In most countries, Father’s Day is a quiet Sunday in June, maybe a card, a barbecue, a tie nobody asked for. In Germany, Father’s Day is something else entirely: a public holiday, a hiking tradition, a wagon full of beer, and a national excuse for men to disappear into the woods for the day. Meet Read more…
Every spring, something remarkable happens in German villages: grown men attempt to steal a 30-meter decorated tree from their neighbors. And it’s completely legal,even encouraged. Welcome to the world of the Maibaum, Germany’s beloved Maypole tradition. What Is the Maibaum? The Maibaum (literally “May tree”) is a tall decorated pole erected in village squares on Read more…
Every year on the night of April 30th, something strange happens in Germany. Bonfires blaze on hilltops. People dress as witches. Villages erupt in dancing and drinking. And in the Harz Mountains, thousands of people hike through the dark to the summit of the Brocken, the legendary gathering place of witches. Welcome to Walpurgisnacht, Germany’s Read more…
If you’ve ever spent time in Germany between late April and late June, you know the feeling: suddenly, every restaurant menu has a special section. Roadside stands appear overnight. Supermarkets stack white bundles near the entrance. Germany has entered Spargelzeit – white asparagus season – and nothing else matters. For Germans, this is not just Read more…
