For those that celebrate Halloween, even abroad, the onslaught of candy has already begun. There used to be nary a spooky Hexe (witch) or dancing Skelett (skeleton) to be found in Germany in favor of more somber events like the Reformation. But the Halloween...
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Halloween
Superstitions in Germany
Since this post is sandwiched between Halloween and a truly terrifying presidential election in the USA, I thought this was the perfect time to go over some German superstitions, or Aberglauben. Every culture has them, but when you aren't raised around them they can...
Unhaunted Graves: Halloween, Reformation Day, and Totensonntag
"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living." - Marcus Tulius Cicero (106-43 BC), Roman writer, politician and orator "Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them." - George Eliot NOTE: This post has been updated for 2022! Although...
November in German Culture and History
November: The Mourning Month and Its Fateful Dates The first two days of November are significant in the Christian religious calendar. November 1 is All Saints Day (Allerheiligen). November 2 is All Souls Day (Allerseelen). In Germany, most of Europe, and all over the...
Pumpkins are here, and not just for Halloween
Pumpkin Time It's pumpkin time (Kürbiszeit) once again in Germany. Among other things, that means pumpkin items are again on the menu. This post has been UPDATED for 2024. I love food. In my opinion all the best people do. I look forward to trying new dishes and...
How being an Expat has made me a Better Canadian
It seems that every year, as I am doing the last minute prepping for our upcoming move back to Europe (Hamburg, Germany this time around), I get that same sad, longing feeling. Over the years of my on-again-off-again expat life, I have grown ever more fond of my home...
Feiertage: What are we celebrating today?
With Halloween drawing close, I've been thinking about holidays for expats. Which holidays are observed and how they are celebrated varies a lot around the world. In the English-speaking countries alone there are great variations. (Canada's Thanksgiving is the second...
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