Typically, Germans look forward to four days off in a row, starting on Good Friday, followed by the weekend and Easter Monday. While shops are open on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it is common for people to take advantage of the national holiday and plan a longer vacation in this period. However, in 2020 and 2021, Germans faced somewhat different Easter planning due to government restrictions on mobility and social gatherings amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2020, 40 percent of Germans were still mostly looking forward to celebrating Easter despite the COVID-19 outbreak, though almost the same share of people felt the opposite.
While Easter is a religious holiday, much of the population enjoys this time of year due to being able to take the first longer vacation of the year and spend time with family. Indeed, 34 percent of respondents to a survey asking about Easter traditions stated that they looked forward to family celebrations. Other traditions include gifting chocolate, going to see a local Easter bonfire in the evening and hiding Easter eggs, which is especially popular among children. The eggs are hard boiled, and the shell is subsequently painted. Lent is another popular tradition during Easter, with 42 percent of men and 50 percent of women stating in a 2020 survey that they had previously given up certain food or consumer goods for several weeks.
