GERMAN AND GERMAN-AMERICAN
CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS, ORIGINS OF HOLIDAYS
Introductions and Foundational Information
- Use of this site will be enhanced by taking a few moments to read through the following materials:
- Important essay: More than Folklore: Customs & Traditions / Mehr als Folklore: Das Brauchtum.
- Brauchen wir Bräuche? Hat Tradition Zukunft?
- The Year of the Sun: Nature and Germanic Culture. setup of the solar year, seasons, celebrations, Gregorian calendar.
- German only. Calculator for fixed and movable holidays.
- German.about.com's Calendar and holiday customs
- EXCELLENT! Religiöses Brauchtum - 4 seasons, numerous feasts, customs, literature
- Catholic Encyclopedia - a wealth of info
- Holidays, Calenders, Seasons, etc. Our links to further resources
- Rites of Passage: baptism, marriage, funerals and other solemn occasions.
- Cross Quarter Days are in red, Equinoxes are in blue. Solstices are solar celebrations, Equinoxes are lunar celebrations
- Seasonal Holidays and Traditions vs. the Calendar and Seasons - some holidays precede or anticipate the season
- See Year of the Sun Calendar for further explanation
AUTUMN TRADITIONS AND HOLIDAYS
Cross Quarter Day August 1 |
First Harvest is the cross quarter day between Midsummer Solstice & Autumnal Equinox |
Mid-Sept to Mid-Oct |
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Mid-September |
Steuben Parades are held in New York and Chicago. |
Jewish New Year Jewish Day of Atonement |
Autumn
AUTUMNAL EQUINOX September 22 |
Harvest Home, day roughly equals night (equi-nox). Around the Autumnal Equinox Oktoberfests and Germanfests are held. |
End of September |
Oktoberfests in Germany and North America. |
September 26 |
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September 29 |
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1st Sunday in October |
Erntedankfest / Thanksgiving in Germany |
October 1 |
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October 2 |
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October 3 |
Tag der deutschen Einheit - Day of German Unity |
October 6 |
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October 31 |
Reformationstag - Reformation Day |
Cross Quarter Day October 31 |
Halloween, the last day of Fall, separates Autumnal Equinox from Midwinter Solstice. One of the year's most significant pagan fests. |
Winter Traditions and Holidays
November 1 |
All Saints' Day - All Hallows/Allerheiligen (official holiday) |
November 2 |
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November 9 |
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November 11 |
St. Martin's Day; kicks-off Karneval in some areas. |
3rd Sunday in November |
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Wednesday before Totensonntag |
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November 25 |
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Last Sunday before Advent |
Totensonntag - Sunday of the Dead. Protestant. |
4th Thursday in November |
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1st Sunday after November 26 |
Advent begins, ends on Xmas eve; Christmas Markets open. |
November 30 |
St. Andreas/St. Andrew |
December 4 |
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December 5 and 6 |
St. Nikolaus/St. Nicholas: historical, Santa, holiday. |
December 8 |
Mariä Empfängnis and Weihnachtskrippen |
December 13 |
St. Lucia: Festival of Lights. Italian & Swedish traditions, songs. |
The story, celebration, recipes, rituals, games, resources, Yiddish. |
Winter
The point at which the sun reaches its greatest declination, north; the beginning of the solar new year, celebrated with bonfires. |
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December 21 |
St. Thomas: the doubting Thomas |
Background, religion, customs, teaching, countless links! |
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December 24 |
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December 25/26 |
Christmas / Weihnachten (official holidays in Germany). |
December 26 |
Boxing Day in England |
December 31 |
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January 1 |
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January 6 |
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Cross Quarter Day February 1 |
Groundhog/Candlemas Day is the quarter point between the Midwinter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. |
Spring Traditions and Holidays
February 2 |
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February 14 |
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February 28 |
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Thursday |
Weiberfasnacht / Old Wives Carnival: women have "Narrenfreiheit" |
Sunday |
Faschingssonntag / Greasy Sunday |
Monday |
Rosenmontag. Famous Parade televised from Cologne |
Tuesday |
Faschingsdienstag: all parties stop when clock strikes Midnight Shrove Tues/Mardi Gras |
LENT (movable) |
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Purim: Jewish celebration of religious freedom. |
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March 17 |
St. Patrick's Day: Irish-German connection? |
March 25 |
The Annunciation / Maria Verkündigung (9 mos. to Xmas) Lätare (3rd Sun. pre Easter) |
Palmsonntag / Palm Sunday begins Holy Week. Last Sunday before Easter. |
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SPRING (movable) |
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Karfreitag / Good Friday |
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Easter / Ostern: background, customs, celebration. |
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Pesach / Passover |
Spring
Vernal Equinox March 20 |
Vernal Equinox. Rebirth of Nature, night & day each appx.12 hours. |
April 1 |
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April 6 |
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Cross Quarter Day April 30 |
May Eve/Walpurgisnacht, the last day of Spring, cross quarter day separating Vernal Equinox from Midsummer Solstice. |
Summer Traditions and Holidays
May 1 |
May Day / Maifeier / Tag der Arbeit. |
Jewish festival 50 days after Passover. |
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May 11-15 |
Die Eisheiligen |
Summer
Midsummer Solstice June 20 |
Midsummer Solstice is the point at which the sun reaches its greatest declination south. Sonnwend/Midsummer Night |
June 24 |
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July 1 |
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July 4 |
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August 1 |
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August 15 |