In Sorbian Lusatia, Easter riders once again parade from village to village on Easter Sunday. In nine processions in the triangle between Kamenz, Bautzen and Hoyerswerda, they carry the message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to their neighboring villages. As in previous years, 1,500 riders are expected, as announced by the Diocese of Dresden-Meißen.
More than 500 years of tradition
The tradition looks back on more than 500 years of history. Young people and men parade on horseback from their home church around the cemetery and fields to the neighboring village - in tails and top hats, singing and praying to the sound of bells, carrying crosses, church flags and the statue of the Risen Christ. Outside the villages, they pray the rosary on the elaborately decorated horses, wearing white gloves.
The roots of the custom go back to pre-Christian times, when it was believed that riding around the fields would protect the young seeds from the evil eye. Today's processions are a public declaration of Christian faith. Only men are allowed to sit in the saddle. Every year, onlookers, including many guests from Germany and abroad, line the paths in the Catholic region east of Dresden, where the national minority of Sorbs live.
