Celebrations, Holidays and Traditions
Traditions, celebrations and holidays often go hand in hand in Germany and many are common throughout the country, but the different states also have their own additional and alternative festivities.
Advent, Christmas and Epiphany in Germany 
German Weihnachten is an enchanting time filled with age old religious, secular and folk traditions, which begins with Advent in November and lasts until Epiphany, Three Kings Day, in January. Here are all the links to the different celebrations and customs. Carnival in Cologne, Weiberfastnacht
Carnival in Germany began in ancient times, with masked Teutons making as much noise as possible to chase away the evil spirits of winter. And in the Cologne area it now begins with ´Weiberfastnacht´, where women take over the streets and no necktie is safe. Carnival in Germany
It is known as Karneval, Fastnacht or Fasching depending upon the region, but the feasting, fun and organised chaos before Lent remain the same. While those who are not fans escape carnival areas where strangers embrace, bars make 40 percent of their annual earnings, and The Fifth and Foolish Season takes over city streets. Carnival Jelly Doughnuts Recipe
A festival is not a festival in Germany unless there is some type of special food involved, and for Mardi Gras, Karneval, it is Faschingskrapfen or Berliner, the Carnival Jelly Doughnut. Easter Traditions and Customs in Germany
It is a mass of colour where decorated eggs, egg trees and chocolate rabbits do play a large part, however there are many additional religious, secular, folk and food traditions and customs around the days of remembrance and festivities.
Including Palm Sunday processions, ´Green´ meals to be eaten on Maundy Thursday, and Easter bonfires made from old Christmas Trees.
Here are all the Links to an Easter celebration in Germany.
Father´s Day in Germany
Father’s Day in Germany is something of a ‘moveable feast’, as it is linked to Ascension Day which changes each year.
But to those who are new to it the first experience of a German Father’s Day can come as a bit of a shock, as that is not the only way the celebration differs from other countries. Germany's New Year Tradition, Bleigiessen
It is a quirky way of trying to tell the future, melting a heavy metal, dropping it into water and divining the future from the shape it makes. Originating in antiquity 'lead pouring' remains a favourite amongst the many German New Year traditions, but there is an 'eco-friendly' version. Halloween and All Saints Day in Germany
Halloween has arrived in Germany. Although not quite in the style of the USA´s huge Trick or Treat Festival nevertheless the witches have returned, parties are held and pumpkins, ghosts and ghouls are to be seen in the country´s cities and suburbs, alongside the traditional All Saints Day customs. Lent, Monks and a Maultaschen Recipe
It is no coincidence that Carnival is celebrated before Lent, Fastenzeit. Enjoying life to its fullest in the days leading to a Fast is a tradition at any time of the year, but in Germany monks made sure the 40 days of fasting until Easter were never all about deprivation. Munich´s Oktoberfest, Trendy but Historic
A huge, historic, country fair, the world’s largest Volksfest. The Oktoberfest started as a horse race to honour a wedding and over 200 years later, although it has moved with the times, it remains an annual festival of traditional Bavarian exuberance, draught beer and beer garden food. New Year´s Eve in Germany, Sylvester
Sylvester, Germany´s celebration of New Years Eve, is a mixture of ancient and relatively modern tradition, based in part on customs from the country´s Pagan past and all designed to ensure that the coming year will have the best chance possible of becoming a vintage one. Pentecost and Corpus Christi
In Germany Pfingsten, Fronleichnam, Pentecost and Corpus Christi are major Christian festivals. Religious and public holidays with services and processions, as well as secular and pre-Christian traditions, they bring to an end the religious celebrations that began with Palm Sunday.
Schultueten and the first school day
The first day at school is a milestone in the lives of German children. Whenever possible parents and grandparents escort the new pupil to school where, after welcoming speeches and songs, those photos taken for posterity and with that Schultuete held tightly, it´s time for school life to begin. St. Martin's Day in Germany
Candle lit lantern processions with singing children, a St. Martin 'Weckmann' eaten by a warming bonfire. Beginning with a church service in his honour and perhaps ending with a traditional goose supper, Martinsgans, a typical Sankt Martinstag in Germany St. Nicholas in Germany
Without St. Nicholas there would be no Santa Claus. It was his reputation as a secret benefactor and giver of gifts that made him the inspiration for Sinterklaas, and with St. Nicholas Eve on December 5, and 6 December St. Nicholas Day, 'Nikolaus' is still a magical time in many areas of Germany. Walpurgisnacht, Maibaum, May Day in Germany
May 1st, May Day Celebrations, in many parts of Germany are filled with with maypoles, mayhem and fun. A long way from the May Day parades with soldiers, rifles and tanks of communist countries, including the former East Germany. German Culture Homepage | Editor's Picks Articles | Top Ten Articles | German Culture Site Map
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