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…
Category: Celebrating German Culture in America
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! Celebrating the end of winter dates back to the Pagan times, and while the celebrations have changed a bit, there is still dancing. Cities and small villages across Germany, but primarily in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, set…
Groundhog Day- An old German Tradition in America
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…
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…
Losing a Language- How I Tried to Teach my Kids German and Failed
German was my first language. ( In fact, I sometimes joke that I could be an ESL, English as a Second Language Student, and apply for benefits.) You see, even though I was born in California, my parents are German… and had just recently arrived in the country. It’s only logical that they spoke German in the home, and I…
German Life Magazine Subscription- Travel, Culture, Recipes and Heritage
[no_toc] German Life I’ve had a German Life Magazine Subscription for the past 7 or 8 years. German Life Magazine, for those of you who haven’t been lucky enough yet to discover it, is a magazine for anyone who loves Germany or has a German speaking heritage (The magazine is not just Germany, the magazine also covers Austria and Switzerland).…