Do you know someone who is excited about the Osterhase (Easter Bunny)? Why not get out some paper, pencil, and maybe some colorful markers, and let your little one write a letter to the Osterhase, Hanni Hase in Ostereistedt! The idea for an Easter Bunny Post Office came from an Advertising company in Hamburg in 1982 as part of the…
Category: German Holidays and Festivals
Karneval Berliner – How to Make Berliner
Why are Berliner / Pfannekuchen / Krapfen made during Karneval Season? Karneval is a time of exuberance before Lent’s austerity. Believers are supposed to give up tasty things like fried foods for those 40 days before Easter. So, be sure to eat all the Berliner you can BEFORE midnight on Karneval Dienstag! (Shrove Tuesday). Berliners are filled with tasty fillings…
Oma’s German Red Cabbage Recipe- Skip the Jar, Make it Yourself!
My daughter came out of her room and said, “The house smells like Christmas; how long have I been studying?” It’s true; although red cabbage is easy to make and works as a great side dish for many different meats, I mainly make it for the holidays. My German red cabbage recipe is my mother’s red cabbage recipe. This year,…
Super Easy German Fanta Cake or Fantakuchen Recipe
You probably won’t find Fanta Cake in a fancy German Cafe, but don’t scoff at this super easy and quick-to-make Fantakuchen Recipe. When my kids were young, I loved having what I called “afterschool cake” recipes. Snack cakes that could be whipped up without too much fuss. This one is baked in under an hour (perfect when a crowd of…
German New Year’s Eve Traditions to Enjoy with Family and Friends
German New Year’s Eve traditions are a nice mix of staying in with family and friends and sending the old year out with a BANG and fireworks! How you celebrate depends on you. Personally, I’m a big fan of stay in… but ever since I was a child, we’ve made noise with fireworks and cheers when the clock strikes 12.…
A Visit to the Silent Night Chapel Oberndorf Austria
We’ve all sung it hundreds of times, in German, Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht, or in English, Silent Night. It’s THE Christmas song in most German households. It is the last song before the end of the Christmas Eve church service and the last song before the Bescherung. Silent Night is a song we all know the words to in German…
What is the Weihnachtsmann? A German Christmas Gift- Giver
This is the time of year when things can get confusing for some people; in Germany, there is St Nicholas, the Christkind, AND the Weihnachtsmann… but Who is bringing the presents? What is the Weihachtsmann? To make the ‘gift-giver’ issue even more confusing, there are mixed families here in the US where one parent grew up with Santa Claus! How…
Traditions from Germany- Traditional German Christmas Decorations
Scrolling through the Traditions from Germany website is a bit like wandering through an authentic German Christmas market from the comfort of your own home. The charming wood and glass ornaments, handcrafted Pyramids, chubby Smokers, and even brightly lit Herrnhutter Sterne, bring joy and smiles to people who display them during the holiday season. You could say that Sheri and Jochen…