Celebrating Easter in Germany is much more than a trip to church, an Easter Egg hunt, brunch, and a nice hat. Easter is a major holiday in Germany, and the events go beyond home and church. Preparations start well before Easter Sunday! and don’t end there. Many Easter traditions we follow here in the US and elsewhere stem from German customs.…
Category: German Holidays and Festivals
Karneval or Fasching- Here’s how they celebrate the 5th Season!
2023 marked the 200th Anniversary of the Köln Karneval Associations! What is Fasching? And is it the same thing as Karneval? YES! Karneval / Fasching / Fastnacht all refer to the pre-Lent Season, the Fifth Season in German-speaking countries. Think of this time as the German version of Mardi Gras. The celebrations date back hundreds of years, rooted in Catholic and early…
German Christmas Market
Come shop in our virtual German Christmas Market! Find all those delightful German Christmas items from the best vendors. Click Here to Shop our Christmas Market Order the German Food Box for a Month, Three Months, or a Year 6-8 German Food Items + Gift Box + Traditional German Recipes – all for only $39 per box! Save 10% …
Chocolate and Dark Beer Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
I know, I know… Chocolate and Dark Beer Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream are not STRICTLY German. (Or really, traditional German at all) BUT! They are tasty. And since I used a dark Erdinger Weissbier German Beer, these delicious treats count as Denglish. The recipe comes from one I used to bake for Irish friends using Stout beer (Guinness). I find…
Order Authentic German Pretzels from the Bavarian Pretzel Company
Now you can enjoy tasty oven-fresh Bavarian Pretzels year-round without leaving home! The Bavarian Pretzel Company bakes traditional pretzels and ships them to you for finishing at home. The pretzels come out from the oven with a perfectly chewy crust, soft interior, and amazing flavor. Serve them for Brotzeit or at a gathering of friends on a Sunday afternoon… OR…
Why is the Thursday before Easter called Grünerdonnerstag in Germany?
The Thursday before Easter is called Heiliger Donnerstag (Holy Thursday) in the Church Calendar. So, why is the Thursday before Easter called Grünerdonnerstag in Germany? The word “Heilige” or “Holy” makes sense; after all, the day is an important part of the Karwoche (Holy Week). The Thursday before Easter is associated with the Last Supper and the end of Lent.…
Burning Easter Wheel In Germany- UNESCO Heritage in Lüdge
Cover image by Nifoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsIn 784, Charlemagne visited the town of Lügde and, according to his chronicler Einhard, witnessed large oak wheels stuffed with straw set on fire and sent rolling down the Osterberg to greet the Spring. What an impressive sight! Burning wheels of fire careening down the hill with sparks flying all around. Although…
Top Oktoberfest Songs You WILL Hear at German Festivals
Music is almost as important to Oktoberfest as Beer. (I said ALMOST). So if you are headed to an Oktoberfest… or you are hosting your own Oktoberfest Party… you can be certain that music, singing and even dancing will be involved. But what sort of music will you hear? These are the TOP Oktoberfest Songs that you will most likely…
Christmas Eve Dinner in Germany – Würstchen mit Kartoffelsalat?
In the Netflix series Over Christmas (Über Weihnachten), the Christmas Eve Dinner is Würstchen und Kartoffelsalat (Sausages and Potato Salad). The Oma complains, saying that it’s also just the regular Thursday meal at her Old Age Home. But as her daughter points out, it’s Tradition; that’s what they’ve ALWAYS had; in fact, OMA used to serve it. The truth is,…
Spekulatius Truffles- An easy and delicious Christmas Treat
A few years ago, I started making simple Truffles around the Holidays as little gifts and to help corners of my Bunter Teller. Making these rich (and I mean REALLY RICH) Spekulatius Truffles doesn’t take that long, and it’s easy to find helpers since everyone loves playing with the chocolate. You can even get the little ones in your world…