German Culture

All about Germany

Donauwelle Kuchen

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Donauwelle Kuchen (Danube Wave Cake) is an incredible dessert with layers of vanilla and chocolate cake, cherries, German buttercream, and ganache. After the cake is baked and cooled off a chocolate glaze is applied to the top of the cake and waves are made using a fork. When the cake is cut in squares it looks a little like the waves of the Danube river from the side. The Donauwelle cake looks very elegant and tastes great with the different flavors.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 2 cans pitted sour cherries 400 ml each, drained
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder sifted
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk

For the buttercream layer:

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 cups whole milk
  • vanilla
  • 1 cup unsalted butter

For the chocolate ganache topping:

  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • 8 ounces heavy cream

Preparation:

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 185°C. Grease a 25 cm x  30 cm baking pan. Spread drained cherries out on 3 layers of paper towels to absorb more liquid.

2. Beat butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Whisk together flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture in two additions, beating on medium speed, until just combined. Spread 2/3 of the batter into prepared pan. Add cocoa powder and milk to remaining 1/3 of the batter. Mix until just combined. Spread evenly over light-colored batter in the pan.

4. Spread cherries over batter. Press cherries lightly into batter with a spoon or spatula. Bake in the bottom third of oven for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in the pan on a wire rack.

For the buttercream layer:

1. Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, egg yolks, salt, vanilla and 1/4 cup milk in a medium bowl. Bring the remaining 2 cups milk to a low boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat.

2. Add 1/2 of the heated milk slowly to egg yolk mixture, on ladle at time, and whisking while adding (to temper the mixture and not cook the egg yolks). Add tempered egg mixture slowly back to the saucepan, whisking while adding. Bring mixture to a slow boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture begins to thicken, switch to whisking until mixture comes to a simmer. It will be very thick.

3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming on top. This is similar to a thick pudding at this point. Cool pudding to room temperature. Use an instant-read thermometer to check temperature and do not proceed to the next step until it is at room temperature. If pudding is too warm it will melt the butter in the next step.

4. Beat butter until smooth. Add cooled pudding, about 2 tablespoons at a time, to butter and mixing well after each addition. Spread on top of cooled cake. Place plastic wrap directly on top. Chill cake for at least 1 hour or better yet overnight.

For the chocolate ganache topping:

1. Use a large knife to chop chocolate into very small pieces. The thinner the pieces (almost like shaving), the better. Place chocolate in a medium bowl.

2. Bring cream just to a low boil over medium-high heat. Pour heated cream over chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. Gently stir until combined. You do not want to incorporate air or bubbles into the mixture so stir gently and slowly.

3. Remove plastic wrap from top of cake. Pour ganache over cake. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Drag a pastry comb or a fork back and over ganache to make a wave pattern. Keep cake covered and chilled when not serving.




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German Flag Origin

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The flag of Germany was adopted in its present form in 1919. It was readopted with the new constitution of 1949. It is a tricolor, made of three equal horizontal bands colored black (top), red, and gold (bottom).

There are several theories regarding the origins of the German flag color scheme and its meaning. The most popular theory is that the black and gold combination relates to the colors on the semi-official coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire. When the Holy Roman Empire ceased to exist these two colors were closely associated with Austria’s Habsburg Dynasty, which became known as the “Black and Gold Monarchy.”

In the radical 1840s the black-red-gold flag was used to symbolize the movement against the Conservative European Order that was established after Napoleon’s defeat. The movement fell apart within a year, but it had succeeded in drafting a constitution that declared “Basic Rights for the German People.”

The Frankfurt Parliament had declared the black-red-gold as the official colors of the German Confederation, with the red symbolized the Hanseatic League and the gold and black symbolizing Austria. These colors soon came to be regarded as the national colors of Germany during this brief period, and especially after their reintroduction during the Weimar period, they have become synonymous with liberalism in general.

The leaders of the 1848 Revolution adopted the tricolor flag in the National Assembly or Frankfurt Parliament

After the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 the South-German States aligned with Austria, including Bavaria, Baden are said to have flown the black-red-gold flag, further illustrating the distinctions between the present day color scheme and the northern, Prussian tradition. On June 25, 1867 the coalition adopted a flag that blended the colors of its largest and smallest member Prussia (black and white) and the Hanseatic League (red and white) into a new black-white-red horizontal tricolor. This flag would also be the national flag for the subsequent German Empire from 1871 to 1918, which finally replaced the German Confederation.

After Germany’s defeat in World War I this German Imperial flag fell into disuse and the new Weimar Republic reinstated the black-red-gold sequence in 1919. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 the black-red-gold flag was replaced with the black-white-red. And in 1935 they replaced all German governmental flags with designs based on the swastika flag that had been their Nazi party flag ( a red flag with a white disk in the center containing a black swastika).

After the defeat of Germany in World War II, Germany was occupied by the Allies. The Allied Control Council banished the existing national flags.

After some debate, the black-red-gold flag was once again adopted as the German federal flag for the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) on May 9,1949.

The German Democratic Republic (East Germany ) used the same flag, but on October 1, 1959 it introduced a communist emblem to the center of the flag: a hammer (symbolizing the workers), and a pair of compasses (symbolizing the intellectuals) inside ears of grain (symbolizing the farmers). This remained until the territory of the former GDR was reunified with the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990.

In Germany there is a very modest public use of the flag and national symbols at all. The flag in Germany is used nearly only by official authorities on special occasions or by the public in sport events.




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Räuberbrötchen

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These fun little bread rolls are perfect as a side dish to a soup or as a small snack.

Ingredients:

250 g Quark
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
8 tbsp milk
6 tbsp oil
300 g flour
1 pck. baking powder
100 g diced ham
100 g roasted onions
100 g cheese, grated

 

Preparation:

  1. Mix together Quark, sugar, salt, milk, oil, flour and baking soda. Knead ham cubes, fried onions and cheese into the dough.
  2. Form the dough into a roll, cut into small pieces and form very small rolls. Place the rolls on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes till golden brown.




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Vatertag – Father’s Day in Germany

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Father’s day in Germany is so much more than gifting a tie. This public holiday is a day off work for everybody, and a chance for men to act like boys. Known as Vatertag (also Männertag), it involves drinking lots of beer, riding a beer bike, and, unfortunately, little responsibility.

Germany’s Vatertag coincides with Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt in German). It happens every year on the fortieth day after Easter on a Thursday in May.

But in Germany you’re more likely to see day-drinking debauchery than pious reverence for the holiday (unless you’re in Bavaria) and it’s not just because people are excited not to work. It is a national holiday around the country and the Friday following is usually a Bruckentag (bridge day) providing for a 4-day weekend. That means you can have one drunken day out and three days to recover.

The holiday actually has noble beginnings in the Middle Ages as a religious ceremony honoring Gott, den Vater (God, the father). Towards the 1700s, the day transformed into Vatertag, a family day honoring the father of the household. Men would be carted into the village center and the father with the most children would earn a reward, often a large ham.

It fell completely out of favor for a while, but made a comeback in the 19th century as Männertag. Losing the focus on dear old dad, it was billed as a “boys’ day out” or by its more positive euphemism for “gentlemen parties”. How that has transformed to today’s celebrations where there is nary a gentlemen to be seen is still a question.

While celebrations are generally men only, it is not limited to fathers. Any male with Männlichkeitswahn (machismo) and a desire to indulge in their caveman side can participate in Vatertag.

Popular activities for Father’s Day in Germany

  • Pub tour of your favorite bars (Männerrunde)
  • Indulge in the drinks, eats, and atmosphere of Germany’s many Biergartens
  • Group bike ride with a Bollerwagen (hand wagon) of booze or by beer bike
  • Reserve spots in a beer hall for your group to drink and sing your way through the day
  • Gather in a park with games like Boules, a grill and crates of beer, schnaps and mixers

If you’d like to honor your father, gifts are of course appreciated. Something as simple as a call is expected, or you can get creative. Better yet, buy papa a German beer to fit the spirit of the holiday.

Whatever the day brings, alcohol is likely to be involved. Männertag’s reputation as a Sauftag (drinking day) has made it unpopular among some segments of the public and – understandably – with the Polizei (police).

According to the UDV (German insurers accident research institute) there are three times as many alcohol-related traffic accidents on Männertag. Please remember: wherever the day takes you, it is your responsibility. Abide by all laws and regulations and be respectful of the authorities. Männertag is only one day a year, you don’t want to pay for it with the other 364.

For those that want to opt out of the celebrations, it is still a day off in May that offers the chance to enjoy beautiful weather. Stay out of the bars, avoid roving groups of men, and enjoy your holiday.




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Favorite German Drinks to Try

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No matter how hot the weather, Germany has got you covered!

1. Schorle is a beverage where sparkling mineral water and juice are mixed, comparable to a spritzer. This is as refreshing as a soft drink on a hot day, but with less calories and sugar. The most common varieties of Schorle are Apfelschorle, apple juice mixed with sparkling water, followed by Johannisbeerschorle, red currant mixed with sparkling water. Most soda machines and supermarkets have some form of Schorle available and many restaurants list it on their menu. In case you do not see it on the menu, feel free to ask your server.

2. Radler is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks among Germans, which simply is beer mixed with sparkling lemonade. Radler is available pre-mixed in a bottle or the server or bartender will make it upon ordering. Don’t try mixing Fanta instead of sparkling lemonade with beer, it is not comparable to Radler at all. While no one seems to know the exact origin of the word Radler, one source traces it back to being used by cycling clubs, since the translation of Radler is biker. On the menu it can also be called Alsterwasser or just Alster in Hamburg.

3. Spezi is a soft drink mix of cola, orange soda, orange juice, and lemon juice. The most popular brand names being Pepsi’s Schwip Schwap or Coca Cola’s Mezzo Mix. Make sure it is chilled.

 

4. Apfelwein is a cider which is most popular in the Frankfurt am Main region. It has an alcohol content of about 6% and a sour, tart apple taste. It is traditionally served in a glass with diamond-cut ridges called Geripptes. The way to order Apfelwein varies depending on how many people at your table are drinking it. To order it by the glass for one person, order a Schoppen. To order a large amount to share with the table, ask for a Bembel, a stoneware pitcher of Apfelwein. Other regional names for Apfelwein are Äppler, Ebbelwoi or Stöffsche.

5. KiBa is the coolest-looking drink out of all of these and is short for Kirsch Banane. Kirsch translates as “cherry”, Banane means “banana”, and to make the drink you simply need cherry and banana juice. If you are curious and want to make the drink before you take off to Germany, make sure to chill the bottles in the fridge as it tastes best cold! You’ll need half a glass of banana juice, then slowly add the cherry juice which will go to the bottom of the glass and give you a colorful, layered effect.

6. Bowle is the Germans’ way of describing a punch containing chunks of juicy, refreshing fruit. It’s usually served in a large glass punch bowl which goes by the same name. Most German punches include juice, lemonade or sparkling wine as well as white wine, and there might be a dash of rum or other spirits added. Of course, there are always the non-alcoholic versions for kids or teetotallers too.




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Schwetzingen Asparagus Salad

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Spring in Germany means one thing: asparagus season, or Spargelzeit. Germans are obsessed with asparagus, which is often called the “vegetable of kings” or even “white gold” when the particular white variety comes into season at farmers market stalls. Typically, asparagus is served with butter and ham, or with hollandaise sauce – but its preparations are almost unlimited. This is a spring salad of tender asparagus with a creamy green herb dressing topped with finely chopped egg.

Ingredients:

400 g fresh asparagus
salt
pinch sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons cream
3 tablespoons canola oil
pepper
chervil
cress
1 hard-boiled egg

Preparation:

  1. Peel asparagus and cut into pieces about 5 cm long. Place in saucepan and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. The asparagus should still be a little crunchy. Drain asparagus and keep the stock.
  2. Blend 4 tablespoons of stock, vinegar, cream and oil, add freshly-ground black pepper, mix in chopped herbs. Pour mixture over warm asparagus and sprinkle with finely-chopped egg.




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German Card Games

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Germany has a strong tradition with respect to card games, as a result the most popular game varies by region.

Skat, Doppelkopf and Schafkopf are amongst the most popular, they are very similar to each other and pretty tactical. Schafkopf is traditionally played in Bavaria (South-East), Doppelkopf is more popular in the West and North, and Skat originates in the East, but has gain a lot of traction elsewhere since it is the most tactical variant and often played competitively.

Mau Mau is a very simple game which is also popular throughout Germany especially amongst children, UNO is essentially the commercial version of it.

There are many more card games which enjoy local popularity, but may not be known elsewhere. Binokel, Watten, 66 (Schnapsen), Gaigel, just to name a few.

Do you know the names of the suits in German? If not, then here they are!

  • diamond Karo (Diamonds)
  • heart Herz (Hearts)
  • spade Pik (Spades)
  • club Kreuz (Clubs)

An Ace is an Ass. A Jack is a Bube – an old-fashioned German word for “boy.” A Queen is a Dame (which translates to “lady”) and the King is the König (literal translation this time).

Spieler is the word for “player” in German (it’s also the word for “gambler”).

Du bist dran means “your turn.” Unfair (pronounced “oonfair”) means, you guessed it, “unfair.”

Is someone playing dirty in the game? Then yell out, “Hey, du schummelst!” (“Hey, you’re cheating!”)

One-player German Card Games

Auf Wiedersehen

If you’re all by yourself, but still in the mood for a good card game, play a few rounds of the German solitaire game Auf Wiedersehen (Farewell).

To play this game, you need a standard deck of 52 cards. Start with 12 cards laid out face up in three rows of four. Four additional cards are placed face down on the table.

You need to rearrange the cards at the top so that they run from Ace to King. Place the additional cards under the correct suits in order. Now draw a card from the deck and place it where it belongs, if possible. If you pull a King, you can start a new row. Once you’ve finished laying out all the cards you can, turn over the four cards still laying face down on the table. If any of these cards are an Ace or a King matching the top card in the rows, you’ve lost.

Die Farbenelf

The next German card game you can play by yourself is called Die Farbenelf (roughly, “the colorful eleven”).

To play this game, shuffle a standard 52-card deck, then lay out four rows of four cards face up. In these 16 cards, you look for two cards of the same suit with a total value of 11. These pairs can now be laid aside and the gaps filled with new cards taken from the deck.

The Jack, King and Queen can only be removed if they’re taken from the deck at the same time and have the same suit. The goal of the game is to use up the deck and get rid of all the cards.

German Card Games for Groups

Each of the games listed here can be played by two to five players.

Quartett

Quartett (Quartet) is one of the most popular kids’ card games in Germany, and has been for a long time. This game is basically played the same as Go Fish.

The goal is to get four of the same type of card (four sixes in all the suits, for example). Each player asks another player for a card they need to make a set of four. If the player has the card, they have to hand it over. If they don’t have the card, it’s their turn to ask.

Although you can play Quartett with a standard 52-card deck, most kids play with a special deck that features animals facts, trains, planes and automobiles, famous sports stars, etc. These make Quartett the perfect game for learning or practicing basic German vocabulary topics. You can also buy plenty of quirky and/or naughty Quartett decks for a more adult audience, like a Quartett deck of dead rock stars, one featuring addictive substances and, last but not least, the sexy dirndl deck.

Mau-Mau

The German card game Mau-Mau is similar to Uno. Each player is dealt five to six cards. The top card of the deck is then turned over. The player can either lay down a card of the same suit or the same number—for example, a 10 of Diamonds on top of a 10 of Spades.

The goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards. If a player lays down their final card, they have to say Mau, but if their last card is a jack, they have to say Mau-Mau (pronounced like the word “ow” when you hurt yourself, with an “m” in the front).

Böse Dame

Böse Dame (Evil Queen) is similar to the game Hearts, only you want to end the game with high points, not the other way around.

This game is only played with Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, Tens, Nines, Eights and Sevens. The points you get for the cards are as follows:

  • Ace (11 points)
  • Ten (10 points)
  • King (four points)
  • Queen (three points)
  • Jack (two points)
  • Nine, Eight and Seven (0 points)

Like Hearts, the Pik Dame (Queen of Spades) is the evil queen here indeed. If you end up with this card at the end, you get -50 points!

You lay down cards of the same suit and the player with the highest card takes the pile. If you don’t have the suit, but you have the Queen of Spades, you can play her and pass her on to another player. If the Queen of Spades is played, you can “stab” her with the King or Ace of Spades. Play this card, and she’ll go back to the person who laid her down.

Longer German Card Games for Groups

If you really want to get into the world of German card games, there are two words for you: Doppelkopf and Skat.

Both of these popular games can be played for hours. There are many game clubs dedicated to both and they have their own tournaments throughout Germany as well as other German-speaking countries.

Doppelkopf

Doppelkopf (roughly, “double-head”) is a game for four players in teams of two. However, you don’t know who your teammate is until later in the game.

The game is played with 48 to 40 cards and is sometimes played with German-suited cards featuring Balls, Hearts, Leaves and Acorns rather than the standard French-suited cards most of us are used to.

The rules for Doppelkopf are too complex to go through here, you can read them on this website.

Skat

The other granddaddy of German card games is definitely Skat. Skat is a game for three players and is played with a 32-card deck, either French- or German-suit. The suits have different values, with Clubs or Acorns boasting the highest points, 12.

The rules for Skat are even more complex than Doppelkopf, but you can learn more on this website.




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How to Act Like a Real German

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How do people greet one another in Germany? How do work colleagues interact? What really makes Germans “tick”? Anyone arriving in a foreign country for the first time is often unsure of how they should behave. So it makes great sense to find out about a country’s idiosyncrasies before you arrive. You will find it far easier to integrate into both professional and private life. Here are some tips that will help you blend right into the German society like a pro!

  1. Tip 10% to 15% on big meals. For coffee or small meals, round up to the next euro.
  2. Drinking alcohol is common but it’s always acceptable to refuse a drink.
  3. Make eye contact when toasting. Not doing so is said to bring bad luck.
  4. Crossing your utensils means you are still eating. Laying them parallel means you are finished.
  5. Expect to pay for bottled water at restaurants. Asking for tap water is considered impolite.
  6. Keep your hands on the table while eating. To do otherwise is considered rude.
  7. Wait to sit down until you are invited to do so or until others sit.
  8. When it’s your birthday, it’s your responsibility to provide food and drinks.
  9. When invited to someone’s home, always arrive on time and bring a small gift.
  10. Proper garbage disposal is important in Germany. Always recycle.
  11. Never light a cigarette off a candle. A common superstition says doing so kills a sailor.
  12. Avoid exaggerations and high-pressure talk.
  13. Always be on time. Be direct and detail-oriented.
  14. Wear conservative business attire. Khakis make people think you are sloppy.
  15. Do not remove your suit jacket unless your host does.
  16. Expect business meetings to be longer than in other countries.
  17. Make your status known. Hierarchy is considered important.
  18. Always use titles, like Doktor, Frau and Herr. Do not use first names unless invited.
  19. Anyone with a PhD should be addressed as Professor or Doktor.
  20. Bathroom attendants are common and and expect to be tipped roughly 30 cents.
  21. Taxi drivers do not expect tips but most people round up their fare to the next euro.
  22. Never jaywalk, even if there is no traffic anywhere to be seen. Even at 3 am.




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Boiled Potatoes with Quark – Pellkartoffeln mit Quark

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Potatoes with Quark, photo via essen-und-trinken.de

Fresh boild potatoes combined with the creamy quark make for a wonderful snack or side dish. Perfect springtime dish for vegetarians and those who mind their waistline!

Ingredients:

1 kg of new potatoes
500 g of low-fat quark
50 ml of linseed oil
2 tbsp caraway seeds
1 bunch of parsley
small bunch of basil
1 bunch of chervil
1 bunch of dill
1 bunch of chives
2 spring onions
2 tbsp butter
salt, pepper

Preparation:

  1. Wash potatoes thoroughly and cook unpeeled in plenty of salted water for about 20 minutes. Put the quark with 40 ml linseed oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir until creamy with a whisk for about 2 minutes. Roast caraway seeds in a dry pan, allow to cool and then roughly crush in a mortar.
  2. Pluck the herb leaves from the stems. Put 1/3 of the herb leaves in a bowl of cold water. Finely chop remaining herbs. Cut the chives into fine rolls, clean the spring onions, wash and finely chop. Add chopped herbs, chives, half of the caraway seeds and the spring onions to the quark and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Melt butter in a saucepan. Drain the potatoes, steam for a short time and peel. Drain the leaves of herbs. Arrange the potatoes with the quark and drizzle with the remaining linseed oil. Sprinkle with herb leaves and the remaining caraway seeds. Serve drizzled as desired with the liquid butter. Enjoy!

 




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Weiberfastnacht, or Kiss for Your Tie!

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Michael Esken, mayor of the city of Verl, gets his tie cut off on Weiberfastnacht.
Photo by Kerstin Eigendorf

Weiberfastnacht is a holiday celebrated mostly in the Rhineland on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Originally a special day for women’s carnival, but now celebrated by both sexes as the beginning of the six-day peak of the carnival season. Women take charge of men on Carnival Thursday by cutting off their ties and giving them a kiss. The tradition hails from an era when women’s rights didn’t exist. The act dates back to pagan times and symbolizes the power of women and their ability to rule over men, especially in crazy times.

 

Photo by dpa/Oliver Berg

Today, Weiberfastnacht — composed of the words “weiber” (women) and “fastnacht,” another word for Carnival — lives on as a fun-filled, female tradition that takes place on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. The unofficial holiday kicks off at exactly 11:11 a.m. with a street festival, and revelers don colorful, over-the-top costumes, and the annual “storming” of city hall is broadcast live on television. The festivities also include some interesting customs like “necktie-cutting,” a symbolic gesture to show men who’s boss. The men customarily get a kiss or a “Bützchen” in return for the chopped accessory. Basically, women run the show in every way on this celebratory day, and everyone gets to enjoy the spoils of a lady-led world with a parade, food, drinks and fun.

Maintaining your personal space is not exactly an option; close bodily contact with strangers is just as much a part of Carnival as music and beer. People link arms and sway to the Schlager, or do the “Stippeföttche,” a traditional dance that involves rubbing rear ends together.

In the Middle Ages, upper-class woman were allowed to throw their manners out the window on this day, which was dubbed “the drinking day for dear women.”

In the 18th century, some convents even recognized the anything-goes tradition and the nuns were permitted to feast, gamble and dance until the wee hours of the morning.

In the 19th century, a group of washerwoman in Beuel near Bonn, around 30 km (about 19 miles) south of Cologne, laid the foundation for the present-day Weiberfastnacht celebrations.

The Beuel Ladies’ Committee pictured in the year 1900

Back then, the washerwomen had to work 16 hours a day — and not only for the high-society men who could afford it, they also had to scrub their own husbands’ dirty laundry so that the men could go to Carnival parties in nearby Cologne in clean shirts. The wives had to stay at home to work and tend to the children.

In 1824, the washerwomen had finally had enough. They ditched their work and met in a pub to complain about their husbands. Obviously, they weren’t just sipping tea and coffee.

They founded the “Beuel Ladies’ Committee” and proceeded to storm the city hall in Beuel, claiming authority for a day. The tradition stuck and Bonn-Beuel became an important Carnival hub.

Word of what the women in Beuel had done spread quickly throughout the Rhineland. Women in many other cities and villages formed similar committees and proceeded to storm their city halls as well.

As a symbol of revoking the power of the men, the women started chopping off their neckties, which they collected like trophies. Of course, since the tradition is all in good fun, the men don’t go away empty-handed. Instead, they get a “Bützchen” — a smooch — in return. In this ritual, it’s the woman who chooses who she’s willing to kiss, though the unwritten rule remains that both partners must consent to locking lips.




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