A mix of cultural influences bring charm to our most beloved Texas Hill Country Easter traditions. Which is your favorite?
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Each season has its special customs, as does each region. Here in Central Texas, Hill Country Easter traditions are so interwoven with our calendar that seldom do we think much about what sets ours apart—or where they originated.
So, come along with us as we explore five beloved Hill Country Easter traditions. You may just discover a new one that you want to bring into your own family.
5 beloved Hill Country Easter traditions
1. Bluebonnet photographs
Can you think of a more iconic Hill Country image than that of a family member photographed in a field of bluebonnets? Among old family photographs, I have an image of my late grandmother—then in her seventies—standing in a patch of blue blooms during a trip to Austin, holding what looks to be an Easter basket.
There’s something about the state flower that, well, sings of springtime and rebirth. And apparently, for some of us, Whataburger, too.
2. Easter fires
Legend has it that Fredericksburg’s early settlers told their children that hilltop fires — burned by Comanches to signal a treaty between German immigrants and Native Americans — were actually jackrabbits boiling water to dye eggs.
But, according to the Handbook of Texas Online, the origin story actually dates back to German, as with many area customs.
“The people of northwestern Germany, especially in the provinces of Westphalia and Lower Saxony, practice an identical custom of lighting Easter-eve fires on specified hills. The practice originated in preChristian times as part of a spring festival and, along with the rabbit and egg, represents pagan customs that passed intact into Teutonic Christianity. The German provinces where Easter Fires occur contributed almost half of the settlers who came to the Texas Hill Country. The most likely agents of diffusion were Hanoverians, one of the two largest groups in early Fredericksburg.”
Over time, the custom became a bit of social affair (with an annual pageant) and a tourist attraction, too. These days the fires are held only periodically, with the next one being slated for April 16, 2022—just in time for Fredericksburg’s 175th birthday.
3. Easter bunny nests
According to Karen at German Girl in America, this darling Hill Country Easter tradition is rooted in the Easter bunny’s own origin story.
“Hundreds of years ago, Duchess Rosilinda von Lindenberg went into hiding with her children and servants in a remote village. For saving her life, she thanked the people who protected her by bringing them chickens who laid eggs. She wanted to make it extra special for the children, so she had them build little nests. Secretly she colored some of the eggs and hid them in the nests. When the kids discovered the colored eggs, they were excited… and a little confused when a rabbit bounded out of the bushes. The kids presumed the BUNNY had brought the eggs.
And the story stuck, and eventually, traveled all the way to Texas with early German settlers.”
Unlike the famous Easter fires, this tradition is a bit lesser known beyond the communities with strong German heritage.
That said, the idea of bedecking a basket, a grapevine wreath or even a nest of sticks with native grasses and spring wildflowers to leave for the bunny is an idea worth spreading beyond places like Fredericksburg and New Braunfels.
4. Cascarones
Popular in both Texas and Mexico, these colorful, confetti-filled eggs that kids crack over one another’s heads have their roots Spanish settlements. Some believe they actually date back to Marco Polo’s travels to China. At one point the eggs once held scented powders, making them popular with affluent women.
Today in the Hill Country, they are especially associated with both Easter and San Antonio’s beloved Fiesta, an annual Eastertime celebration that marks the Battle of the Alamo. But it’s also commonplace to see stacks of boxes on local store shelves, with many families using them in lieu of (or in addition to) traditional dyed eggs on Easter Sunday.
Some families go DIY and make their own. Here’s how:
5. Picnics in the park
As with the cascarones, this tradition appears to have originated in San Antonio where families have gathered in public parks for barbecue and fellowship. A recent cheeky news article references a 130-year-old photograph that shows people “day drinking” beer in the old Riverside Park while decked out in their Sunday best.
Rather than strictly an excuse for daylight libations, it’s probably more likely that the rush to secure an optimal table at an area park was mainly about celebrating some of the year’s best weather. And the same is likely true today.
After all, after spring comes summer … and few of us want to be out with kids in the park all day when those June, July and August temperatures rise.
What are your family’s favorite Hill Country Easter traditions? We’d love to hear from you.
