I was born in America shortly after my parents arrived from Germany. When your parents are German you don’t grow up like the other kids in your neighborhood. It might not be apparent at first, but then suddenly, there are loads of things that make you stand out. Like the accent, having a lot of extra stamps in your passport…
Category: Celebrating German Culture in America
Moravian Star aka Herrnhuter Stern- Not a Just Holiday Decoration
A trio of Moravian Stars hang in my window at Christmastime. These beautiful 26 point Stars, also known in German as a Herrnhuter Stern, have been a popular decoration during the Christmas Season, the beginning of Advent until the Epiphany, in parts of Germany for almost 200 years. Moravian Stars are used to represent the Star of Bethlehem and are hung…
German Genealogy Databases Online -Find your German Family
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…
The History of the Freistadt Alte Kameraden Band
What I enjoy the most about German Girl in America is meeting new people and learning about all the ways they maintain their German Heritage here in America. Dale Blank has been sharing wonderful information about a great band he plays with, the Freistadt Alte Kamaraden. Since 1942 the band performed for festivals and events both here in the US,…
German Festivals in America, Events and Celebrations
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…
Tante Annemarie’s Bavarian Cream of Mushroom Soup
The wonder of the Internet is that it allows us to connect with friends that we ordinarily might never have met. I got to know Nadia, the author of Spoonfuls of Germany. It’s easy to imagine the two of us enjoying a coffee together and talking about life and family, even though we live on opposite sides of the country.…
What is Maifest? What is a Maibaum? Germany Celebrates May Day!
Maifest celebrates the end of the long dark winter, and the beginning of warm weather and light. It’s a time of reawakening and joy! Best of all… it’s a fun reason to have a party, now that Karneval is behind us, and Oktoberfest is still a few months away. Celebrating the end of winter dates back to the Pagan times,…
Groundhog Day- An old German Tradition in America
Groundhog Day a GERMAN Tradition? Turns out that 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 their traditions with them. Of course… a few adjustments had to be made… in Pennsylvania, there were no Badgers, and or Hedgehogs (Igel), so a Groundhog…
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…