Learning about their culture and customs is one of the best parts of living in another country. As an American, I grew up with Santa Claus, referred to as Jolly Old Saint Nick. He is always portrayed as jovial and kind, bringing gifts to children who behave throughout the year. In Germany, they celebrate Saint […]
The Good, and the Bad and Ugly Read More »
There’s been a lot of excitement in the air this past week. It’s Fasching season. You’ve all heard of Mardis Gras in New Orleans and Carnivale in Venice. Coming from the Latin carne vale, meaning without meat, it is the traditional start to the Lenten season preceding Easter and dates back to the Middle Ages.
Karneval? Fasching? Or Fastnacht? Read More »
I sat down today to write this week’s blog post about the Roman ruins we found in The Netherlands last week. Then the doorbell rang, and Widgit, the dog, went crazy. He usually barks, but this time he was excited. Opening the door, I saw four local children dressed in the robes of the magi.
While many Americans celebrated Thanksgiving and feasted on turkey with all the trimmings, Dave and I explored the Weihnachtmarkt, or Christmas Markets, in Germany. These typically open on the first weekend of Advent and some run through Epiphany on 6 January. The first documented Christmas Market was in Dresden Germany in 1434. This was a
It’s time for Gluhwein! Read More »
Folk traditions help you learn about different cultures. Our village celebrated Kirwa (kir-vah) this past weekend, a uniquely Bavarian tradition. So I decided to see if I could describe it to someone who had never attended one. At a glance, it looks like a miniature Oktoberfest with bratwurst and beer, singing and dancing. Initially, they
I have a confession to make. I live in Germany and have never been to Oktoberfest. Shocking, right? We moved here in 2019, and it was on my radar, but we didn’t make it that first year. I could make the case that it was shut down in 2020 and 2021 because of covid. True,
When you look back at the past, do you think of a simpler life? Or do you consider it a more difficult time? That is a tricky question as it depends more on your circumstances than the basic elements of daily life. But I think it’s a bit of both. Sometimes, I think it would
Those were the days! Or were they? Read More »