As of early 2016, most of the eggs were given away to a local entity which plans to decorate a different tree in the Schlosspark in Saalfeld. Lengthen the lifespan of your carved pumpkins this season. You could also buy topiaries for your porch, popping a few eggs into the greenery for a burst of festiveness. Kraft and his family have been decorating the tree since 1965, starting with just 18 plastic eggs. In spring, they can be found on the shelves of many shops. Many eggs are covered in crochet and protected against further weathering. This decorative tradition has European roots. [6] This had been a childhood dream of Volker Kraft since he saw his first Easter "tree", a lilac bush which he passed on the way to school as a youth in 1945. It's also popular in neighboring Poland, Austria, and Hungary. In 2012 there were over 10,000 eggs on the Easter egg tree, and Kraft said that he would not try to hang more. Arrange them in a large vase, pail, or even a pretty watering can. [9], In 1995, a ver.di training center was built in the immediate vicinity, bringing more visitors and national fame to the Kraft Easter egg tree. In the U.S., Easter trees are especially popular in the Pennsylvania Dutch region, but you can find pockets of the South that wholly embrace the tradition, too—or even just a person down the street who thinks it's lovely. There, for 50 years, Volker Kraft decorated an apple tree, adding more eggs to it each year as the tree grew. The Easter egg tree custom, pictured here in Saalfeld, Germany, gained some ground in the United States. They remove the eggs before the leaves grow to prevent damage to the tree. Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. [1] Other German Easter traditions include the dressing of public wells as Osterbrunnen, Osterhasen (Easter Hares) and Osterfeuer (Easter bonfires). A German tradition of decorating trees and bushes with Easter eggs is known as the Ostereierbaum, or Easter egg tree. Several plastic egg companies now punch two holes in either end of the ovum, which makes for easy stringing. Odds are, your mother has a photo of you in your Easter Sunday best, standing beside a juvenile dogwood tree that's bedecked with colorful Easter eggs. Posted on March 17, 2018 March 21, 2020 by ingebretsens. If you like the idea of an outdoor Easter egg tree but don't have a sapling or juvenile tree you can reach easily, consider decorating bushes or shrubs instead. [6], All eggs are mouth-blown. Some are sprayed with one or more multicolored patterns. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. [6][8] The tree in Saalfeld does not hold the record for the most eggs on one tree. New themes are used every year. It is time to make your Easter Tree or Påskris – a popular tradition in Sweden. Southern Living is a registered trademark of, These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021, The Best Casserole Recipes for Cozy Nights In, Use These Quick Tricks to Keep a Halloween Pumpkin from Rotting, 50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime. The Easter Tree Tradition. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Some eggs are painted with motifs found in the city, such as the city gates or the home-museum, but world-famous buildings are also used as motifs. Of course, eggs are a long-held symbol of life, and Easter happens to fall during Earth's rebirth at spring. The feathers are tied to twigs and… But that Easter tree doesn't hold a candle—or an egg—to one in Rostock, Germany.