Archive for 'Traditions'
Erntedankfest: German Thanksgiving Posted by Constanze on Nov 9, 2016
In a recent post I mentioned some events that take place in Germany in Autumn. Today I’d like to tell you a little more about one of them, namely Erntedankfest – the “German Thanksgiving”. First, the breakdown of the word. ‘Ernte’ means harvest, while ‘Dank’ comes from ‘Danke’, meaning thank you, and ‘Fest’ is German…
German-American Day Posted by Constanze on Oct 5, 2016
Guten Tag! I’m bringing you this post today in light of a special day tomorrow, October 6th 2016. Tomorrow is German-American Day in the USA! This is a day to celebrate the German heritage in America. Specifically, it commemorates the date in 1683 when 13 German families settled in Philadelphia and subsequently founded Germantown, Pennsylvania…
German Vocabulary For Autumn Posted by Constanze on Sep 28, 2016
Hallo! As my favourite season is upon is (Herbst – autumn) I decided there would be nothing better than a little post on all things Herbst in German. Herbstwetter (autumn weather) is beautiful. It’s kühl (cool) outside, often windig (windy) but nevertheless nice and sonnig (sunny). At times it can be rather regnerisch…
Changes to Oktoberfest 2016 Posted by Larissa on Sep 20, 2016
It’s that time of year again! Oktoberfest started last Saturday and will run till the third of October. Following this year’s events around the world, Oktoberfest has enhanced its safety procedures to make sure that all visitors are in a safe environment. I’ve listed the changes below (don’t worry, there aren’t that many!) and if…
How My Brother Became an Old Sock Posted by Sten on Jul 30, 2016
A few days ago, my brother turned 25. Socks were hung up everywhere to make it clear: He is now an Alte Socke (“old sock”)! The Alte Socke receives a Sockenkranz (sock wreath), which is hung up outside the house, so everyone can see that a member of the household has turned 25. Old Socken are filled with Stroh (straw) or something else like…
You Won’t Expect The Thing Germans Say If Somebody Burps! Posted by Sten on Jul 27, 2016
Rülpsen (burping). It is a thing we all do, to save our Magen (stomachs) from having to deal with all the air we swallow with food and drinks. For Niesen (sneezing), people of many cultures tell the sneezing person something like Gesundheit! (literally: “health!”, meaning “bless you!”). It is usually some way to wish that person good health, as Niesen is often associated with an Erkältung (cold)…
Sayings + Expressions 10: Flowers! Posted by Sten on Jul 19, 2016
After a long time of no Sayings + Expressions, I am back! Today, we have a fitting theme for the beautiful, sunny Sommerwetter (summer weather): flowers! So keep reading to find out how to express yourself more elegantly in German in summer style! Manchmal muss man durch Dornen gehen, um Rosen zu erreichen. Sometimes you have to…