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Wooden Toys from the Ore Mountains

Wooden Toys from the Ore Mountains

Wooden toys from the Ore Mountains

Ore Mountain folk art (Erzgebirgische Volkskunst) is a well-known form of highly artistic wood carving from East Germany. Typical creations include Christmas decorations and products such as wooden miners’ figures (Bergmannsfigur), Christmas angels (Weihnachtsengel), Reifendrehen figures of animals made by wood turning, smoking figures (Räuchermann), Christmas mountains (Weihnachtsberge) and Christmas pyramids (Flügelpyramiden), as well as candle arches (Schwibbogen), nutcrackers, and music boxes. Even today these are made entirely by hand, primarily in small craft businesses.

The history of wooden toy-making in the Ore Mountains is closely bound to regional circumstances. The Ore Mountains are located in Central Europe on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. For many centuries it was a countryside in which the local population eked out a hard existence from the land. Long and harsh winters restricted agriculture; in addition the region had very poor communications. With the onset of ore mining a new line of commerce developed, but the hard labor and high risks involved meant that it was only work for young and strong men. Many were injured or died as a result of accidents. The miners rose early in the morning whilst it was still dark in order to go to work and did not return home again until late in the evening after dark. From those times comes a custom that has survived to the present day, the practice of placing lights in the window. These lights were intended to show the miners the safe way back to the homes of their families.

Painting of Räuchermänner (Seiffen, 1947)
Schule des Weihnachtsmannes.
Bild zeigt: Bemalen von Räuchermännchen
Aufnahme: Dumm
989-47

It was not long before the winnings of silver ore fell in many parts of the mountains and numerous pits had to close. This hardship forced its inhabitants to look for other work and, thanks to abundance of timber in the region, the manufacture of wooden toys became an important secondary source of income. Entire families were engaged in wooden toy-making, especially in the harsh winters. Child labor in conditions of poor lighting and equipment was the rule rather than the exception. The children often had to work more than 12 hours a day. Families developed a high degree of specialization. For example, an experienced turner would be working on turning animal shapes (Reifendrehen), another man carved the animal figures out of it and another family took over the painting and the manufacture of small boxes. Earnings from the individual steps in the process were very low. Production was usually bought by traveling merchants who used their position without mercy, to force down the prices. The majority of these products was taken to the toy markets of Nuremberg and redistributed from there. The formation of associations and cooperatives (such as Dregeno) was in order to ensure a minimum level of income.

One of the largest collections of folk art is at the Ore Mountain Toy Museum in Seiffen. In the neighboring village of Neuhausen is the first nutcracker museum in Europe, which houses more than 5,000 examples, the largest collection of nutcrackers in the world.

The logo of the craftsmen is a miner on a rocking horse.

 

Räuchermann Hochzeitslader

The Smoking Man (or Räuchermann) has been a Christmas tradition in the Ore Mountains since 1850, and his popularity has only increased over the centuries. The Smoking Men are little wooden figurines stuffed with incense, that blow smoke out through their mouth when lit. Smoking Men are modeled on father Christmas, miners, craftsmen, foresters or native townsfolk of the Ore Mountain region. In fact, don’t be surprised to see Incense Smokers in the shape of houses, dragons or dinosaurs! Incense for Smoking Men come in a variety of fragrances, including pine, honey and cinnamon, among others. There is even a museum dedicated to Smoking Men in the town of Sehmatal-Cranzahl.

 

 

 

Nutcrackers

Nutcrackers are the star attraction of Christmas markets all across the country, but their origin is believed to be the Ore Mountains. For over 150 years, the skilled artisans of this region have laboriously hand-crafted these beauties in an astounding range of shapes, sizes and styles. Popular subjects are famous personalities, soldiers, foresters, miners and doctors, but the list goes on and on.

Ore Mountains is the place to shop for Christmas ornaments. Expect to be bewildered by an eclectic range of tiny pink-cheeked wooden angels, fairy-tale characters, lovely animals, Santa Claus figurines, snowmen, red-nosed reindeer, elves with pointed hats, carolers, silver snowflakes, trees, ball figures, and lots more, each more adorable than the last.

Wooden Christmas pyramids

Wooden Christmas pyramids are an essential part of households in the Ore Mountains. When the candles in the pyramid are illuminated, the tiers of the pyramid turn slowly, creating a beautiful play of light and shadow in the room. Most Christmas markets in this region have at least one towering Christmas pyramid. These pyramids are available in several sizes (from one-tiered to six-tiered or taller), price ranges and with varied kinds of figurines.




Almabtrieb and Viehscheid – Bringing Cattle Home from Mountain Pastures

Almabtrieb and Viehscheid – Bringing Cattle Home from Mountain Pastures

Bavaria may be the home of BMW and Audi, but there are still some age-old rural traditions that surprise even visitors from other parts of Germany. One of which is the annual festival which celebrates the return of the prodigal cows, the Viehscheid. Because here the cows really do come home, every autumn, after having spent their summers up in the mountains.

In September and October the cows and bulls are brought down from the lush mountain pastures to the valley and their winter quarters. An event with a long tradition, which is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. The Viehscheid (and its close partner the Almabtrieb) are part of the same thing, and both are particularly celebrated in the alpine region of the Allgäu. At the beginning of the summer, when the vegetation has really started to grow up in the mountains, cattle are herded up into high alpine pastures, where the herbal grasses are particularly good for their physical condition. Here they’ll be looked after by a cowherd or team of cowherds and their dogs, who’ll continue to do all the daily milking, fence mending etc necessary, and sometimes also offer milk, cheese and other forms of refreshment to passing walkers. This tradition of almost nomadic pastoralism, still very widespread in eastern Europe, involves around 50,000 cows in Germany.

The sound of bells announces the arrival of the herd. Spectators by the side of the path are in for a colorful treat. It’s that time of year again: as the summer draws to a close, the well-fed cattle with their festive decorations come down from the mountain pastures and back into the valley. The whole village joins in the celebrations.Visitors come from far and wide to experience the spectacle. A brass band plays. The convivial beer tents gradually fill up. Regional costume associations showcase their skills at Schuhplatteln dancing and Alphorn blowing. The aroma of Bavarian specialties wafts through the air. Every year during the Almabtrieb, the ceremonial cattle drive which in the Allgäu is also known as the Viehscheid, young and old get to experience anew a piece of Bavarian tradition.

Come the end of September, when it starts to get colder, the herdsmen bring them down again (the Almabtrieb). To celebrate that there were no cattle injuries or losses during their stay high up in the mountains, the leading cow is adorned with flowers, spruce, and sometimes a cross or mirror to deflect evil spirits. All the cows wear big cowbells, polished especially for this occasion. Upon arrival at the village green, the cows are separated from each other (the Viehscheid), the herdsman calls out the name of the owners and each owner takes care of his cows, presumably grateful that his investment has been returned, safe and sound, and hopefully considerably fatter.

This festive adornment, the crown, goes back to pre-Christian times. The loud bells around the necks of the animals are designed to protect them from hostile demons and bring them safely down into the valley. The traditional craft of the bellsmiths still exists in Bavaria today: Kilian Trenkle, for example, from Pfronten im Allgäu, produces cow bells that the animals wear around their necks during the Viehscheid. There are two kinds of bells: “Glocken”, which are cast, and “Schellen”, which are wrought from plate metal. The resulting combination of fine, high tones and deep, earthy notes lends the day its distinctive sound.

There is always a big party when the cows come home, with a large beer-tent, an orchestra playing, etc. One of the specialities served will be the Hirtenkäse, a distinctive cow’s cheese from the milk of the cows who participated in the Almabtrieb.




Reinheitsgebot

Reinheitsgebot

The Reinheitsgebot, literally “purity order”, sometimes called the “German Beer Purity Law” in English, is a series of regulations limiting the ingredients in beer in Germany and the states of the former Holy Roman Empire. The best-known version of the law was adopted in Bavaria in 1516, but similar regulations predate the Bavarian order, and modern regulations also significantly differ from the 1516 Bavarian version.

The most influential predecessor of the modern Reinheitsgebot was a law first adopted in the duchy of Munich in 1487. After Bavaria was reunited, the Munich law was adopted across the entirety of Bavaria on 23 April 1516. As Germany unified, Bavaria pushed for adoption of this law on a national basis.

Nowadays, according to tradition, during Oktoberfest only original Munich beer which is characterized by a long tradition, much experience in brewing and and the strict adherence of the Reinheitsgebot.

The regulation says several things:

– It says what can be part of beer, and what can not. Beer may only contain water, barley, and hops.
– It gives a price to beer. This is important for taxation.

Some people talk about the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or the German Reinheitsgebot. They all mean the same thing. There are similar acts in the other states which later became known as Germany.

The Reinheitsgebot is no longer part of German law. It has been replaced by the Provisional German Beer Law , which allows things prohibited in the Reinheitsgebot, such as wheat malt and cane sugar, but which no longer allows unmalted barley.

Yeast was not a part of beer until Louis Pasteur discovered what it did during fermentation. This was around the year 1800. Brewers (the people brewing beer) usually re-used some of the sediments of the fermentation. They took some sediments of an older brew and added those sediments to the next brew.

Hops were added as a method of preservation (to stop the beer from going bad quickly). Hops were allowed to stop other things (like adding certain mushrooms to the beer, which was done in the Middle Ages) being done to preserve beer. Other herbs, like stinging nettles had been used. The stinging nettle is part of the same plant family as hops.

A brewer who broke the Reinheitsgebot was punished: the beer barrels were taken by the state and destroyed and he/she did not receive any money for the loss.

Even today, many brewers are proud of the Reinheitsgebot; most German breweries say they follow it. Some only use it as a marketing tool. The Reinheitsgebot says that beer is made of barley, so all wheat beers were not allowed by the original Reinheitsgebot).


 The text (translated) of the 1516 Bavarian law is as follows:

We hereby proclaim and decree, by Authority of our Province, that henceforth in the Duchy of Bavaria, in the country as well as in the cities and marketplaces, the following rules apply to the sale of beer:

    From Michaelmas to Georgi, the price for one Mass [Bavarian Liter 1,069] or one Kopf [bowl-shaped container for fluids, not quite one Mass], is not to exceed one Pfennig Munich value, and

    From Georgi to Michaelmas, the Mass shall not be sold for more than two Pfennig of the same value, the Kopf not more than three Heller [Heller usually one-half Pfennig].

    If this not be adhered to, the punishment stated below shall be administered.

    Should any person brew, or otherwise have, other beer than March beer, it is not to be sold any higher than one Pfennig per Mass.

    Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, market-towns and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.

    Should, however, an innkeeper in the country, city or market-towns buy two or three pails of beer (containing 60 Mass) and sell it again to the common peasantry, he alone shall be permitted to charge one Heller more for the Mass or the Kopf, than mentioned above. Furthermore, should there arise a scarcity and subsequent price increase of the barley (also considering that the times of harvest differ, due to location), WE, the Bavarian Duchy, shall have the right to order curtailments for the good of all concerned.
— Bavarian Reinheitsgebot of 1516 (emphasis added), Eden, Karl J. (1993). “History of German Brewing”. Zymurgy. 16 (4).


The Bavarian order of 1516 was introduced in part to prevent price competition with bakers for wheat and rye. The restriction of grains to barley was meant to ensure the availability of affordable bread, as wheat and rye were reserved for use by bakers. The rule may have also had a protectionist role, as beers from Northern Germany often contained additives that were not present in Bavarian beer.

Religious conservatism may have also played a role in adoption of the rule in Bavaria, to suppress the use of plants that were allegedly used in pagan rituals, such as gruit. The rule also excluded problematic methods of preserving beer, such as soot, stinging nettle and henbane.

Because of strong German consumer preferences, labeling beer as being compliant with Reinheitsgebot is believed to be a valuable marketing tool in Germany. German brewers have used the law to market German beer internationally, including a failed attempt to have the law added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritages. Some breweries outside Germany, such as Gordon Biersch in California, Red Oak Brewery in Whitsett, North Carolina, Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte, North Carolina, Schulz Braü in Knoxville, Tennessee, Namibia Breweries, Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Bitte Schön Brauhaus in New Hamburg, Ontario also claim to be compliant to the Reinheitsgebot as part of their marketing.

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9 German Superstitions

9 German Superstitions

Here are some superstitions – or Aberglauben – that you may come across in Germany. Knowing what these are might help explain any ‘unusual’ behavior you see in Germany, and help you to avoid making an embarrassing faux-pas yourself!

1. Chimney sweeps
Chimney sweeps are repositories of good luck everywhere. In Germany, they are particularly associated with New Year’s Day, when you should do your best to shake hands with your friendly neighborhood sweep. He won’t mind at all.

2. Toasting with water
Never, ever say “cheers,” or “Prost,” with water in Germany. Not even for a joke. Especially not for a joke. You are literally wishing death on all your drinking buddies. It means you really want your friends to die. Is that what you want? Because that’s what it means.

3. Knocking on the Stammtisch
When greeting your German drinking buddies, instead of waving, you should knock on the table. According to legend, this is because the Stammtisch, the regulars’ table in the tavern, was traditionally made of oak. Since the devil is unable to touch oak, considered a holy tree, knocking on it proved you weren’t the devil. It always makes for a nicer evening if your friends don’t consider you a disguised demon.

4. Theatrical spitting
Theaters are of course famously superstitious places. British and American thespians cheerily tell each other to “break a leg” before the premiere, but Germans spit on each other’s left shoulders – though only once they’re in costume. Instead of actually bringing up phlegm, you’re meant to say “Toi Toi Toi.”

5. Housewarming gifts
A traditional German housewarming gift is bread (Brot) and salt (Salz). It’s believed that if you give bread and salt to someone, they will never go hungry in their new home. However, do not give knives as a housewarming gift. The superstitious believe doing this brings injury and even death!

6. Lucky coin
If the cutlery shop has sold out, and you’ve seriously run out of gift ideas, why not give someone a nice, shiny new leather wallet? But don’t forget to put a penny in! This ensures that the recipient will never be poor. Or you could put in this enormous gold coin to be really sure.

7. Old ladies
It’s considered bad luck to walk in-between two old women in the street.

8. Wedding stockings
At the end of weddings, the bride and groom are meant to sit down on the marriage bed, while the bridesmaids and attendant young men turn their backs and attempt to fling their post-celebration socks and stockings into the happy couple’s faces. Whoever succeeds will be the next to marry. Really.

9. Press your thumbs!
If you want to wish someone good luck, you shouldn’t cross your fingers but rather press your thumbs with your fingers. During Gladiator fighting in Ancient Rome, a thumbs-up indicated for the gladiator to be executed, while holding the hands up with hidden thumbs indicated that they shall live. This is why Germans say “Ich drücke dir die Daumen!” – “I will press my thumbs for you” – to wish someone luck.




Walpurgisnacht – Walpurgis Night

Walpurgisnacht – Walpurgis Night

In Germany, Walpurgisnacht, the night from 30 April to 1 May, is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Brocken and await the arrival of spring.

Walpurgis Night (in German folklore) the night of 30 April (May Day’s eve), when witches meet on the Brocken mountain and hold revels with their gods…”

Brocken is the highest of the Harz Mountains of north central Germany. It is noted for the phenomenon of the Brocken spectre and for witches’ revels which reputedly took place there on Walpurgis night.

The Brocken Spectre is a magnified shadow of an observer, typically surrounded by rainbow-like bands, thrown onto a bank of cloud in high mountain areas when the sun is low. The phenomenon was first reported on the Brocken.
—Oxford Phrase & Fable.

A scene in Goethe’s Faust Part One is called “Walpurgisnacht,” and one in Faust Part Two is called “Classical Walpurgisnacht.” The last chapter of book five in Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain is also called “Walpurgisnacht.” In Edward Albee’s 1962 play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Act Two is entitled “Walpurgisnacht.”

From Bram Stoker’s short story, Dracula’s Guest, an Englishman (whose name is never mentioned) is on a visit to Munich before leaving for Transylvania. It is Walpurgis Night, and in spite of the hotelier’s warning not to be late coming back, the young man later leaves his carriage and wanders toward the direction of an abandoned “unholy” village. As the carriage departs with the frightened and superstitious driver, a tall and thin stranger scares the horses at the crest of a hill.

In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires is still kept alive to celebrate the coming of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called “Easter fires” (Osterfeuer).

In rural parts of southern Germany, it is part of popular youth culture to play pranks such as tampering with neighbors’ gardens, hiding possessions, or spraying graffiti on private property.

In Berlin, traditional leftist May Day riots usually start at Walpurgis Night in the Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg. There is a similar tradition in the Schanzenviertel district of Hamburg, though in both cases, the situation has significantly calmed down in the past few years.




The History of the German Language

The History of the German Language

German is one of the largest groups of Indo-Germanic languages. It is used as the official language of Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein, and is a co-official language in Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union.. The history of the language begins in the Early Middle Ages with the High German consonant shift. During the migration period Old High German dialects were separated from Old Saxon.

The earliest testimonies of Old High German are from scattered Elder Futhark inscriptions, from the 6th century AD; and the oldest coherent texts (the Hildebrandslied, the Muspilli and the Merseburg Incantations) date back to the 9th century.

During a period of several hundred years Germany was divided into many different states. Within the Holy Roman Empire the Germanic speaking area was divided into Alemannic, Bavarian, Frankish, Saxon and Frisian. The writers of that time tried to write in a way that could be understood by the people of the largest possible area. It was an important road to a unification of the language.

There are three main periods in the history of the German language:

1. Old German (c. 750 – c. 1050);
2. Middle German (c.1050 – c.1500);
3. Modern German (c.1500 to the present).

In the first period there was no standard language. The formation of the language system was influenced by the High German consonant shift. The result of this sound change is the peculiar consonant system of German, which remains different from all other West Germanic languages. But it must be admitted, that grammatical system of Old High German has much in common with Old English, Old Dutch and Old Saxon. By the mid-11th century there was a simplification of the inflectional grammar of German, caused by the reduction of vowels in unstressed syllables. That’s why 1050 is considered to be the start of the Middle High German period.

In the middle period a relatively uniform written language developed in government, but Middle High German had no standardized spelling. Different combination of certain dialects of Middle High German replaced the Latin that had been widely used in official writings of that time. Texts were written in the Latin alphabet, in Gothic minuscules.
The main features were:

1. The absence of the marking of vowel length;
2. The absence of the marking of umlauted vowels;
3. The usage of the semi-vowels /j/ and /w/ in the original texts.

The Middle Saxon language was spoken from about 1100 to 1500, splitting into West Low Saxon and East Low Saxon. The neighbor languages were Middle Dutch in the West and Middle High German in the South, later substituted by Early New High German.

The period of Early New High German started with the Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible (the New Testament in 1522 and the Old Testament, completed in 1534). This work was based on already developed language, which was the most widely understood at this time.

Copies of the Bible had a long list for each region, where unknown words were translated into the regional dialect. Roman Catholics tried to create their own Catholic standard, which differed from ‘Protestant German’ only in some minor details. A widely accepted standard was created in the middle of the 18th century; it was the end of Early New High German.

Until about 1800, standard German was almost solely a written language.

During the 18th century a number of outstanding writers gave modern standard German its modern form – the language of church and state, education and literature. The written standard influenced a corresponding norm for spoken High German, used in education, theater, and broadcasting. There are also many German dialects that differ substantially from standard German, not only in pronunciation but also in grammar.

The first dictionary of the Brothers Grimm remains the most comprehensive guide to the lexicon of the German language. It was issued in 16 parts between 1852 and 1860.

Grammatical and orthographic rules first appeared in the Duden Handbook in 1880. Later, in 1901, this was declared the standard definition of the German language. Standard German orthography went unrevised until 1998, when the German spelling reform of 1996 was officially promulgated by governmental representatives of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.




Krampus – the Dark Side of St. Nicholas

Krampus – the Dark Side of St. Nicholas
A 1900s greeting card reading 'Greetings from Krampus!'

A 1900s greeting card reading ‘Greetings from Krampus!’

Krampus, whose name is derived from the German word Krampen, meaning pickaxe, is said to be the son of Hel in Norse mythology.

Originally, Krampus was a purely pagan creation, said to be the son of Hel from Norse mythology. But he got grafted onto Christian tradition as a sidekick of St. Nicholas. The legendary beast also shares characteristics with other scary, demonic creatures in Greek mythology, including satyrs and fauns.

Krampus was created as a counterpart to kindly St. Nicholas, who rewarded children with sweets.

According to folklore, Krampus purportedly shows up in towns the night before December 6, known as Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night. December 6 also happens to be Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day, when German children look outside their door to see if the shoe or boot they’d left out the night before contains either presents (a reward for good behavior) or a rod (bad behavior).

The tradition originated in Bavaria and spread south through the provinces of what is now Austria.

Krampus brings punishment back to the Christmas holiday, threatening naughty children with more than a lump of coal in their stocking.

It is believed that the long-horned, shaggy, goat-like monster with a long, angry face and lolling, forked tongue would visit the home of misbehaving children to punish them.

However, due to his likeness to the Christian devil, Krampus was banned in Germany, Austria, and elsewhere, throughout much of the 20th century.

The legend of Krampus isn’t in fear of dying out, as it is in fact gaining in popularity, even though there are those who believe the devil-like Krampus figure is inappropriate for children.




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Good Friday – Karfreitag

Good Friday – Karfreitag

Many people in Germany mark the crucifixion of Jesus by participating in church services and processions on Good Friday (Karfreitag), which is two days before Easter Sunday. For others, it is the start of a long weekend and possibly a spring vacation. Good Friday is a public holiday in all German states. Post offices, banks, stores and other businesses are closed. However, some tourist stores may be open and stores at railway stations, airports and along highways are usually open.

There are some restrictions on selling alcohol, public performances and dancing. Public transport services may run as usual, a reduced service or no service depending on where one lives or wants to travel.

Important Good Friday symbols are images of the cross used during Jesus’ crucifixion and of Jesus on the cross. The cross that is normally on the altar or wall is placed on a carpet or piece of cloth on the floor in many churches. In areas with a Good Friday procession or play, the cross or crosses used as props may be left in place for the whole Easter weekend.

Some people attend special church services on Good Friday. It is customary in some churches and areas that the church organ and bells are not played on Good Friday. Instead musical rattles are used to announce the start of the services and accompany the hymns.

For others, Good Friday is the start of a long weekend that also includes Easter Monday. They may take a short break or longer vacation in Germany or a neighboring country. It is still possible to ski at Easter in some years and regions but in others it is the start of the sailing season. Some high profile car races are also held on Good Friday.

Religious processions or plays are held in the open air in many areas. These tell the story of the last events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. It is customary to eat fish instead of meat because Good Friday is a fast day for many Christians. Try these wonderful Fish Cakes with Green Sauce.







 

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Christmas traditions in Germany

Christmas traditions in Germany

WeihnachtenChristmas (Weihnachten) is considered to be the most important of the major holidays in Germany. Not only the holiday itself, but also the weeks leading up to the celebration of Christmas involve many traditions and customs.

Christmas preparations in Germany begin from 1st of December as people bake spiced cakes, gingerbread houses and cookies, make gifts and start holiday decorations. On 6th of December, Nikolaustag or St. Claus day is celebrated and children leave out a shoe or boot outside the door on the previous evening.

Good children receive presents while bad children receive blows from rod. Traditional Christmas toys consist of little dolls of fruit. Children write letters to the angel Christkind (a messenger of the Christ child), a winged figure in white robes and a golden crown who delivers gifts to German children, and keep them on their windowsills on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, they decorate letters by sprinkling sugar on the glue-brushed letters to make them sparkle.

The German Christmas season officially begins with the first Sunday of Advent. The Advent wreath (Adventskranz) is adorned with four candles, one of which is lit on each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas. The first Advent wreath, which appeared in the mid-19th century, had 4 larger candles and 19 smaller ones. Each day one additional candle was lit to help the children count the days until Christmas. Today only the four larger candles remain. The Advent wreath has been attributed religious and elemental significance. The tradition of a ring of light existed among the Germanic tribes many centuries before the celebration of Advent.

December 24th begins as a regular workday. But by 2:00 pm, often even earlier, businesses close in preparation for the holiday celebration, a large part of which occurs on Christmas Eve in Germany. The traditional evening meal includes roast duck, goose or rabbit with potato dumplings and of course Christmas Stollen. Families sing Christmas carols together and may read the story of Christ’s birth aloud. Family members exchange gifts. The tradition of opening gifts on Heiliger Abend was started by Martin Luther in the 16th century in favor of a celebration that honored Christ rather than a Catholic saint.

Both December 25 and 26 are legal holidays in Germany and are known as the First and Second Christmas Day respectively.





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Oktoberfest…The Fest Of Times

Oktoberfest…The Fest Of Times

oktoberfest-historyOktoberfest was started long ago, it dates back to 1810, when a royal wedding of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen took place on Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s fields”). As time passed by, Oktoberfest lost its original meaning, but preserved and even more acquired the spirit of overall joy and happiness. Nowadays this is the largest festival in the world gathering up to 7 million visitors from all over the world to have fun and enjoy splendid German beers and authentic German food. Moreover, since 1995 Oktoberfest has had its own logo!

After the name of the traditional place of celebration – Theresienwiese – Oktoberfest is called by the local people simply “Wiesn”. Another tradition of Oktoberfest is Munich mayor’s exclamation “Ozapft is”, or as it sounds in High German “Angezapft ist es” which means “It’s been tapped”. The mayor taps the first keg of beer and Oktoberfest thus gets started.

oktoberfest-logoAccording to statistics, in 2000 6.9 million visitors consumed 6,459,100 liters of beer + 170,400 liters of non-alcoholic beer, 681,242 fried chicken, 235,474 pairs of bratwurst (pork sausages) and many more German specialties. Nevertheless they are not just passive eaters and drinkers. All festivities are accompanied by a rich and spectacular program of events for the enjoyment and excitement of visitors of all ages. Each year Munich visitors take part in costumed parades, listen to various music band concerts, enjoy the famous Circus Krone performances, and have great time communicating with each other.

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German Beer – the Absolutely German Drink

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