|
German Holidays &
Festivals |
| |
|
|
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that
when you go to the links listed here, you will leave the Schweinfurt Elementary School Pages. We have made every effort to
ensure that these are reputable sites, however, we are
not responsible for information contained on any of the linked pages.
A listing here does not mean an endorsement of any site or
product. The
web
master welcomes your comments and suggestions about the
links or about our site in general. |
|
| |
|
|
|
January - Holidays & Festivals in Germany |
|
On New Year’s Eve (Silvester) or New Year’s Day
(Neujahr), many Germans
give each other small pigs made of marzipan candy. You will also see
cards with pigs, chimney sweeps, one pfennig coins, horse shoes, lady
bugs, and four-leaf clovers. All of these things are considered to
be bringers of good luck.
On January 6th Germans celebrate the festival of the
“Heilige Drei
Könige.” The journey of the three Magi, who came bringing gifts
to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem is commemorated. It is a state
holiday in Bavaria, Baden Württemberg and Sachsen-Anhalt, and most school children are
still on vacation until after this day. This is also the day when
Christmas trees and decorations are taken down. You will see
groups of “Sternsinger” (star singers), children dressed like the Three
Wise Men, carrying a star lantern on a stick. They go from door to
door singing songs and collecting donations for Third World relief projects.
If they stop at your house, they will write: 20
C + M + B 09 in chalk above the door. 2009 is, of
course, the year. The letters stand for the Latin words: Christus
mansionem benedicat. (God bless this house.) It also
happens to be the initials of the names of the Three Wise Men: Caspar,
Melchior and Balthasar.
January is also the time of many costume parties for
Karneval or
Fasching, which will end with the beginning of Lent in February or March.
[back to top
]
|
|
February - Holiday & Festivals in Germany |
|
There are no official state holidays in Germany in
February, but in some regions, don’t expect to get much business done on
the six days before Ash Wednesday. (Ash Wednesday falls on
February 25th in 2009. People call it the Fifth Season: Karneval, Fasching, Fastnacht
- it has many different names and ancient roots. Traditionally
in the Catholic church, Lent is a time to fast and reflect about one's lifestyle.
Naturally, people have always tended to use the last days before the period
of fasting to enjoy life once more to the fullest. But this is not all
there is to the historical background of the Karneval. Since time immemorial,
the beginning of spring, when the days are getting longer and new fertility
stirs throughout nature, has been an occasion for feasting and merrymaking
in almost all agricultural societies. Fertility rites took place at
this time of the year in many such societies. Numerous features
of central European Karneval such as the masks, fancy costumes, parades,
etc., were also part of the ancient Roman Saturnalian and Lupercalian festivities
(in December and February).
Nowadays, no mater what its origins, Fasching is party time
in Germany. Many towns have Karneval clubs. Each
year a Prince and Princess Karneval are chosen from the community.
They will lead the parades and take part in many community activities.
Karneval clubs sponsor costume balls and hold “Sitzungen,” meetings
which are really great entertainment. Local and national politicians
bear the brunt of many jokes.
A man wearing a necktie must beware on the Thursday
before Ash Wednesday. (February 19th in 2009) This is the “Weiberfastnacht,” woman’s
Karneval. The women storm offices and take over. Armed
with scissors, they cut off the neckties of any men they encounter!
The most famous parades and merrymaking take place along the Rhine
River. The parades in
Cologne and
Mainz are on “Rosenmontag,”
(Rose Monday is February 23rd in 2009.) and are always televised for those
who can’t be there in person. Some of the “Sitzungen” are also
televised, but the German is usually hard to understand. They speak
almost exclusively in the local dialects. Schweinfurt usually
also has a parade on Fasching Tuesday. (February 24th in 2009) Many towns including
Würzburg,
have parades on Sunday. (February 22nd in 2009)
If you want to experience a very different kind of
Karneval,
go to the Black Forest in south-west Germany during these days. Here
it’s called “Fasnet.” The parades consist of groups of costumed figures
with elaborately carved wooden masks of every imaginable character:
witches, devils, foxes, wolves, owls, cats, mice, hunters, clowns,
fools, jesters, the list is endless. Most of the traditions in this area
do have their roots in the pre-Christian rites of spring beliefs.
Sometimes these groups meet for regional parades “Landschaftstreffen,”
the week-ends before Fasching which are televised. Watch German
TV listings of stations for Sunday afternoons in February, especially
SWR3, which is the regional station from that area. The shows will
be called: “Nari, Naro!” These are the cries of the costumed “fools.”
Some of the most colorful towns in this area for Fasnet are:
Rottweil - Parades starting from 8am to around 11am on Rose
Monday and Tuesday. Hundreds of masked characters in very
elaborate costumes fill the streets. They are only from the Rottweil
club. No other groups are allowed, and this is the only place you
can see these costumes. They never travel to other parades.
Elzach - Parades on Sunday and Tuesday afternoons.
Hundreds of “Schuddig” fools, dressed in red fringed clothes,
wooden masks and large hats covered with snail shells, run through the town
hitting people with blown-up hog’s bladders! (It’s all in fun!)
The best parade to see in Elzach is the torch parade which is on Sunday
night at 8pm. All the street lights are extinguished and the “Schuddige”
run and skip through town with their pig bladders. The parade ends
with a giant bonfire in the middle of town.
Villingen-
Schwenningen - on Sunday afternoon there is usually a parade
of many different groups in one of these twin cities. On Monday morning,
the local club dominates the parade with hundreds of people dressed as old
women and men, their expressions frozen by the wooden masks. Although these
towns are one community, they have very different parades. Each of the
names above links to a different site.
Schramberg, only a short drive from Rottweil, has a great parade
on Monday afternoon. It starts at 1pm with a “parade” of rafts on the
stream through town followed at 2:30 by a huge parade of many colorful masked
groups.
There are many other towns with parades too numerous to mention.
In
Gängenbach the witches and jesters take over the town. In
Wolfach, the “fools” stroll around in nightgowns, night caps and white stockings.
If you plan right, it is possible to see four or even five of
these parades in two days! Once Ash Wednesday arrives,
“Alles ist vorbei.” (It’s all finished.) It’s business as
usual again in Germany. If you still haven’t had enough, the city
of
Basel, Switzerland has its big celebration the Sunday and Monday after
Ash Wednesday. After that, it really is “vorbei.”
[back to top
]
|
|
Spring Holidays & Festivals in Germany
|
|
Summary of German Spring Holidays & Festivals
for 2009 |
| Palmensonntag (Palm Sunday) |
April 5, 2009
(Sunday) |
| Gründonnerstag (Thursday before Easter) |
April 9, 2009 (Not a holiday) |
| Karfreitag (Good Friday) |
April 10, 2009 German Holiday |
| Ostersonntag (Easter Sunday) |
April 12, 2009
(Sunday) |
| Ostermontag (Easter Monday) |
April 13, 2009 German Holiday |
| Tag der Arbeit (International Labor Day) |
May 1, 2009 German Holiday |
| Muttertag (Mother’s Day) |
May 10, 2009 Same as in the USA |
Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day)
Also the German Vatertag (Father's Day) |
May 21, 2009 German Holiday |
| Pfingstsonntag (Pentecost Sunday) |
May 31, 2009
(Sunday) |
| Pfingstmontag (Pentecost Monday) |
June 1, 2009 German Holiday |
| Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi Day) |
June 11, 2009 German Holiday |
|
If you can read German, there is more
information at:
http://www.feiertage.net/uebersicht.php |
|
|
Someone traveling to Germany in the spring might be surprised to
find that there is a holiday almost every week. A few weeks before
Easter many towns hold Easter markets (Ostermarkt) which sell elaborately
decorated eggs, crafts, and springtime ornaments. Chocolate eggs and
bunnies show up in stores soon after the chocolate Santas disappear.
One word of caution: Many of the German Easter eggs are filled with
schnapps or liqueur. Not all are suitable gifts for children!
People love to take walks at this time of the year. You will often
see whole families out on Sundays or one of the many holidays. Also
remember that the German “Do not disturb your neighbor” rules apply on Sundays
and holidays. No mowing the lawn or washing your car by the house.
No loud music outside. Most German school children have two weeks
of vacation from school at Easter.
Germany has a number of Easter customs different from the USA.
Two of these are the “Osterbaum,” (Easter Tree) and the
“Osterbrunnen,”
(Easter Fountain). Easter trees are made from branches cut
from pussy willows, forsythia, or other flowering bushes. The branches
are brought into the house, put into a vase, and decorated with small wooden
Easter ornaments & hollowed out eggs. Some people also decorate
a bush outside in front of their house with colored plastic or
real eggs. The Easter Fountain is a custom only observed here
in “Franken,” the northern area of Bavaria. The women of the town collect
hollowed-out eggs throughout the year, color them, string them together and
decorate the fountain in the center of their town. The decoration also
includes arches and often a crown made of evergreen branches.
The custom has its origin in the fact that years ago people realized how important
it is to have good water. Water that was blessed on Easter was believed
to hold special powers. Children baptized with it would grow up to
be especially smart, drinking it would protect you from sickness, and spraying
some in your house would keep the bugs and mice away.
|
There are many pictures of Easter Fountains at:
http://www.osterbrunnen.de
The little town of Biberbach was in the Guiness Book of Records in 2000 &
2002 with over 11,000 eggs in their display. |
Catholic churches in Germany do not ring their bells from the Thursday
before Easter until Easter Sunday. Children are often told that the
bells have been sent to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. In many towns
in this area, you will be awakened at 6 A.M. on these days by groups of
children with large wooden noisemakers (Ratschen) walking through the streets
of your town. They will do this again at noon and at 6 P.M. while the
bells are silent. The Sunday after Easter is called “Weißer Sonntag,”
(White Sunday) and is a traditional day for Catholic children to receive their
first communion, or for Protestant children to be confirmed.
“Christi Himmelfahrt” (Ascension Day) is on a Thursday, 40
days after Easter. Since the late 19th century this has been a traditional
day for men to go on outings with clubs or groups that they belong to.
Because it is celebrated as the day that Jesus returned to His Father in
Heaven, it is logical that the Germans made this day their “Vatertag.”
Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, the same as in the
USA.
"Pfingsten" (Pentecost also called Whitsun) falls on the seventh
Sunday after Easter. The name comes from the Greek “pentekoste,” the
50th day after Easter. The Christian church celebrates the descent
of the Holy Spirit onto the Apostles after Jesus’ ascension to Heaven ten
days earlier. Bavarian school children have a two-week vacation
from school for Pentecost. In other regions of Germany there
may be shorter vacations or just the holidays off.
“Fronleichnam” (Corpus Christi Day) is the Thursday after Pentecost.
This day commemorates the Christian sacrament of holy communion. Many
towns decorate the houses with fresh greens, flags, and small outdoor altars.
A procession led by the children who received their first communion a few
weeks earlier winds through the streets. The communion wafers are put
into an elaborately decorated container and carried by a priest under a canopy.
Sometimes church services are held out doors.
In addition to being the international Labor Day, May 1 is also the
day of the maypoles (Maibaum) in Germany. Customs vary
from region to region. Around Schweinfurt the young men of a town
get a tall tree and cut off all the branches except at the very top.
The trees are painted or decorated with paper streamers and put up in the
center of town on April 30. This is usually quite a spectacle.
Now the real fun begins because if the tree is not guarded all night, then
the men of a neighboring town might come and steal it.
It’s a great excuse for an all-night party!
There is one more thing to watch out for on April 30th. According
to German Folklore, this is the night when the witches gather in the Harz
Mountains of central Germany. It is called “Walpurgisnacht”
or “Hexenacht.” In the state of Thüringen on and around the Brocken,
the highest mountain in the Harz, there is much activity on that evening.
In other areas of Germany children sometimes play pranks on the neighbors
such as soaping windows, putting toilet paper in trees, or moving the garbage
cans out into the street. They can always blame it on the witches!
[back to top
]
|
|
Summer Festivals in Germany |
|
Although there are no holidays in July, August (with the exception
of August 15, Maria Himmelfahrt -Mary's Ascension Day, which is a holiday in Bavaria), and September,
Germany has many festivals and historical events that are great tourist
attractions in the summer. The towns of Rothenburg and Dinkelsbühl
have festivals and historical plays to commemorate their being spared from
destruction in the 30 Years War. Numerous towns have Medieval
markets and “Ritterspiele” where knights of old perform. One of the
most famous of these is usually on several week ends in July in Kaltenberg
near Munich. Every 10 years the Alpine town of Oberammergau puts
on the most famous Passion Play. Many towns have parades or celebrations
for being 800, 900, or even 1000 years old. The best
way to find out what is going on in your area is to talk to your neighbors
and read the local German newspapers.
German National Tourist Site:
http://www.germany-tourism.de
[back to top
]
|
|
German Holidays and Observances in October & November |
|
While Americans are looking forward to Thanksgiving in November,
the German harvest festival (Erntedank) is observed on the first Sunday
in October. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are displayed on the altar
during church services. Some towns have parades or festivals.
Germany’s newest holiday is also in October. Since 1990 when East &
West Germany united to again become one country, October 3 has been celebrated
as the Day of German Unity. (Tag der deutschen Einheit.)
Until a few years ago, most Germans had never seen a Jack-O’-Lantern
and didn’t know much about Halloween. That is slowly changing as,
especially in areas around US military bases, you will see pumpkins for sale
and adds for Halloween costume parties. Some German children have even
started to go door to door trick or treating, but unless your German neighbors know about the US custom, they
will not be ready for visitors on October 31. The German translation of
"Trick or Treat" is "Süsses oder es gibt Saures!"
November in Germany is a month of mostly solemn, reflective
observances. The only day that is a state holiday in Bavaria is November
1, All Saints Day (Allerheiligen). Since this is a
Catholic holiday, it is not observed in some German states where the majority
of people are Protestants. Family graves are decorated
with fall arrangements and there are many special church services
to remember the saints not accorded special days in the church calendar
and also Christian martyrs. November 2 is All Souls Day (Allerseelen),
which is dedicated to the memory of all those who have died.
It is not a holiday, but these are very somber and reflective days.
The Protestant Repentance and Prayer Day (Buss- und Bettag)
is always on a Wednesday in November. (Nov. 19th in 2008)
It is not a holiday in Bavaria, but some German children may not have school.
The Sunday before Repentance Day is the National Day of Mourning (Volkstrauertag).
It is dedicated to remembering victims of Nazi terror and the dead of the
two World Wars. Memorial events take place at monuments and elsewhere.
The Sunday after Repentance Day is known as Totensonntag. This is
the traditional day for Protestants to visit the graves of their friends
and family members. Because of the solemn nature of these observances,
no street festivals or parades are allowed during these weekends or on Repentance
Day. No loud music should be played outside.
November 11th is significant for two reasons. Children
make lanterns and parade through town remembering Saint Martin, Bishop of
Tours who died around 400 AD. He was known for his kindness to the
poor. In many restaurants you will see “Martinsganz” (Martin’s goose)
on the menus in November. It is customary to eat goose at this
time of the year. The other observance on November 11th doesn’t
fit in with all the solemnity at all. The Carnival or Mardi Gras
season officially starts at 11:11 AM on the 11th day of the 11th month.
Especially in the Rheinland (Bonn, Cologne, and Mainz) you might
run into people dressed in wild costumes on that day. Carnival
or Fasching as it is called here in the South of Germany, reaches its high
point in February. Other than on this one day in November, you won’t
hear much about it again until mid-January. Then it is PARTY TIME IN
GERMANY!
[back to top]
|
|
December - Holidays & Festivals in Germany |
|
Christmas in Germany! The country seems made
for this holiday. November 30th is the first Sunday of Advent in 2008
and the official beginning of the Christmas season. Christmas markets
in many German towns will open that weekend. As in the USA, chocolate Santas and Christmas decorations show up on the store shelves as early as
October. The most famous Christmas market is the Christkindlesmarkt
in Nürnberg. Schweinfurt, Bamberg, and Würzburg
also have nice ones, so you don’t need to travel far to enjoy the season.
They sell many decorations and some craft and gift items. Wooden nutcrackers,
Christmas pyramids which turn when their candles are lit, incense
“Smoker men,” and wooden ornaments of all kinds are available everywhere.
These were originally from the “Erzgebirge” region in eastern Germany.
People put up outdoor lights and decorations early, but the Christmas trees
are not usually put up inside the house until Christmas Eve.
Many people use only white lights although colored ones have
become more popular in recent years. Real candles are often
used on the indoor trees. Usually they are only lit for a short time
on Christmas Eve.
On the eve of December 6, St. Nicholas Day, children put out their
shoes and find small gifts in them the next morning. The German
St. Nicholas dresses in the costume of a bishop with a tall hat.
In some regions Nicholas is accompanied by “Knecht Ruprecht” or
“Krampus”
who gives coal or sticks to children who were bad that year.
The big gift-opening time is on December 24
(Heiliger Abend).
In southern Germany, these gifts are brought by the “Christkind,” a mysterious
figure, who seldom makes any concrete appearances. The “Christkind”
is thought of as resembling an angel and not as being identical with the
baby Jesus. In some other regions the gifts are brought
by the “Weihnachtsmann” (Christmas man), who is much like the American Santa.
He has especially gained ground in the last years because of the influence
of the advertising and candy industry.
Family traditions vary from region to region. Usually stores
close around noon on the 24th so that last preparations for the holidays can
be completed. Both December 25th and 26th are legal holidays which
are spent with family and friends.
Germans don’t bake cookies any time of the year except Christmas.
Then watch out!! It is not unusual for German women to bake a dozen
varieties of fancy small cookies the weeks before the holidays. Other
specialties you’ll find only at this time of the year are “Lebkuchen” (Gingerbread),
“Stollen” (a coffee cake with fruit & nuts in it), and
“Früchtebrot” (much like American fruit cake).
New Year’s Eve, called Silvester in German, in honor Pope
Silvester I the Roman Catholic saint of December 31, is a time to attend
parties and celebrate with family and friends. At midnight many
people set off fire crackers and rockets which are legal on this evening.
They go outside and wish their neighbors “Prost Neu Jahr!” or
"Einen
guten Rutsch!" - a toast to the new year as they enjoy the fire works.
Merry Christmas = Fröhliche Weihnachten!
Happy New Year = Ein gutes (or glückliches) Neues
Jahr!
|
Robert Shea, a German teacher in the St. Louis
area, has a Web site with hundreds of links about German and
American customs, holidays and traditions at:
http://www.mrshea.com/germusa/customs/ |
|
|
