Lätare Procession with Winter Burning
Spring custom on Lätare Sunday in Landau and its town villages
About Lätare Procession Landau
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A Palatinate Spring Custom with a Long History
Lätare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, traditionally marks the end of winter in the Southern Palatinate. In Landau an der Pfalz, this day is celebrated with a grand procession, the burning of a straw effigy, and the recitation or singing of old sayings. The custom dates back a long way and is part of the region's intangible cultural heritage. In the preceding days, families craft Sommertagsstecken (summer day sticks), decorated with pretzels, colorful ribbons, boxwood twigs, and small sweets, which the children then carry through the streets.
Program in the Town Hall Square
The meeting point is the town hall square in the heart of Landau. Mayor Dominik Geißler officially opens the event precisely at 2 PM. The theater group of the Max-Slevogt-Gymnasium performs the traditional Hansel-Fingerhut-Spiel, a short dialect play in which winter, depicted as a grim figure, is driven away by summer. The Landau City Band and the Fife and Drum Corps provide musical accompaniment for the procession through the city center. At the end, the carried winter effigy is symbolically set alight. There are Sommertagsbrezeln (summer day pretzels) for the children, a carousel provides additional entertainment, and small food stalls offer hot and cold refreshments.
Simultaneously in the Town Villages
The town villages of Landau also celebrate their own Lätare processions: Arzheim starts at 1:30 PM, in Mörlheim and Mörzheim (at the Kita Wildtulpe daycare center) it begins at 2 PM, in Godramstein at 2:30 PM at Kincks Mühle, and in Nußdorf at 2 PM at the primary school. This allows the spring custom to be experienced in many variations.
Significance and Atmosphere
The Lätare Procession is far more than a tourist spectacle: it connects generations, keeps the Palatinate dialect and folk songs alive, and brings the citizens of Landau together in the heart of the city. Against the backdrop of the historic city center and to the sounds of the city band, winter is symbolically bid farewell, and a hopeful sign of spring is set.
Lätare Procession Landau — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of the Lätare Procession will take place on Sunday, March 15. As in previous years, Landau's town hall square is the central meeting point, but the special charm lies in the parallel processions in the town villages. Children can look forward to the traditional Sommertagsbrezeln, and the carousel and small food stalls will ensure a family atmosphere.
The custom emphasizes the connection between the start of spring, the local dialect, and the community. The Landau city administration will publish the detailed program for all town village processions a few weeks before the event.
Programme Lätare Procession Landau 2026
The exact program for 2026 will be published by the organizer in spring 2026. The structure will follow the proven key points of previous years:
- 1:30 PM — Start of the procession in Arzheim
- 2:00 PM — Start of processions in Mörlheim, Mörzheim (Kita Wildtulpe), and Nußdorf (Primary School)
- 2:00 PM — Main event at Landau Town Hall Square: Opening by Mayor Dominik Geißler, performance of the Hansel-Fingerhut-Spiel by the theater group of the Max-Slevogt-Gymnasium
- 2:30 PM — Start of the procession in Godramstein (Kincks Mühle)
- Subsequently: Procession through Landau's city center with the Landau City Band and Fife and Drum Corps
- Symbolic burning of the carried straw effigy
- Distribution of Sommertagsbrezeln to children
- Food stalls and carousel in the town hall square
Highlights Lätare Procession Landau 2026
- Hansel-Fingerhut-Spiel by the Max-Slevogt-Gymnasium
- Sommertagsbrezeln for all children
- Symbolic burning of winter in the town hall square
- Parallel processions in five Landau town villages
Prices Lätare Procession Landau 2026
Free admission. Sommertagsbrezeln are distributed to children.
Practical information — Lätare Procession Landau
Date
Sunday, March 15, 2026, starting at 2 PM in the town hall square.
Locations
Main procession: Rathausplatz Landau in der Pfalz. Town village processions: Arzheim 1:30 PM, Mörlheim 2 PM, Mörzheim 2 PM (Kita Wildtulpe), Godramstein 2:30 PM (Kincks Mühle), Nußdorf 2 PM (Primary School).
Admission
Free. Sommertagsbrezeln are distributed to children.
Getting There
The city center is a short walk from Landau main train station. Parking is available in the Rathaus-Center and Westbahnhof parking garages.
Tip
Sommertagsstecken can be admired on-site, but it's best to craft them at home with children – a firm part of the custom in Palatinate families.
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Travel to this festival
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