Traditions of Germany

Traditions of Germany

Christmas (the most important of all holidays)

1. Christmas season begins with the first Sunday of Advent.
2. During Advent people bake “stolen” (the oldest German Christmas treat) and cookies.
3. symbols of Advent are: hand-carved wooden Nutcracker figures, Christmas pyramids and   gingerbread houses.
4. The Advent Wreath candles show how many Sundays are still left till Christmas.
5. The Advent Calendar was designed by the Germans for children waiting for Christmas.
6. During Advent people gather on squares and listen to brass band music, drink beer, hot mulled wined or apple cider.
7. On December 6^th St. Nicholas Day is celebrated. On the night before, children place their shoes in front of the door, St. Nicholas fill them with nuts, fruit, chocolate and sweets if the child was good, and when the child caused problems, St. Nicholas gives him only a switch.
8. A Christmas tree is decorated on Christmas Eve and sometimes during the Advent season, the traditional Christmas tree has real burning candles and on its top there is a star or an angel, beneath the tree there is a nativity scene or presents. The Christmas tree is usually taken down on New Year’s Eve or on 6^th January.
9. Christmas Eve starts as a workday but business usually closes by 2:00 pm; the traditional meal includes carp fish and potato salad; families usually sing carols and they read the story of Christ’s birth; the presents are exchanged.
10. Christmas Days (25 and 26 December) are legal holidays and are called the First and Second Christmas Day; the traditional meal on the first Christmas Day is goose or rabbit, served with apple and sausage stuffing, red cabbage and potato dumplings. The Second Day of Christmas is the time for contemplation.

New Year’s Eve (Sylvester)

1. It is celebrated noisily and merrily.
2. People invite guests and many groups attend “Sylvester Ball”.
3. At midnight glasses are filled with champagne or wine and there are toasts and hugs.
4. Many people go out and listen to the ringing bells, others shoot in New Year or put on their   fireworks.
5. Popular is lentil (or split tea) soup with wieners and a meat or cheese fondue.

Easter

1. Houses are decorated with clay bunnies, yellow daffodils, branches hung with painted eggs.
2. Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of spring.
3. One of the traditional egg games is to blow eggs and paint them in multiple colours and patterns on Good Friday.
4. On the morning of Easter Sunday children go hunting for the eggs.
5. Easter bunny leaves chocolate eggs and Easter presents.
6. Friends exchange painted eggs as gifts.
7. On the night of Easter Sunday the Germans light big bonfires across the country – in this way they welcome the spring.
8. It is common for German people at this time of year to do the spring cleaning to get rid of old dust.

May Day

1. It is the International Workers’ Day.
2. Houses and dance halls are decorated with green and flowers, songs celebrate this time of  happiness.
3. A part of the celebrations is planting seedlings or young trees.
4. There may be a procession to Maypole or dance hall, where May Queen declares that winter is defeated and the dance parties are opened.
5. In Bavaria this day is especially important as it is the day of Our Lady Patron Saint of Bavaria. People cut a tall and straight tree before the 1^st May and then they place it in the middle of the village and decorate it with a wreath of spring flowers and ribbons.
6. German people drink Maiwein (May Wine), it is white wine which is dedicated to springtime and flavored with sweet woodruff.

Erntedankfest

1. It is the “harvest festival of thanks” and it is a religious celebration.
2. It is celebrated on the first Sunday in October.

Oktoberfest

1. It is the largest beer festival worldwide.
2. It is called “Oktoberfest” but it takes place in September.
3. The opening ceremony starts at noon, guests and staff wear traditional costumes and there is a parade where the mayor arrives in a festive coach followed by a decorated horse-drawn brewer’s cart, and at the end of the ceremony the mayor tips the first keg of beer and shouts “o’zapft is!” (the keg is tapped).
4. The festival lasts for 16 days.

Seleenwoche (All Souls’ Week)

1. In Bavaria the period between 30^th October and 8^th November is Alls Souls’ Week.
2. On All Saints’ Day Catholics attend church service to honour the saints, the mess is sometimes set at the cemetery.
3. On 2^nd November Catholics attend Requiem masses where they may pray for the dead and lit the candle in honour of the dead.

St. Martin’s Day

1. The ceremony starts “am elften elften elf Uhr elf” (11^th November at 11:11 am).
2. This day is celebrated as the end of the agrarian year and beginning of harvest.
3. It is also the end of all souls’ period.
4. This day used to be the beginning of the Carnival.
5. Now it is celebrated mainly by children, they make or buy lanterns and they sing lantern songs, at the end of procession there is usually a bonfire; the children are quite often given candies, money and other gifts.