Is Groundhog Day a GERMAN Tradition? Weather prediction using a burrowing animal on the 2nd of February Candlemas has roots in Germany. The Pennsylvania Dutch German immigrants who landed in America brought these traditions along. Of course, a few adjustments had to be made. Pennsylvania had no badgers or hedgehogs (Igel), so a groundhog was substituted. (And Bill Murray didn’t…
Author: karenanne
Where to Celebrate German Karneval in the United States
Karneval like in Germany! Fasching (in the South) and Karneval (in the North) are a time of celebration of food and fun in the time before the austerity of Lent. Costumes and Masks are meant to scare away evil spirits. Parades and dancing add to the fun. The celebration begins on November 11, the beginning of the 5th Season, when the…
Will Your Kids Enjoy a Trip To Germany? Of Course they WILL!
Before packing suitcases, booking hotels and flights… even before applying for a passport… some parents stop and wonder, “will your kids enjoy a trip to Germany?” Germany is a wonderful place for Adults to vacation, but is it worth the cost to take kids? I agree, it is expensive. BUT! I don’t regret spending the money for a moment. The…
What is Pfand? the Ransom Price for Real Glass
Leave it to the Germans to come up with a brilliant system to make using actual glasses at a Bier Stube possible, the Pfand. This “ransom” or “deposit” charged by vendors means that they get their cups, glasses and plates back for washing… and you get to use grown up table-settings. You see, I really don’t like drinking out…
German Bathroom Fixtures… What is the Deal with Those Toilets?
Germany and America are countries separated by both language and bathroom fixtures. The two main issues are hand-held Shower heads, and Toilets. It’s funny I traveled back and forth between the countries for years and never had serious issues with German bathroom fixtures. In fact, I LOVE the hand-held showers in Germany …. As for the toilets? Well, they are…
The Simple Pleasure of a Strickliesel , the German Spool Knitter
Years ago, German girls were introduced to the all-important (and not always loved) concept of Handarbeit with a Strickliesel. (Handarbeit literally means handwork or handicraft, but in this instance, it means needlework/sewing or embroidery). What is a Strickliesel? These sweetly painted spool looms taught the basics of knitting by turning a simple piece of yarn into a knitted cord. Luckily, these…
When Do You Take Down the Christmas Tree?
I walk almost every day for fitness, for air, to get out of the house, and to get a daily view of what’s going on in the neighborhood. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I saw Christmas decorations go up. Decorated trees filled windows. But then Christmas ended. The VERY next day, discarded trees started lining the sidewalks. Some were already out…
Bleigiessen- A New Year’s Eve Tradition in Germany
Bleigiessen, or lead pouring, is a fun New Year’s Eve Tradition in Germany for families to divine their fortune for the New Year. This ancient form of divination, also known as Molybdomancy, has been used in many cultures during the Raunächte for over 1000 years. Today, it’s mostly just for fun, although there may be something to it… How does it…
German Rheinische Krapfen Recipe…. Fried Dough Treats!
One of my father’s favorite food memories is his mother’s German Krapfen recipe, which she would make every year on New Year’s Eve. These are Rheinische Öl Krapfen, which means they are a fried yeast dough filled with raisins… sort of like a donut, but they aren’t squishy soft (so don’t make these expecting them to taste like Krispy Kremes, Dunkin Donuts,…