Cover image- Johann Wilhelm Cordes, Wilde Jagd Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons A ferocious storm hit my corner of California in December. The wind howled as it battered the house, moaning sounds came down the chimney, doors rattled, and we could hear branches cracking outside. There was a sudden popping sound, and we were plunged into darkness. Thankfully, the extra…

, Frau Holle Cover Image- Nickge4, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons When it snows in Hessen, people say Frau Holle shakes out her feather beds. Thanks to Grimm’s Fairy Tales, we all have a mental image of an old woman airing her bedding out the window. But the story of Frau Holle goes further back in German history; she…

My mother’s Oma refused to do laundry during the Twelve Days of Christmas. To me, this makes perfect sense. The Christmas Season is just so busy; who wants to do laundry? But the reason goes deeper, to the legends of the Rauhnacht.  The Rauhnächte is the time between the years when old memories carry out traditions from pagan times in…

Deep in the Alpine region of Germany, two frightening beings bookend the Christmas Season. Krampus roams on December 5th, and Frau Perchta is associated with Berchentag, the Feast of the Epiphany, on January 6th. But Who is Frau Perchta? Or WHAT is Frau Perchta? Is she an evil hag who kills lazy women and children? Or is she a beautiful…

Heiliger Donnerstag (Holy Thursday) makes sense… but why is the Thursday before Easter called Grünerdonnerstag in Germany? The word “Heilige” or “Holy” makes sense, after all, the day is an important part of the Karwoche (Holy Week). The Thursday before Easter is associated with the Last Supper and the end of Lent. The night of Jesus’s betrayal and arrest marks…

Cover image by Nifoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsIn 784 Charlemagne visited the town of Lügde, and according to his chronicler Einhard, witnessed large oak wheels stuffed with straw, set on fire, and sent rolling down the Osterberg to greet the Spring. What an impressive sight! Burning wheels of fire careening down the hill…sparks flying all around. Although no one…

While digging in to stories about Easter in Germany, I frequently come across references to the Germanic pagan goddess Ostara. In fact, Ostara and Easter appear to be so entwined, that even the word Ostern (Easter) comes from this goddess of Spring. And sources attribute many of the non-religious Easter symbols like eggs and rabbits directly to her. So, I…

When I was young, we looked forward to receiving packages from my Opa a few times a year. Brown paper wrapped packages, tied up with string (actually twine… but Julie Andrews never mentions twine in her song). They came at Christmas (in the odd year he didn’t visit), our Birthdays, and Easter. After Mama carefully untied the knots and saved…

Over the years, many of our local German Delis and Bakeries have shut down. But, all is not lost! You can order German Food online to enjoy at home! Almost everything you normally buy in German Grocery Store stores can be sold in these shops. I’m in the habit of cooking with certain German seasonings and sauces that I can’t…

For many German-Americans, tracing their history is not so easy. Records were lost or destroyed, and the old script can be difficult to read. While I am by no means an expert, I have found some German Genealogy Databases online that can help you find a little more about your German Ancestry. If you know of any websites or pages that…

 Looking for German Festivals in America? Events and Celebrations? Take a look at our list! There’s  something for everyone! Maifests, Sommerfests, Oktoberfests, Christkindlmarkt, Concerts, and More!! We also have a special page set aside for Christmas Markets in the United States and Canada–> German Christmas Markets  Do you know of any Events or GermaFestival that’s not on the list? Send…

  Ever wonder “Are there any German Restaurants near Me?” Readers have kindly sent me the names of their favorite German Restaurants in America, as well as German Bakeries, Delis and Online Sources. It looks like we will all be able to eat Rouladen, Bratwurst, Brötchen and Torte as we make our way across America. And now we’ve even added German…

My mother cooked German soups and Eintopfe (One-pot meals) all winter. Soups transform simple ingredients into flavorful and filling meals. German Potato Soup with Smoked Sausage is the perfect example of this.  The humble potato, the Erd-Apfel, was a side dish at almost every meal. (Boiled, fried, mashed, Klöße…) We were the only ones in our neighborhood with a special…

My daughter came home from school for winter break craving Graupensuppe, German Pearl Barley Soup. I get it. When you are away from home, you crave the foods you only get at home. Soups or stews that make you feel loved inside. After visiting a few stores to find Pearl Barley (is there a shortage?), we made a big pot…

When my parents moved this summer, my mother uncovered a treasure trove of handwritten recipes from friends and family members tucked away in a drawer. She and I resolved to decipher the old handwriting, make sense of the sometimes cryptic directions, and reproduce those old flavors. (Dad offered to help by tasting the bakes.) We are starting with a recipe…

A few years ago I ran into a roadblock when starting my Christmas baking. For years my regular grocery store sold candied citrus peel all packed up and ready for me to use in Stollen, Lebkuchen, and Magenbrot. No more. The grocer told me that demand dropped over the years (and then he mumbled something about Fruitcake being yucky… I…

When you think of Massachusetts, the first thing that might come to mind is the rich tapestry of American history that’s woven into its cities and towns. But did you know that there’s also a strong German influence that’s left an indelible mark on its historical sites? From architecture to cuisine, German immigrants have greatly influenced the Bay State. They’ve left…

Most people don’t think about German-American history when they think about Southern California. Pennsylvania, of course, Wisconsin, naturally, but California? YES! Anaheim’s German History is a great story. The city of Anaheim began as a colony of Germans! (Yes, Anaheim, home to the House of Mouse). In 1857, 50 Germans formed an association called the Los Angeles Vineyard Company and…

A few years ago, I visited the Bremerhaven Auswandererhaus (Emigration Museum), and more recently, I visited Ellis Island, where many immigrants landed on the other side of the Atlantic. The museum houses the other half of the immigration story. I went, unsure of how much German history I would see; after all, Ellis Island acted as an immigration station for…

  1021 people, mostly women and children perished in the General Slocum Disaster of 1904. And yet, the tragedy is mostly forgotten. Kleindeutschland (Little Deutschland) in New York City thrived through the 1800s into the turn of the century. German-Americans lived, worked, shopped, and worshipped in this thriving neighborhood. Then on June 15, 1904, 1358 people climbed aboard the General…