Germany Ja!

Note: I asked my new German friend about the heart cookies that I had seen at Christmas markets and fests. She answered with this article about Lebkuchenherzen. The best part? She’s your new German friend too! Sandra Ostrom has offered to be our German liaison. So if you have any questions about German language, culture, [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY BREA I had oh so much fun last weekend at Frühlingsfest! Let me explain briefly. Fruhlingsfest, also known as Spring Fest (Frühling = Spring, Fest = fest) is noticeably similar to Oktoberfest but on a smaller scale. Spring Fest has the tents reminiscent of Oktoberfest’s famous tents, but smaller and more local. Stuttgart [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY CAITLYN CORDOVA We only arrived less than one month ago, so I was very excited to go to our first German festival. We had already seen the Easter Market in the city, so I wasn’t sure what to expect for the festival. After arriving in Nürnberg, it was only a short trip on [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY MERIL CHICKINI I’m sure if you have been in Germany long enough you have noticed that Germans love to celebrate. No matter if it’s Advent with the Christmas markets, Volksfests, medieval fests, loud and colorful Fasching, or wine/beer festivals (we have all heard about Oktoberfest even before landing in Germany) there’s always something [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY AMANDA PAPENFUS Fasching, also known as Karneval and Fastnacht, is a carnival season in Germany marked by several festivities, including parades. My husband and I went with another couple to the Mainz parade, held on  Rosenmontag, the Monday before Ash Wednesday. I have heard the parade in Mainz is one of the biggest, [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY MERIL CHICKINI As you probably already know, or have noticed, Germans like to celebrate and party! They have a long list of different fests to prove it and Fasching is part it. The pre-Lent festivities are celebrated in a carnival style in mostly the predominantly catholic regions of the German-speaking countries. The Rhineland [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE Weihnachten is the German word for Christmas, and Germany has been celebrating Christmas for longer than the United States has existed. Many German Christmas traditions are very familiar to Americans. In fact, many of our traditions started in Germany. Some, however, didn’t make it to America and are new and different [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY MICHELLE KING Friday, November 30th: my parents arrived in Germany!! They only stayed a week, so come Saturday morning we hit the ground running to get things done! First on our list: the Dresden Christmas Market. This Christmas Market is Germany’s oldest Christmas Market with history dating back to 1434. We happened to [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY MEGAN OGEAL Feuerzangenbowle Introduction My junior year of college was unlike most.  The year was spent abroad, studying in Hannover. Ok. So, not much studying was accomplished. I was there for Uni, but mostly…life was my teacher.  I did pass all my classes though. I swear. Cross my heart! (Lucky for me I [...]

Read the full story

CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA SNYDER So often I hear Americans living in Germany say, “there’s nothing to do on Sunday, everything is closed.” Someone else then replies, “You’ll get used to not doing anything on Sundays, it just takes time.” I think this may end up being one of my biggest pet peeves. Can I just [...]

Read the full story