German Customs

I agree that Germany excels in many kinds of designs. It could be in latest engines, fancy and expensive type of cars, and even stately architectural designs. But what about fashion designs or sense? Some fashion critics say that Germany doesn't really have a common sense of dress styles. That is why, according to some, Germans are not internationally noted when it comes to fashion. I definitely disagree with such claim.

As I have said, I do not agree with the claims that Germans do not have a common or unified dress sense. Even a lousy and beastly looking communities gave some sort of dress preference. Some of the most common German dress styles are leather trousers, boots, and jackets for men, while the German ladies prefer to wear stonewash as for their denims. Going back to the German's lack of common dress sense, I again disagree to some people's claims that Germans are not known internationally when it comes to fashion.

So, if you are looking for a modern and high quality style of German fashion, Betty Barclay Group is the first thing that enters my mind. Today, Barclay is among the top German designers that are also well-acclaimed by fashion experts around the world. Barclay's collection includes women apparels such as clothing , shoes, bags, accessories, eye wear, and fragrances that are especially designed and crafted to be in line with the needs of modern German style needs and other societies as well.

The world usually welcomes the forthcoming year with lavish celebrations and a party bash for friends and the family. In each part of the globe, there are diverse rituals but all the same, time passes by and another year unfolds. And then no matter how far we may be and how much we differ from one another, we submit under one age, one year.

In Germany, New Year's Eve entails a more intimate gathering. The New Year's Eve is sincerely for the family. Before the tick clocks to another time frame, they hold a toast normally with Sekt or champagne while everyone roars "Prostit Neujahr!" Soon, fireworks blaze to skies while they embrace another year.

Bleigiessen is a popular custom in Germany. It is a ritual observed in view of the occasion. Lead chunks are melted in a spoon heated by the candle. The molten lead is then transferred to a basin of cold water where its hardened remains will soon take shape. Each will determine what he or she makes out of the figure. They believe that the figure will lay a fate of what you'll be the next year.

Bleigiessen has gone so popular that Silvesterblei sets are commercialized, complete with package materials with guides and meanings for various shapes. This German custom actually amazes me. Whether its factual or a myth, whatever the results are, still the ritual binds the family closer.

You may be surprised to know that one of the important holiday celebrations in Germany is Easter. Why be surprised? Because while it is commonly celebrated worldwide, we always picture Germans to be rigid or stern. Perhaps that's how they are always presumed to be!

Like in other countries, Easter is the time when family are all the more closely-tied or bound. Same in Germany, during the holiday the family celebrates by having a fine meal afterwhich the egg-hunt begins. They look for the Easter Eggs hidden by the so-called Easter Bunny. Same tradition follows. They also have what they call the Easter walk. The family treads through the fields or wherever they make take the stride together.

In some communities in Germany like Bavaria, they anticipate the Easter celebration even before the sunrise. They lit fires mostly in open fields and they call it the Easter Fire. For them, this ritual emphasizes a belief in life against death. Soon after, with lighted candles at hand, they take the walk to the nearest church.

There are similar traditions and customs that other nations may associate with Germans like the Oktoberfest. It is not a celebration but more like a festival featuring race horses. The Oktoberfest is likewise celebrated in other parts of America. It displays a friendly pact between two nations that was once tight-fist rivals. Meanwhile, their Christmas celebration is not far other practices. They also uphold the ideals of St. Nikolaus, also known as the Santa Claus. It is the time when children has to prove themselves by sing a song or reciting a poem and so they receive gifts, all for displaying goodwill.

Sometimes it marvels afew to have their notions actually mislead by impressions. But isn't it fascinating to learn a little trivia, hopefully in course of understanding a unique culture more.

Just like in other countries, Germans have their own set of etiquette when it comes to dating. In Germany there's equality between men and women. This also follows that men are likely to expect women to behave according to their status in the society which is why pretense is almost a taboo. It's better that women show their true selves because men are apt to render the appropriate treatment to women based on their comportment. Also, most of the time, men pay the bills.

Germans expect their dates to be truthful and respectful. This is the reason why Germans do not like personal queries. Although in dating, both parties are entitled to know his or her date, there are limitations with regards to questioning. It is baseless to ask the guys if they like the dress of the ladies. It is also irritating for men to hear praises from women.

We might also say that most Germans like very sublime dates. That doesn't always follow that dates be held in gourmet restaurants. Simply put, Germans like quiet time with their dates. This is because they pay more attention on the 'talk' rather than the food. Germans like serious topics like news, politics, foreign conventions, and news. Which is why Germans have more formal dates.

I am pretty sure you guys are familiar with the PC game called The Sims. Now, you might ask what the connection of The Sims is with this blog about German tourism. Well, it's just that I was playing the said game on my dependable laptop computer just a few moments ago. It suddenly dawned on me that the gibberish language that the Sim characters are uttering sounded German. That is, if you are not familiar with the German language. Actually, you may misinterpret it for all other foreign languages that you aren't familiar with. As I've said, the language used in the said game is gibberish. Anyway, I decided to research about the history of the German language.

It seems that the German language originated from Indo-European languages. The German language used to depart from what we call the 1st Germanic Sound Shift. However, the German language that we now know have departed by some shifting sounds coined as 2nd Germanic Sound Shift. These departures came from other Germanic languages like Dutch, Scandinavian, English, and even the Gothic language. The effects of such shifts in sounds may still be observed in some comparisons between the English words and German counterparts. Take for example the word "pipe." Pipe is "pfeife" in German. Another example is apple, which is "apfel."

I also learned that the German language has many dialects. However, these dialects are not really mutually intelligible in general.

I know you are familiar with that hit reality television show Big Brother, where strangers live under one roof where they deal with each other and Big Brother's house rules. Hausordnung is kind of like that. House rules, I mean. Since Germans favor regulations in their day to day life,
the idea of house orders is something that they willingly embrace.

Hausordnung is basically a list of rules apartment residents must abide by. There are rules for partying, cleaning the stairs, heaping the snow and taking out the garbage. If you are not aware of the rules, the guy next door would gladly inform you. But even though Germans live for rules, it doesn't mean they don't break them. While some like breaking the rules, others take delight on reprimanding the offenders. Some of the cases filed in courts are because of petty neighbor spats.

I wouldn't dream of living in an apartment where my actions are limited and dictated by niggling rules. Yeah, it makes sense, but come on, you have to be allowed to have a party! You have to admit, that is pretty ridiculous. But anyway, to each his own, and if this is how rule-abiding Germans want it, then I guess it's how it should be.

In a certain country it is really normal to have diverse attitudes and beliefs among the people but there are certain features of a country that hold the people, these are the customs. The customs of a country make the people united. In Germany their customs are their special bonds despite of their physical and religious differences.

Among the German customs which give them strong ties are traditional festival celebrations wherein they cook native foods, dance, sing, wear colorful costumes, and play different sports. In these celebrations the unity of the Germans will be witnessed. The most famous events in Germany are in life passages like birth, death, wedding, christening, and the commemoration of their ancestors. However, the Germans are frightened that someday these customs will be completely buried along with their elders due to the fast change in technology.

As years pass by, the meaning of these customs are slowly fading. The young Germans specifically are forgetting their customs because they have this thought that tradition means "obsolete." Some Germans, though believe that there are other parts of their customs that need change.

Traveling to Germany is an unforgettable experience, but in my opinion, it is best to travel to the country during the months of May up to September. Aside from the renowned Oktoberfest, Germany also holds other festivals and national celebrations during that period. One such festival is a wine festival along the rivers of Moselle and Rhine in Germany.

You may be wondering, why hold a wine festival along the banks of the river when the wine farms are supposedly situated near the mountains where the climate is conducive to grape vine growing and grape harvesting? Well, the thing is, the highlight of this festival is the fireworks display over the Rhine. Of course, the fireworks happen during the night and during summer, and the good thing about this event is that it allows the participation of many countries. For seventy years, this festival has attracted audiences from the neighboring European countries and even as far as China.

When the black skies are illuminated by these fireworks, boats and ships parade on the waters of Rhine. Meanwhile, people on the shores of the river enjoy the magnificent display before their eyes. I am certain that when you get to be part of the crowd gathered on Rhine bank, you would agree that the spectacle is breathtaking.

When October comes, so does the beer! Oktoberfest may originate in Munich, Germany but it is a festival celebrated around the world. It is one of the most famous festivals in Germany and is the world's largest fair. Traditionally, the event takes place 16 days before the first sunday of October.

The first Oktoberfest was held to celebrate the wedding of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria to Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen in October 12 - October 17 1810. Currently there are 14 tents at the Oktober fest, which are semi-permanent in structure because it is only used during the festival. A special beer is brewed for Oktoberfest and is served in the tents.

No, it's not the Octoberfest, but it's as crazy as it sounds! Carneval in Germany or the Mardi Gras, also called "Fasching" is the fifth and the foolish season in the German calendar. It's celebrated nationwide in Germany and it's up to every town or county when to start the grand celebration.

But, most often than not, Germans celebrate the Mardi Gras in early spring, Austria and Switzerland also celebrate the Mardi Gras. So, what do they do in the Mardi Gras festival? There are extravagant parades, there are balls, masks, and there's the Carnival King and Queen! It's like a big costume party, wherein everyone can act silly and have fun, have beer, be with the family and friends, and just enjoy the ride that only Germany's Mardi Gras can bring!

Aside from the beer festival widely known as Oktoberfest, Germany also prides itself on its automotive industry. In fact, a lot of the luxury and regular car manufacturers that we are familiar with today such as BMW, Volkswagen or VW, and Mercedes-Benz all trace their roots to Germany.

There are also many museums in the country that feature antique, vintage, and race cars on display and other interesting automotive information. That's how successful German auto makers have become in pervading its market, the rest of society and the world.

The Polterabend is a fun, and not to mention, loud, German wedding custom. It started in the year of 1517, somewhere in Central Germany, and since then, it has been a German custom. The friends of the to-be-wed couple would come by and bring old plates or dishes and, they would smash the dishes! In some European regions, the bride must clean the smashed dishes, but in some, it's the groom. It's said that the Polterabend protects the couple from harm; and so, they would be together, forever.

Of all the popular customs all around the world, I enjoy Germany's Octoberfest the most! Although, in Germany, originally, it doesn't start in October, the celebration begins in September. This grand party tradition began way back, since 1811, when a royal couple in Germany wed, Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, and the people celebrated the marriage near Munich. Since then the celebrations kept on coming, carnivals were added, the Volksfest began and even horse racing, but the most anticipated activity, of course, the beer fest! Germany is known for their beer, so what better way to celebrate? O'zapft is! Or it's tapped! When people hear this at exactly 12 in the afternoon on a Saturday, which opens the whole celebration, it means the beer fest has begun! People come to Germany for this event, I enjoyed the festivity so much, the beer, the dancing, the people celebrating with their friends, families, holding up good beer! I say, it's one of the very best events around the world.