Archive for 'Culture'
Untranslatable German Words: Kummerspeck and Frustfressen Posted by Constanze on Feb 9, 2015
Guten Tag, and Willkommen to another edition of untranslatable German words! Today the word I’m going to break down for you is Der Kummerspeck. What does Kummerspeck mean? Kummerspeck is the name for excess fat gained by emotional eating – specifically, the excessive eating people do in times of stress or sorrow. What does Kummerspeck…
Es schneit! German Snow Vocabulary Posted by Constanze on Feb 7, 2015
Es schneit!! It’s snowing!! As I left work earlier it started to snow, and it just so happens that today was the day I decided to write this post: German snow vocabulary! What a lovely coincidence! Though many people whinge about it I, for one, adore the snow. We’ve never had much of it here…
Vocabulary for Valentine’s Day Posted by Larissa on Feb 5, 2015
Guten tag! Valentine’s Day is coming up and so I have all the vocabulary you need to get you through the day. Let’s start off with which Geschenke (presents) to buy: Die Schokolade Chocolate Das Lebkuchen Herz Gingerbread heart (they also have pet names written on them) Der Blumenstrauss A bunch of flowers Die Rosen …
4 differences between Germany and Denmark Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jan 23, 2015
I often go to Denmark to visits some of my relatives. And every time I was there last year, I realized that Danish everyday occurrences differ from the German way of life. A comparison of both countries likewise reveals their peculiarities. 1. Germans turn on the headlights only in the dark The Scheinwerfer (headlights)…
R.I.P. Udo Jürgens Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jan 9, 2015
Just before Christmas the Austrian entertainer Udo Jürgens died. The online edition of the Abendzeitung München reports that memorials will take place in Zurich, Berlin, and Vienna mid-January. 21 December 2014 was a sad day for many Austrian, Swiss, and Germans. Udo Jürgens, one of the most popular germanophone musicians, collapsed while taking a walk in this adopted homeland…
Der Nikolaus Kommt Posted by Larissa on Dec 22, 2014
At the beginning of December, I was informed that on the 5th of December Nikolaus (St Nicholas) would come in the night and fill children’s shoes with presents. This tradition is carried out in parts of Germany, Holland, Austria, Italy and Switzerland amongst others. To me this sounded a lot like Christmas, and it is…
The Advent Calender and December 24th in Germany Posted by Constanze on Dec 21, 2014
Servus! Only 4 more days ’til Christmas, so here’s another German Christmas post! Did you know that the Advent calendar chocolate you’re happily chomping away on is a German invention? Yes, along with the Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas tree), the Adventskalender is something else you can thank the Germans for. As the big day draws nearer, today…