Nine German states observe October 31, Reformation Day, as a public holiday – Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, , and Bremen. But what was the Protestant Reformation, and why is it celebrated? Growing up in the Lutheran Church, we heard the how Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to a church door, setting off the Protestant…
Author: karenanne
Why are there so MANY Different names for Germany?
Allemania, Niemcy, Vokietija, Tedesco, Tyskland, Germany, Deutschland…. Why are there so many different names for Germany? And these aren’t just names that are a translation of the word Deutschland; they are very different words with different etymologies (starting place of a word). Even the word Deutschland is relatively recent. The answer has a lot to do with Germany’s location.…
Gedeckter Apfelkuchen Recipe – Covered German Apple Cake
Like many other foods in Germany, you won’t find just one recipe for German Apple Cake. I now keep several different recipes in my back pocket because you never know; the apple cake must fit the occasion, after all! Apfelkuchen mit Streusel vom Blech (Apple Streusel cake in a Pan) for every day and Versunkener Apfelkuchen (sunken Apple Cake) is…
History of the Chicken Dance Song- How did Ducks became Chickens?
You are at a party, and you hear those notes… Duhda Duhda Dadah Da…clap clap clap clap… and suddenly the dance floor is flooded with people flapping their arms and shaking their tail feathers. It’s the Chicken Dance Song! (or is it a Duck?). Where did the Chicken Dance originate? And how is it that a song labeled “the most…
My Oma’s Schoko-Nusskuchen Recipe- A Nut-lover’s Favorite
My cousin Linda made my day when she sent me our Oma’s recipe for Schoko-Nusskuchen along with the note, “This is the cake Oma always baked for our Birthdays.” This simple little cake may not be a fancy Torte, but flavorwise, it packs a delicious punch, reminding me of my favorite mid-day pick-me-up treat, a Hanuta. It’s hazelnut and chocolate,…
The Linden tree in Germany – The Tree at the Heart of Germany
A friend sent me a clip from a news story out of West Virginia about the removal of a Linden Tree. What made him curious was not the toys found under the tree; it was the tree itself. This particular tree was the last survivor of three Linden trees brought to the United States by German immigrants. Why, he asked,…
The Speicherstadt Hamburg- More than just Warehouses…
How did a warehouse district manage to get UNESCO Status? Well, the Speicherstadt Hamburg is incredibly photogenic. Rows of neo-Gothic brick warehouses tower over the water and are connected by bridges (fun fact: Hamburg has more bridges than Venice). But it’s more than just how it looks. Think of the Speicherstadt Hamburg as a city within a city. A customs-free…
Old World Village in Huntington Beach- A slice of Bavaria in California
Just 10 minutes from one of Orange County’s famous surfing spots, you’ll find the Old World Village in Huntington Beach. This special enclave of shops and restaurants was conceived and built in the late 1970s by Josef and Dolores Bischof to transport guests and residents to a Bavarian Village. Today, the cobblestoned streets, muraled buildings, flower baskets, and, of course,…
Germany and Coffee- Coffee Culture and History of German Coffee
“Komm, lass uns einen Kaffee trinken“… words I’ve heard my whole life. Come on, let’s drink a coffee. Mornings before a big day, the middle of the afternoon on a shopping trip, or just while sitting and chatting. Germany and coffee go hand in hand. Germans might actually drink more coffee than beer. They certainly import more coffee than any…
What is a Radler? – The History of a Drink Named for a Cyclist
I realize that this might be considered blasphemy, but I’m not much of a beer drinker. I just never developed a taste for it (apparently, I make an “eeewww” face from the bitter flavor when I drink it). And soda is just too sweet to be refreshing. Fortunately, an innkeeper in Deisenhofen, Germany, came up with a solution when he…