Easter vacation. In Tyrol

The time around Easter is a special time in Tyrol and especially in the Hall-Wattens tourist region. Tradition and customs are lived and celebrated by the population at Easter. Highlights worth seeing around Easter in the region include the famous Palm Sunday processions in the towns of Thaur and Hall in Tirol. In many churches in the region, colorful and elaborately designed and guarded Easter graves can be admired during the Easter period. The Easter market in the old town of Hall in Tirol and the Kunst am Ei exhibition present arts and crafts, handicrafts and gifts related to Easter. During the Easter market, you can stroll through the spring-like alleyways of the old town and enjoy your first drink in the spring sunshine in one of the town's beer gardens. Depending on the winter, you can still ski in the Glungezer ski area at Easter and enjoy spring in the snow. However, those who have already finished with winter can take advantage of the spring-like weather in the valley for walks or the first hike of the season. Events such as the Radish Festival, the Easter Festival and the Haller Nightseeing ensure a varied program of events in spring.

Easter customs

Tie palm bushes

Tying palm bushes is a beautiful annual tradition in families and/or parishes. First and foremost, the palm bush symbolizes Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. But the bush has many other interesting meanings and also a special use at the end of the year.

Everyone binds their own bush in their own way or with the plants they find in their garden or in the surrounding area. However, the palm bush actually consists of seven very special protective plants. The number 7 refers to the seven-day creation story, among other things. The plants in the palm bush are almost always the motif of eternal life, renewal and the cycles of life.

Palm tree procession. Lived Easter custom

To depict the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the custom arose in the Middle Ages of carrying wooden palm carts with a figure of Christ sitting on them during processions. A living custom that is still practiced today in Hall and Thaur.

Learn more

Easter graves

Elaborately decorated Easter graves are part of the Easter tradition in many parish churches in the region. A cultural and historical value that has unfortunately been forgotten in many places. The stage-like structures around the Christ lying in the tomb are decorated with flowers, candles and colorfully illuminated Easter baubles. In Absam, for example, the Easter tomb is set up on Maundy Thursday after the evening service and remains in place until the Easter Vigil. On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, members of the Speckbach rifle company keep the Easter grave guard. In Thaur, the Easter tomb can be found on the Way of the Cross in the direction of the Romedikirchl church.

Another custom is the celebration of the Easter Vigil with the blessing of food. The Easter candle, which is lit at the fire, is carried into the dark churches.

Culinary delights at Easter

The Lenten soup

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. In many Tyrolean communities, the traditional Lenten soup is prepared.

Extensive celebrations and culinary delights are as much a part of carnival as dressing up. Ash Wednesday heralds the start of the 40-day period of Lent after the end of the carnival season. It is the preparation for Easter, the highest festival in the Christian church. Even if the religious and ecclesiastical character of Lent has now faded into the background, for many people Lent is still an occasion to give up something - no matter what it looks like.

In Tyrol, Lenten soup is a tradition on Ash Wednesday! Church institutions and or associations cook the Lenten soup together with volunteers. This is usually served in return for voluntary donations. The money goes to social projects. This tradition is also very much alive in Hall and the surrounding villages.

Palmesel procession Thaur (c)Tirol Werbung_Axel Springer

The palm pretzels

Palm Sunday is the commemoration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, which has been celebrated with processions since the early Middle Ages. Decorated palm sticks and palm bushes are carried along. In addition to colorful ribbons, they are also decorated with palm pretzels. The shape of a pretzel is said to symbolize a person immersed in prayer with their arms crossed in front of their chest or, according to another tradition, the three pretzel eyes symbolize the Trinity of God. Until the 18th century, pretzels were only baked as a fasting food.

Boys used to give their girls a palm pretzel as a token of love and children were given a pretzel by their godfather. Pretzels are considered to bring good luck and blessings.

Kulinarik_Osterbäckerei©hall-wattens.at_1 (60)

The Easter lamb

Everyone is already looking forward to Easter. In addition to coloring eggs, it is above all the Easter baking delicacies that make our hearts beat faster. These will light up the breakfast table on Easter Sunday:

One of the best-known symbols of Easter is the Easter lamb. The sheep has been a symbol of life for thousands of years because it not only provides food (meat, cheese) and drink (milk), but also clothing (wool). Easter lambs are either made from chocolate or are traditionally made from sponge dough. Butter lambs are also very popular.

Events at Easter time

Easter festival. Tyrol

The Osterfestival Tirol is the only multi-genre festival in western Austria. With artists from all over the world, it tries to build a cultural bridge between people every year.

Learn more

No events found

Staying overnight in the Hall-Wattens region

Guest card for the Hall-Wattens region

With our guest card, the Hall-Wattens Card, we invite you to enjoy your holiday to the full! Explore the Hall-Wattens region and discover the wealth of culture and nature on offer in your vacation region. Benefit from free bus transfers within the tourist region as well as many discounts on admission to the Swarovski Crystal Worlds, guided hikes and wellness offers.