January 6, the Epiphany, or Dreikönigstag, is a public holiday in Germany. What is the Epiphany? In the Church Calendar, January 6 is the day that the Wise Men or Three Kings arrived at the stable in Bethlehem to bring gifts to the infant Jesus. The day is celebrated with special church services. In Catholic areas, children dress as…
Author: karenanne
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 Bleigiessen…
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,…
Opa and Oma Books by Kevin Donovan – German Heritage for Kids
The Oma and Opa Books by Kevin Donovan are a delightful series that teaches children about their German heritage. Kevin Donovan got the idea for these books after living in Germany for a few years with his German wife, Helga, and their young children. The concept is simple: English-speaking children visit their Oma and Opa and learn new German words…
Make Salt Dough Crafts- Create Your own Ornaments with Saltzteig
Since the time of the Ancient Egyptians, Salt Dough or Salzteig, has been used for decorations, and many other cultures have used this simple technique. In Germany you will see Salzteig creations everywhere, made by both children and adults. From the very simple cookie cutter cut out ornaments, to elaborate wreaths made with layers of leaves and fruits. These art…
Memories of Christmas in Germany, A Trip to the City
(Occasionally, we are blessed here at German Girl to have a guest post tell a story of life in Germany… either from the past, or current. Gisela Mangus has shared a lovely story about what Christmas was like right after the War. If you have a story to share… please email me at [email protected]) Memories of Christmas in…
How to Make a Rumtopf- A Delicious Way to Preserve Summer Fruits!
Sometimes, when we were kids, my cousins and I got to have boozy fruit on our pudding. Those must have been days that Oma REALLY needed a bit of rest. The big stone Rumtopf crock would come up from the Keller, and when Oma opened it, we would peek inside to see the soaking fruits. mmmmmmmm. Germans don’t like…