For those wanting to experience an impressive Easter egg hunt, Bokrijk Open-Air Museum is the place to be on Easter Sunday or Monday. On April 20th and 21st, Bokrijk will be celebrating Easter at the museum just like over 100 years ago, including a grand Easter egg hunt. This year, they’re adding some special golden and silver eggs.
“Some traditions effortlessly stand the test of time, especially when they are filled with joy and connection. This is also true for Easter. On April 20th and 21st, Bokrijk will be celebrating Easter at the museum just like over 100 years ago, including a grand Easter egg hunt. This year, Bokrijk will be adding some special golden and silver eggs. Throughout the rest of the Easter break, visitors can also dive into old Easter games and customs,” says Igor Philtjens, chairman of Het Domein Bokrijk vzw and heritage deputy.
During the Easter holiday, Bokrijk Open-Air Museum offers a fantastic Easter program. Craftsmen showcase their skills, and you can discover traditional Easter customs such as naturally dyeing and decorating eggs. There are also fun workshops where you can get hands-on. Want a bit of competition? Try your hand at traditional Easter games like the egg relay race or pole climbing.
Where Do Easter Traditions Come From?
Since the 7th century, it has been forbidden for Christians to eat products from warm-blooded animals during Lent, including meat, milk, butter, and eggs. Eggs were saved during this time. By Easter, large quantities needed to be eaten quickly, so during Holy Week, eggs were collected door-to-door and decorated using coffee grounds (brown), onion skins (yellow), red cabbage (purple), spinach (green), and lime blossoms (pink). For extra shine, they were rubbed with lard. Colored eggs were given as prizes in family ‘Easter competitions’ such as running races, archery, and bowling. These traditions likely led to the development of the Easter egg hunt for children.
Easter Celebration Around 1900
On Easter Sunday and Monday, there’s even more to experience at the Open-Air Museum: Living History actors will transport you to an Easter celebration over 100 years ago, complete with a sermon by the priest, bread-throwing for the poor, and live music. Then, of course, there’s the impressive Easter egg hunt, where 8,008 eggs are waiting for the children, with the town crier keeping an eye on things.
Find the Golden Egg
This year, Bokrijk is adding an extra dimension to the Easter egg hunt: in each egg field, they’ll hide a golden or silver egg. With two Easter egg hunts per day across two different fields, that’s a total of 8 special eggs. Whoever finds a golden or silver egg will win a lovely prize, so keep your eyes peeled.
New Life on the Farm
Spring also means new life. Not only flowers and bees but also farm animals. “In recent weeks, quite a few new live heritage animals have been born at the Open-Air Museum, including Kempen goats, calves of the Kempen red-and-white cattle, piglets of the Belgian landrace, rabbits, and chicks. During the Easter break, you’ll have the chance to get up close and personal with these young animals and historical breeds at the museum farm,” concludes Igor Philtjens, chairman of Het Domein Bokrijk vzw.
Practical Information
Dates and Times: April 5th to April 21st, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Easter egg hunt only on April 20th and 21st)
Location: Bokrijk Open-Air Museum
Tickets: Entrance fee for the Open-Air Museum applies. Easter activities are included. Tickets can be purchased in advance via www.bokrijk.be. The family ticket costs €37 for 2 adults and up to 4 children (ages 3–12). Bokrijk members get free entry.
