EditorialEASTER GREETINGS
Dear friends of Eurojumelages,
I wish you, your families and friends a happy Easter, a few relaxing days and a good start to the approaching spring.
Sincerely,
Peter Backes
In some places in Europe, Easter traditions have been celebrated for hundreds of years...
For example, in Schönecken/Eifel, close to Luxembourg and Belgium, the birthplace of my wife. A tradition has been practised there for 500 years on Easter Monday, the "Schönecker Eierlage", a competition between two bachelors.
Two bachelors compete against each other in a race on Easter Monday. One of them has to collect 104 raw eggs one by one and place them in a basket at the starting point.
The eggs are laid in sawdust on a road at a distance of one ell (62.5 centimetres). The packer (Raffer) covers a total distance of around 6.9 kilometres.
If an egg breaks, he has lost.
At the same time, his counterpart, the "runner" (Läufer), sets off on his way to the neighbouring village of Seiwerath and from there back to Schönecken. He has to cover 7.6 kilometres and a difference in altitude of 122 metres.
Whoever completes their task first is the winner.
The winner of the race receives a gold-plated watch, while the person who loses receives a gold-plated lighter. The 104 eggs are then eaten by all the bachelors at a big scrambled egg party on Easter Tuesday.
The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when the lords of Schönecken Castle had errand boys who competed against each other to amuse the people.
I would like to thank Josef Kammerschen for his support for this article. He is involved in many social projects in Koblenz and has become an institution there, although he still feels very close to his home town of Schönecken.
https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/trier/tradition-wie-vor-500-jahren-wieder-eierlage-in-schoenecken-100.html
https://www.facebook.com/josef.kammerschen/videos/2962871580401373?locale=de-de