It’s Amazon Prime Day/s, which means some interesting deals on all sorts of amazing products. I did some digging, and it turns out, Amazon has loads of Prime Day deals for your German American Home! Knives, a Spätzle maker, a Raclette oven, Brotzeit boards, language learning tools, Travel Adaptors, Puzzles, and more. Check out the assortment of goodies I found…
Category: Celebrating German Culture in America
South Dakota Kuchen Recipe- A Volga German Legacy
The South Dakota Kuchen recipe sent me on a deep dive through two of my favorite topics: German Immigration History and Food. I can already hear all the Germans saying, “Kuchen means Cake”! And yes, generally, when speaking German, saying “Kuchen” means a non-specific “cake.” But THIS Kuchen refers to a very specific kind of cake. South Dakota’s Kuchen arrived…
What is a Volksmarsch? Walking for Fun, Friendship and Fitness
Germans love to walk. A short walk to aid digestion, or walking instead of driving to the local market to pick something up, and of course, a Sonntagsspaziergang (Sunday Walk) was a weekly thing, generally through a botanical garden or local scenic area. Germans also love to be organized. That’s why it comes as no surprise to me that Germans…
What is a Turnverein? How do Turners fit into American History?
When I told my mother that my latest research was a deep dive into the Turner Movement, she said, “OH! Vater Jahn! Your Opa did gymnastics with the Turners!” Freiderich Ludwig Jahn essentially invented gymnastics in Germany around 75 years before my grandfather was born, and he’s still spoken of with reverence by many because of his teachings- democratic reform,…
German Good Luck Symbols- We Could All Use a Little Luck
You see them everywhere in Germany, especially around Christmas and the New Year: Toadstool ornaments, Chimney Sweet figures, Marzipan Piggies with coins or 4 Leaf Clover in their mouths. These German good luck symbols didn’t just come out of nowhere; they all have history and legend to explain why they are lucky. Some luck charms go back to Pagan times,…
German Side Dish Ideas for Thanksgiving Dinner
When I was growing up, my mother never made the traditional American Thanksgiving meal of big roast Turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, etc. We would have a German meal instead (which was fine by me; I’ll take a pork roast any day). Still, after being married to an American, I learned to make the American meal and incorporate a…
What is a Schnitzelbank- A Bench and a Funny Song
It was another one of those moments where I wondered if my family was German. But, it was yet another case of family from North Rhine Westphalia vs Midwest German-Americans. While in Wisconsin, I kept seeing a poster for the Schnitzelbank, so I asked, “What is a Schnitzelbank?“. I understand what a Schnitzelbank is. It’s a carving bench, but…
What is Schuhplattler -All About this Bavarian Cultural Tradition
Slap the Shoes and then Smack the knees with Flat Hands… Men jumping around, stomping their feet, and slapping their knees and shoes, sometimes alone, sometimes in a circle with ladies who twirl as if ignoring them. From the outside, the Schuhplattler looks like a version of crazy dance moves you might see on a street corner. However, the dance…
Smashing a few German Stereotypes – Or Just Clearing them Up
I’ve come out from behind my computer keyboard a few times lately to promote various projects, and because of this, I’m being asked some strange questions. Now, I realize that stereotypes come from somewhere… but you would think that a few of these stereotypes about German people would vanish because of their ridiculousness. Someone actually asked me if I play…