Religion is a complex topic in any culture. But, for at least 5 reasons, it is especially complex in the German-speaking world:

1) Within and among the Christian denominations there is a history of bitter conflict, above all during the Thirty Years' War (1618-48), in which an estimated one-third of the population perished.

2) The Holocaust - not only the horrific suffering inflicted on the Jews, but also the subsequent guilt within the culture.

3) The presence of a large Muslim population among an even larger population of poorly-assimilated immigrants.

4) The increasing secularization of the previously largely Christian population (and in much of the rest of Europe as well).

5) The relation between Church and State, which is very different from that in the US.

The celebration of Easter itself, however, is generally similar in the US and the German-speaking countries (that is, for those who observe the holiday). But since the two largest Christian denominations in the German-speaking world, Catholic (katholisch) and Lutheran (evangelisch), emphasize liturgy more than do the many other Protestant denominations which are much more common in the US (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian), Ostern tends to involve more evident ceremony and custom than does American Easter. The importance of custom is reinforced by the continuing strength of local cultures and folk traditions in the German-speaking world. For those who eat meat, lamb (Lamm) is practically obligatory, where in America ham is not unusual as the Easter feast meat.

Here is some basic vocabulary, including that of the pre-Easter customs and observances:

Ash Wednesday - Aschermittwoch

Lent - die Fastenzeit (literally: time of fasting)

Palm Sunday - Palmsonntag

Holy Week - die Karwoche

Maundy Thursday - Gründonnerstag

Good Friday - Karfreitag

[Saturday before Easter] - Karsamstag

Ostermontag - the Monday after Easter Sunday - is an official holiday, just as is the day after Christmas.

Communion - Abendmahl

Crucifixion - Kreuzigung

Resurrection - Auferstehung

List of holidays (in German)

Explanations (in German) of Easter and its customs, with link list.

Particularly unusual to us is the relatively new custom of Ostermärsche - leftist protest marches conducted at Easter. The custom originated in 1960 on the model of anti-nuclear protest marches in Great Britain.

A quick internet search ("Gottesdienst" "Ostern" and maybe the name of a famous cathedral - "Kölner Dom") will turn up sites (example) that offer streamed broadcasts of Easter services in German. Because of the time difference, of course, you'll have to listen late on Saturday night.

Online photo archives (search: Ostern Fotos) may yield images that show distinctively German Easter motifs (elaborate breads shaped like lambs, etc.). You can also find recipes (Rezepte, Kochrezepte) for Easter foods.