
Evi Rauscher on 28/12/2020
German Silvester Traditions
In Germany, the turn of the year is associated with many customs and traditions which have been passed on for centuries. Many of them even go back to Germanic roots.
In Germany, the turn of the year is associated with many customs and traditions which have been passed on for centuries. Many of them even go back to Germanic roots.
The tradition of the Christmas tree at the heart of our Christmas celebration started in Germany in the 16th century and has since conquered the world.
Building a gingerbread house around Christmas time is an old and loved German tradition.
In the small town of Engelskirchen, thousands of letters from around the world arrive at a seasonal Christmas post office, all addressed to one person.
No other German city has as many ambassadors as Ravensburg, “The city of towers and gates”, also referred to as “Stadt der Spiele” (town of games), between Lake Constance and Allgaeu.
Try not to disturb a German on a Sunday evening between 20:15 and 21:45 – it is TATORT time!
When we talk about “Germanness” we also have to talk about stereotypes. I would claim that the ultimate stereotypical German is the one who wears white socks with sandals (I won’t even mention the unshaved hairy legs).
Compound words are typical of the German language. This creates creative combinations that can hardly be translated. Here are some expressions and my attempt at explaining them:
Who does not know the aphorism "What you own in black and white you can confidently carry home." from Goethe’s Faust?
In Italy you call it merenda, in France it’s quatre-heures and in Germany it’s Kaffee und Kuchen.
The traditional German Schrebergarten (allotment garden) is a leased property, which is confined by fences or hedges and managed by clubs.
Most of us remember well our first day at school. In Germany, when the so-called “Schultüte”, or “school cone” played an important role:
When Germans have dinner, they usually call it either “Abendbrot” (literally = evening bread) or “Abendessen” (= evening food). The main difference between the two terms is the formality of the meal.
Having lived most of my adult life outside Germany, it is a challenge for me to write about German stereotypes. But let me have a go.
The German “Biergarten” is well known all over the world but where does it come from and when did it start? Of course everything started in Bavaria …
Since 1991 the city of Leipzig has been turning ‘dark’ every year over the four days of Whitsuntide. This is the time when the Wave-Gotik-Treffen (WGT) takes place (Treffen means meeting) with over 150 bands and artists from all over the world.
When Kennedy said those famous words, every German knew what he meant. Nonetheless, there might have been some confusion in the Rhineland; there, “Berliner” also refers to a type of pastry similar to a Donut.
It is known that the Germans have a mind of their own, but even so, the following is an anecdote of a special kind. The potato is a staple of traditional German food these days, but it was not always so.
Lately the German government published a fact list about German language.