Germany 2017 Post 16

Easter was the day we'd been looking for.

We drove back into town. It was cold and ominous. I was hoping for snow but mrguy, who was doing all the driving, was not.

People assemble early for the festivities, and in the hours we waited in the cold across the street from the church the weather changed frequently. I kept trying to cheer up mrguy during the freezing rain, with moderate success.

While the service was happening inside, a man in a floppy hat appeared on the steps of the church and made an announcement. Then church let out, and the priests in beautiful garb holding banners spoke.

Then, the horsemen.

A procession of roughly 50 men wearing tails and top hats slowly rode the block around the church and then up to the church steps. The priests handed off the banners to the lead horsemen, who placed them in holsters somewhere on the bridles of the horses, and then they began singing hymns in Sorbian while circling the church again. This is what we came for. Singing dudes on horses.

The horsemen ride like this to all of the nearby Wendish communities, stopping at each to sing. The horses are watered and rested, the men get a bite to eat, and then they ride on. By around 3pm they return to the original church in Bautzen.

As for us? We were officially done with Easter. We headed home, where our hosts had opened their dining area across the street to locals who wanted an Easter breakfast. It seemed to be mostly them and their friends, with some big sweet dogs joining in to be petted.

Then back to our cozy apartment, where we drank coffee and read the New York Times all day.

We ate the last of the white asparagus for dinner.