German Traditions

Carnival is a generic term for the various festivities that take place in Germany during the period before Lent. Carnival is a time of (almost) unrestrained merrymaking when both adults and children dress up, go to big processions and parties and think as little as possible of work and other ordeals.More ...

Although carnival is mainly associated with the Roman Church year its origins are pagan. The heathen origins of Carnival are the spring festivals of the ancient Germans who celebrated the end of the often harsh winters. More ...

Being the city where the first organized Carnival processions were held Cologne has the largest and best known of all processions on Rosenmontag. In 1998 1.5 million people went to see it and 9000 revellers took part in the procession itself, among them 4000 musicians and 122 bands. More ...

The Children's Reckoning in Dinkelsbühl stems from the Thirty Year War (1618-1648) which raged in what is today known as Germany. With the festival the town of Dinkelsbühl symbolically shows its gratitude to its children who saved it from destruction in 1632. More ...

In 1475 the Duchy of Landshut became the centre stage for the most lavish celebration of the late Middle Ages: The wedding of Duke Ludwig the Richs' son Georg to the Polish princess Hedwig (Jadwiga), the daughter of King Kasimir IV of Poland. More ...

The Pied Piper of Hamelin Play has its origin in a legend from the year 1284. Supposedly during the course of that year a man appeared in Hamelin promising the inhabitants to rid them off all rodents. More ...

The inhabitants of Munich call the Octoberfest simply d'Wies'n - named after the venue of the festival, the Theresienwiese (Theresa's meadow). More ...

Historically shooting festivals originated in the Middle Ages during the reign of Emperor Henry I. Under Henry's reign many imperial towns were founded which needed to be protected in emergencies. More ...

Traditionally fishermen's joustings play a large part in communities that were founded along rivers and lakes. One of the most famous jousting festivals in Germany takes place in the former free imperial city of Ulm. More ...

Germany, well known for its beers, is also a traditional wine producing country. Its main thirteen wine producing regions are: Ahr, Baden, Central Rhine, Franconia, Hessian Bergstraße, Moselle-Rhine-Ruwer, Nahe, Rhein Hesse, Rheingau, Rhineland Palatine, Saale-Unstrut, Saxony and Württemberg. More ...

Walpurgis Night which is celebrated on 30th of April is originally a heathen spring festival. The heathen deities Wodan and Freya are said to have conceived Spring that night. It was a feast of sacrifice in which the focus was formed by the drink of love and a green coloured May punch. More ...