terrorists attacked churches on Easter Sunday.
SocietyMay 27, 2019
external

Refugees attacked in Sri Lanka

DW visits a police station where refugees have sought protection from anti-Muslim mobs.
PoliticsMay 14, 201903:47 min
Sri Lankan Catholics pray during a Mass at St. Theresa's Church

Catholics in Colombo attend first Sunday Mass since attacks

Two weeks after a string of bombings, Sri Lankan Catholics have attended their first regular Sunday mass.
ReligionMay 12, 2019
A security officer stands guard outside St. Anthony's Shrine following bomb attacks in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka expels 600 foreigners after Easter bombings

Around 200 Islamic clerics were among the 600 foreigners expelled from Sri Lanka after deadly bombings on Easter Sunday.
TerrorismMay 5, 2019
St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Catholics cancel Mass again

Catholic services are being canceled in Sri Lanka for a second weekend.
TerrorismMay 2, 2019
A Muslim man in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Muslims facing pressure after bombings

The Muslim community in Sri Lanka is asking for tolerance amid a growing atmosphere of mistrust and animosity.
SocietyApril 30, 2019
A woman wearing a burqa

Sri Lanka bans face veils

The ban is part of several emergency measures enacted in the wake of suicide attacks that killed 253 people.
PoliticsApril 29, 2019
Orthodoxes Ostergottesdienst in Russland

Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter

Orthodox Christians follow a different calendar and celebrate Easter a week later than some of their fellow believers.
ReligionApril 28, 20195 images