Tag Archives: Culture
German Nationalparks – Part 12: Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft Posted by Sten on Jun 15, 2016
In previous months, we have already explored a large part of the geschützte Schönheit (protected beauty) of German nature. We went to the windige Küsten (windy shores) of the Wattenmeer, the eindrucksvolle Felsen (impressive rocks) of the Sächsische Schweiz, the Jahrhunderte alten Wälder (centuries old forests) of the Bayerischer Wald, the Erzminen (ore mines) in the Harz, the Tiger (tigers) roaming around in the Eifel, the Tausend Seen (thousand lakes) of Müritz, the hohe Gebirge (high mountain…
Das Schaltjahr – 3 Things To Know About The Leap Year In Germany Posted by Sten on Feb 29, 2016
A Schaltjahr (leap year) is held every four years, except century years, unless they are divisible by 400. It dates back to Roman times, and was introduced by Julius Caesar as a solution to our 365-day long year being just about 6 hours too short to be perfectly aligned with the Earth’s orbit around the sun. But this day…
Refugees Welcome? Germany Reacts (Pt3) Posted by Constanze on Feb 9, 2016
As I write this, it’s exactly 4 months since my last post on the refugee crisis in Germany. Last time I wrote about it, it seemed Germans, with the exclusion of some far-right groups, were largely supportive of the influx of refugees that had arrived in their country. However, since the sexual assaults and muggings…
The Bratwurst! Posted by Sten on Jan 28, 2016
The Bratwurst is one of the first things you will link to Germany. It designates by itself not a specific sausage, but a more general recipe: meat, minced together with herbs and spices, which is either pressed into a Darm (intestine) of a pig or a lamb, or shaped in hot water. This sausage is then brewed and grilled…
Why ‘Germans Are Rude’ Part 2 Posted by Constanze on Nov 18, 2015
I recently wrote a post called Why ‘Germans Are Rude’, which was inspired by an article on how different cultures give criticism. Firstly, I want to thank everybody who commented on it. It seems that this is a topic everybody has something to say about, which is great! The Germans are arguably one of the…
Mushroom Picking In Germany Posted by Constanze on Oct 18, 2015
One of my fondest childhood memories involves going mushroom picking in the Bavarian Forest. My Oma (grandma) used to lead the way, teaching my brother, sister and I which mushrooms were safe to eat, and which ones to avoid like the plague. Once we’d collected as many mushrooms as we could, we would take them…
All About The Lederhosen and Dirndl Posted by Constanze on Sep 25, 2015
As Oktoberfest is in full swing in München, many of you will be seeing (or wearing!) the traditional garments known as Lederhosen or Dirndl. In this post, I’m going to tell you a little about where they originate, why they were worn (and how they are worn today), and give you a few other facts…