by HF | Jun 3, 2013
Christmas Traditions: Barbarazweig (Barbara Branch) The patron saint of miners, artillerymen and firemen, die Heilige Barbara (Saint Barbara), has lent her name to an interesting Germanic Christmas custom that surely has its roots (literally) in pre-Christian pagan...
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
German Protestant Religious Reformer (“Der Reformator”) Martin Luther (1483-1546), a former Augustinian monk and theology professor, began the Protestant Reformation by nailing his “Ninety-Five Theses” to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. Or did he?...
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,...
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