After the long, dark winter and the uncertainty of April weather (April, April, der macht, was er will), everyone is ready for summer by the time May rolls around. No matter the first official day of the season is a month and a half away, Germans are reveling in the sun.

Paired with this warmer weather are some of the best festivals and most frequent holidays of the entire year. I – along with most other workers in Germany – eagerly look forward to May where there is hardly a full work week to be found (especially if you are lucky enough to get Brückentage or “bridge days”). Almost as good as that is the German land itself which seems to come alive with Spargel, cherry blossoms, and fruit wine.

Whether you are down to party or just want to enjoy your day off, here are the festivals and holidays that make May in Germany the greatest month of the year. Following Walpurgis Night on April 30th, May kicks off right away with May Day.

May Day

May Day in Berlin – without a May Pole in sight. PHOTO: Ian Hawkins

The month kicks off with a bang – literally. May 1st, Erster Mai or Tag der Arbeit, is known in English-speaking countries as Labor Day. It is a public holiday so everyone has the day off and can celebrate with Maibaum (Maypole) or riot police.

In the sedate south, villages in Bavaria, East Frisia, and Baden-Württemberg fulfill the quaint image of raising the May Pole by tractor or horse. Topped with whimsical ribbons and delicate carved figures, it marks the advent of the harvest season. Once the pole has been raised, there may be a parade with brass bands and Tracht (traditional German clothes) , and there will most certainly be some beer drinking.

In cities like Berlin and Hamburg, the celebrations is a lot more radical. Rabble-rousing about labor practices means there are demonstrations and occasional destruction. Riot police are out in full force and valuables like cars are moved from vulnerable areas like Berlin’s Kreuzberg neighborhood. The cities have understandably tried to redirect that energy and Berlin’s Myfest features hundreds of live bands in venues scattered across parks, bars, and streets throughout Kreuzberg.

Spargelzeit
White asparagus is unofficially a season from April to June 24th, but May sees it at its finest where prices have lowered somewhat and its presence is ubiquitous. The “King of Vegetables” appears in every grocery store and menu, but the true fanatics make a pilgrimage to its source.

The states of Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony as well as the city of Beelitz are responsible for feeding the country’s Spargel addiction. Spargel fiends can follow well-known Spargelrouten to the farms and find festivals and local vegetable stands along the way.

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms on Berlin’s Mauerweg. PHOTO: Erin Porter

Another flora obsession is the arrival of the cherry blossoms. Avenues of Kirschbäume (cherry trees) make places like Bonn with its halo of pink flowers an international destination for about 10 days a year. This short window happens somewhere in April to May and is more than just a pretty sight.

The Japanese actually raised money after reunification to export this tradition to Germany. Many are planted around Berlin along the Mauerweg where the Berlin Wall once ran. Today people flock to the blossoms to take pictures and picnic amidst the pink.

Baumblütenfest

A stand at the Baumblütenfest. PHOTO: Erin Porter

Just 30 minutes from Berlin there is a festival that completely removes you from city life in a swirl of fruit wine. Baumblütenfest in Werder (Havel) is the largest of its kind and encompasses locally produced fruit wines inexpensively offered at 6.50 to 9 euro per liter, a host of carnival rides, and seating within the very orchards where the wine is produced.

Rhine in Flames
This five-city festival stretches all the way from spring to summer. It kicks off on May 5th in Bonn (May is apparently quite a month for oft-forgotten Bonn). Fireworks light up the sky in a spectacular showcase of the Rhine River.

Thousands of visitors watch from the Rhine promenade in Bonn, but the best views are abroad one of the illuminated Rhine cruise ships that parade down the river. If you miss the festival at this location, look for stops along the river throughout the next few months like the largest in Koblenz in July.

Christi Himmelfahrt

Männertag in Berlin. Is there a man atop that beer bike? PHOTO: Erin Porter

Ascension Day, or Christi Himmelfahrt, is another national holiday. While you are enjoying  day off in the park, you may notice an unusual amount of roving bands of drunk men. There is a reason for that…

This holiday has been joined with Germany’s Vatertag (Father’s Day), also known as Männertag or Herrentag (Men’s Day). It is a day for men to be boys, usually on wheels, often out in the wild, always getting very drunk.

Eurovision
While I might get a raised eyebrow about including this on my list, Eurovision is definitely a holiday in my house. This international singing competition is a well-produced spectacle of the absurd. It is Europe’s largest song competition and Germany is always a contender.

Started in the 1950s, it was meant to ease tensions after WWII and foster national pride in a healthy way. Now it is the most watched non-sporting event with about 125 million viewers tuning in each year.

Karneval der Kulturen
The Carnival of Cultures is Berlin’s version of Karneval and celebrates the international character of the city.

The neighborhood of Kreuzberg is the focus once again with more than 1.5 million people flooding into the area to dine on multikulti (multicultural) cuisine, listen to music from around the world, and watch a jaw-dropping parade for this four-day festival.

Have another favorite event in May? Let me know!