by HF | Jun 3, 2013
Halloween and Pumpkin Festivals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Halloween may not be a traditional German celebration, but virtually every German youngster knows about it today. For adults as well, over the past couple of decades Halloween has become increasingly...
by HF | May 24, 2013
Germany and the Protestant Reformation Around A.D. 350, the Visigoth bishop Ulfilas (Wulfila) completed the first translation of the Bible into Gotisch, an early form of German, beginning the process of converting the pagan Germanic peoples to Christianity. Long after...
by HF | May 23, 2013
Erntedank: Thanksgiving Customs in Germany and the USA In the German-speaking countries, Thanksgiving is an autumn harvest celebration called Erntedank or Erntedankfest (“harvest thanksgiving festival”). The observance usually takes place in September or October,...
by HF | May 23, 2013
Christmas Traditions: Star Singers, January 6 and C+M+B In Austria and parts of Germany and Switzerland, Christmas does not officially end until January 6. That date commemorates the religious feast day known as Epiphany or das Dreikönigsfest (“three kings festival”)...
by HF | May 23, 2013
Elvis Presley as a US Soldier Stationed in West Germany: 1958-1960 When Elvis Presley walked off an army troop ship in Bremerhaven, West Germany on October 1, 1958, he was only 23 years old. It was his first (and only!) trip beyond the USA and Canada, courtesy of his...
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