Life in Germany Archives - Page 2 of 28 - South Africans in Germany

Easter in Germany is an joyous holiday that is celebrated with great enthusiasm and a range of traditions that have been passed down through generations. Colourful Easter eggs, traditional bonfires, and a wide variety of delicious foods are just a small part of what makes this festive occasion so special. Whether it’s by decorating Easter trees or baking Easter cakes, Germans embrace this holiday with open arms. Additionally, the holiday is marked by a plethora of events and activities, such as Easter markets, parades, and church services.

During the Easter season in Germany, streets and homes are decorated with colourful ornaments, most notably with decorated eggs, symbolizing new life and resurrection. German craftsman producing and selling painted Easter eggs is a common sight in many German towns and villages.

German churches hold special services during holy week and on Easter Sunday. Many church choirs will perform oratorios of Johann Sebastian Bach during their Easter service. Protestant churches usually hold sunrise services on Easter Sunday as an acknowledgement of the Resurrection.

What is celebrated during Easter

Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at Easter. According to Christian belief, Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and rose again on Easter Sunday. For Christianity, Easter is the most important festival of the year.
Easter Sunday is actually the culmination of a series of traditional observations that start with Karneval or Fasching and the following Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch). After that, the holidays (“holy days”) of Palm Sunday and Good Friday lead up to Easter.

Important dates for 2024

Holiday	Date	Information
Palm Sunday / Palmsonntag	2024-03-24	The Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is also the start of the Holy week or Karwoche
Maudy Thursday / Gründonnerstag	2024-03-28	Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the canonical gospels
Good Friday / Karfreitag	2024-03-29	Karfreitag
Karsamstag	2024-03-30	More info
Easter Sunday / Ostersonntag	2024-03-31	Ostersonntag
Easter Monday	2014-04-01

Other Easter Foods

Delicious Hefezopf, Hefekranz and Easter bread (das Osterbrot) in most bakeries. Made with yeast dough, raisins and almonds. Eaten with butter. There is some great recipes available on Chefkoch.

The closest you find to Hot Cross buns are Rosinenbrotchen
Brightly coloured boiled eggs and of course beautiful chocolate easter eggs can be bought at bakeries.

South African Easter Recipes

Easter Recipes

Here is a collection of Traditional South African Easter Recipes. To submit your own recipes to be published on this website, please use this form Roast

Food and Traditions

Food, particularly bread, is an important part of Easter in Germany. Traditional German bakeries offer Easter-inspired culinary delights such as sweet Easter bread, known as Osterbrot. Many regions have their own distinct Easter dishes, for instance, green sauce usually served with boiled eggs is a delicacy typical for the state of Hessen during the Easter period.

Here is a list of food traditionally eaten in Germany over the Easter period, as well as the traditions observed

Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter and also the start of the holy week or Karwoche.
Processions with people carrying palm branches or symbolic bouquets (Palmbuschen) and singing hymns.
Palmbuschen are made from 7 evergreen plants

Gründonnerstag:
Gründonnerstag sounds like green Thursday although it is derived from the old German word greinen, which means crying. Thus many people celebrate Maudy Thursday by eating green dishes, such as the following:
– Seven herb soup / Sieben Kräutersuppe
– Chervil soup / Kerbelsuppe
– Eggs in green sauce / Eier in grüner Sauce

Karfreitag:
All Church bells are silent on Good Friday and many Families attend church services.
Many towns, such as Bensheim will host processions depicting the events of Good Friday.
Dancing is not allowed on Good Friday, neither are weddings. The shops are closed.
It is a tradition to eat fish at dinner with your family.
– Fish cakes with green sauce / Fishfrikadellen mit grüner Sauce

Ostersamstag:
In Northern Germany, people light Easter fires (das Osterfeuer) as a symbol of light in the darkness.
These fires are sometimes lit on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.

Ostersonntag:
Families come together to celebrate. They may go to church together and then have a big brunch or a festive dinner.
The main dish is often lamb.
Children hunt for Easter eggs.

– Colorful boiled eggs / Bunte Frühstückseier – served with Black Forest ham and Emmentaler cheese
– Easter bunny brioches / Osterhasebrioches
– Roast leg of lamb with juniper berry sauce / Lammkeule mit Wacholderbeerensauce
– Biennenstich cake. Click on this link for other Easter cake recipes
– Easter lamb cake
– Hefezopf
– German Sweat Bread nests

Ostermontag:
Easter Monday is a day of remembrance and reflection.

Easter Traditions

Ostermarkt

Easter markets are a wonderful place to buy hand-painted easter eggs, easer delicacies and decorations.

A list of easter markets can be found on Ostern-international, Ostern in Deutschland or simply search for Ostermark and your area.

Osterbrunnen

Public fountains are decorated with easter eggs.
The tradition began in the early 20th century.

Processions

On Palm Sunday the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem is recreated.
Good Friday – Processions enacting the cruxification of Christ. One of the most popular processions takes place in Lohr
Osterreiten – a procession on horseback that takes place on Easter Sunday to announce the resurrection of Jesus

Passion plays

The Passion Play in Oberammergau is performed every 10 years and is one of the most famous in Germany. In 1633 the Oberammergau villagers promised to perform the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ every tenth year, in so far as no one was to die of the plague anymore. The villagers were answered by God and therefore in 1634 the first Passion Play took place. The promise has been kept until today. The 42nd Passion Play successfully ran from 14 May to 2 October 2022, after having to be postponed in 2020 due to Covid. A list of popular passion play venues can be found on Passionspiele.info

Osterstrauch

People decorate dry twigs (Osterstrauch) or trees with colourful eggs. One of the biggest Ostereierbäume can be seen in Saalfeld with almost 600 handpainted eggs.
A great activity for kids (also the grown-up ones) is to paint your own easter eggs. They are hung on trees, used for table decorations, or can be given as gifts.

Painting Eggs

A great activity for kids (also the grown-up ones) is to paint your own easter eggs. They are hung on trees, used for table decorations, or can be given as gifts.

Eggs hold associations with spring and new life. Early Christians made the egg a symbol of the resurrection and the empty shell a metaphor for Jesus’ tomb

Easter Bonfires

The Osterfeuer/Osterbrände is lit on Good Fieday to light up the darkness following the death of Jesus. In some regions fires are lit on Easter Sunday.

Easter Bunny

The concept of a bunny bringing eggs may have originated from German folklore. The first mention of the Osterhase dates back to an essay from Georg Franck von Franckenau in 1682.

Hiding Eggs

The custom of hiding and hunting for Easter eggs originated in Germany. According to folklore, men would hide eggs for women and children to find, this symbolised the resurrection, in which the empty tomb was discovered by women.

The Easter egg hunt may have originated from the idea of celebrating the end of Lent, a period of fasting and abstinence, by engaging in a joyful activity. The eating of eggs was forbidden during Lent.

Osterlamm

It is traditional to eat lamb on Easter Sunday. The lamb is the symbol of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. It is also popular to eat a Sweet Easter lamb, made from cake and powdered sugar.

Vocabulary

Happy Easter	ich wünche dir frohe Ostern
Easter bunny	der Osterhase
Easter egg	das Osterei
Easter lamb	das Osterlamm
Chocolate bunny	der Schokohase
Daffodils	die Osterglocke

Yearly Festivals and Events in Germany

We compiled a list of annual traditional festivals and events in Germany, that we believe will provide you with an exciting array of activities and

Starkbier

Starkbier is as the name suggest a strong beer. It is a legal generic designation for beers in which the original wort content is over 16 °P (degrees Plato). The alcohol level is between 5% and 10%. Most of them are seasonal.
In Munich, Starkbierzeit is called the 5th season. It is during Lent (From Ash Wednesday 14.02.2024 to Easter).

Spargel – the German white gold

Bis Johanni – nicht vergessen – sieben Wochen Spargel essen! The Asparagus season in Germany starts towards the end of April and ends on the

What is Warntag (National Alert Day)

Warntag is a nationwide emergency alert system test that takes place annually in Germany. It is designed to inform and prepare the public for various emergency situations, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks. It aims to raise awareness about emergency procedures and ensure that people know how to respond in case of a crisis. It also serves to test the proper functioning of the technical procedures and the alert channels and devices themselves and to identify any flaws or weaknesses. These will then be fixed.

When is Warntag?

The national Wartag is usually scheduled for the second Thursday of September at 11 a.m.
An all-clear signal will be sent at around 11.45 am via most alert channels and devices. This will cancel the practice alert.
During the year there might be additional campaigns in specific areas to test the systems for that district. The local authorities and the Ministry of the Interior usually provide information via brochures or online about where the sirens are installed and which siren signals are used to warn the population in the event of an emergency.

Days until the next Warntag

What to expect

Alerts and warnings include:

Sirens. There are two different sounds – an ascending and descending tone means danger and a continuous tone means all clear
Vehicles with loudspeakers
Digital information boards
Information systems of the Deutsche Bahn or at airports
Radio and television
Mobile phones and smartphones (via cell broadcasting or warning apps such as NINA)

Although you do not need to prepare for Warntag, it is good to know when the system is being tested as it makes very loud noises. Older people, children, people who have fled war and animals may become scared. Tip: ask your municipality which warning channels will be tested in your area.

For more information, visit the BKK Website. They also have a very informative video for children, it is in German

Responsible Authorities

At the federal level are the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), at the state level the respective interior ministries and at the municipal level usually the authorities responsible for disaster control.

Apps

The Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe (BKK) or in English the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, released the Notfall-Informations- und Nachrichten App (NINA). It is available for Android and iOS
When you install the app on your mobile phone, you will receive warnings for various dangerous situations such as the spread of hazardous substances or a major fire.
Weather warnings from the German Weather Service as well as flood information are integrated into the app.

Emergencies – Assisting someone else

It is very important that you are aware that according to Section § 323c of the Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch) your are obliged to help a

Disaster preparedness

The Federal office of Civil protection suggests that you keep certain items in your house so that you can be prepared in a disaster situation.Such

Emergency Contacts

The following numbers can be dialled in an emergency, either from a landline or mobile phone. 112The national emergency number. This can be used for

Spring is finally here, but let’s not get overly excited, as temperatures will still take a few weeks to rise.
Although the trees will only begin to bloom in April, nature blesses us with the most beautiful flowers, like the cheerful Crocus, the elegant Narcissus and the stunning Tulips. These flowers can be seen in most gardens and meadows, adding a touch of colour and beauty to our surroundings.
There is also the anticipation of the upcoming Easter celebrations, and most houses and gardens will be decorated accordingly, creating a festive and welcoming atmosphere.
Another great thing about March is the increase in daylight, which gives us more time to enjoy the beautiful scenery around us. Every day the sun comes up a minute or two earlier and sets a bit later.
Keep in mind that some places may still have snow, especially in the mountains. So, let’s embrace this transitional period with open arms and cherish all the little joys that come with it!

Season	Spring
Time	Central European Time (CET), one hour behind South Africa until the last Sunday of March, when Summertime starts (26 March 2022).
Weather	The temperatures average between 0.2 °C and 7.4 °C. Depending on the location, it could be warmer or colder. The average daily sunshine is 3.8 hours.

Here is a list of food traditionally eaten in Germany over the Easter period

Gründonnerstag:
Gründonnerstag sounds like green Thursday although it is derived from the old German word greinen, which means crying. Thus many people celebrate by eating green dishes, such as the following:
– Seven herb soup / Sieben Kräutersuppe
– Chervil soup / Kerbelsuppe
– Eggs in green sauce / Eier in grüner Sauce

Karfreitag:
Church bells are silent on Good Friday. Families may go to church and in some towns, such as Bensheim you will see processions.
Dancing is not allowed on Good Friday, neither are weddings. The shops are closed.
It is a tradition to eat fish at dinner with your family.
– Fish cakes with green sauce / Fishfrikadellen mit grüner Sauce

Ostersamstag:
In Northern Germany, people light Easter fires (das Osterfeuer) as a symbol of light in the darkness.
These fires are sometimes lit on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.

Ostersonntag:
Families come together to celebrate. They may go to church together and then have a big brunch or a festive dinner.
The main dish is often lamb.
Children hunt for Easter eggs.

– Colorful boiled eggs / Bunte Frühstückseier – served with Black Forest ham and Emmentaler cheese
– Easter bunny brioches / Osterhasebrioches
– Roast leg of lamb with juniper berry sauce / Lammkeule mit Wacholderbeerensauce
– Biennenstich cake. Click on this link for other Easter cake recipes
– Easter lamb cake
– Hefezopf
– German Sweat Bread nests

Ostermontag:
Easter Monday is a day of remembrance and reflection.

Other Foods:
Before Easter, you will find Easter bread (das Osterbrot) in most bakeries.
Brightly colored boiled eggs and of course beautiful chocolate easter eggs in the bakeries
The asparagus season (die Spargelsaison) starts in the middle of April.
Traditionally the white variety is eaten with hollandaise sauce, potatoes, and ham.
To find out how to buy and store asparagus, as well as some recipes, read our page about the German white gold.

Plan your month

everything you need to know

Festivals

During the festive season of Easter, several towns organize colourful Easter Markets and embellish the town fountains with eggs. Known as Osterbrunnen, these intricately decorated fountains are a sight to behold. But that’s not all, people also adorn trees and dried sticks with eggs, creating enchanting Easter egg trees, also known as Ostereierbäume.

Snow Info

Looking for information on the latest snow conditions? Check out these resources:

Holidays

Holiday	Date	Information	States
Public Holidays
International Woman's Day	2024-03-08		Berlin, MV
Good Friday / Karfreitag	2024-03-29	Karfreitag	All
Easter Sunday / Ostersonntag	2024-03-31	Ostersonntag	Brandenburg
Observations
Meteorological start of Spring	2024-03-01		All
Josefstag / Saint Joseph's Day	2024-03-19		BY
Astrological start of Spring	2024-03-20		All
Palm Sunday / Palmsonntag	2024-03-24	The Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem
Maudy Thursday / Gründonnerstag	2024-03-28	Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the canonical gospels	All
Karsamstag	2024-03-30	Six days before Ash Wednesday More info	All
Start of Summer time	2024-03-31	Clocks are turned forward by one hour	All
Festivals and events
St Patrick's day	2024-03-17	The St Patrick's day parade in Munich is one of the biggest in Germany. There is also one in Berlin.
School Holidays and Terms
Easter Holidays	Various	School Holidays	All

Events

Events listed on our website

Annual South African Meetup 2024

15/06/2024 @ 1:00 pm – 11:45 pm – It’s that time of year again!The biggest South African jol of the year! Every year we get together at the Rheinpark Golzheim to share some South African treats, braai, have a dop too many and dance to the beats of our very special DJ, DJ Doritos. Time: 13:00 – LatePlace: Rheinpark Golzheim, Düsseldorf. As you […]

XJAZZ! Festival – Berlin

06/05/2024 – 12/05/2024 @ 12:00 am – XJAZZ! Festival, Germany’s most famous jazz festival, which attracts more than 20,000 regional and international fans, celebrates its 10th Anniversary in Berlin Kreuzberg from 6 to 12 May 2024. This year’s lineup will be covering 7 days of music, featuring 80 diverse live and DJ acts, 9 indoor and outdoor venues, side events, as well […]

African Food Festival Berlin

04/05/2024 – 05/05/2024 @ 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Experience the diverse flavours of African cuisine at the AFFB Spring Market – an exquisite celebration of African food, music & culture! Welcome to the AFRICAN FOOD FESTIVAL BERLIN – SPRING MARKET! Join us on Sat May 04 + Sun 05 2024 starting at 12:00 PM at Jules | B-Part for a weekend filled with delicious food, electrifying music, and unique shopping […]

Blak Allure With Attitude – Berlin

03/05/2024 – 04/05/2024 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm – Blak Allure is the very FIRST all African Acrobat show with Adelle Nqeto on 3/ 4 May This is an external event and not organised by us. It is shared for information purposes only Tickets on Eventim

Lucy Kruger and The Lost Boys

17/05/2024 @ 7:00 pm – 11:45 pm – Lucy Kruger and The Lost Boys, an art-pop noise project, will do an intense show at the Orange Blossom Festival at Glitterhouse Garten, Beverungen, North- Rhine Westphalia (NRW) on 17 May 2024. With her calm voice South African-born and Berlin-based musician, Lucy Kruger fronts the band, whose music is melancholic and unreal thanks to its […]

Bongeziwe Mabandla in Berlin

23/05/2024 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm – After his sold-out concert on 3 March, award-winning South African musician Bongeziwe Mabandla is back in Berlin on 23 May hours at the Kulturbrauerei. Mabandla is a South African award-winning singer, musician and songwriter from the rural town of Tsolo in the Eastern Cape. He has recorded four highly acclaimed albums and has performed on […]

Bok van Blerk & Riaan Benade

17/10/2024 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm – Welcome, music lovers, to an evening dedicated to the unforgettable sounds of Riaan Benade and Bok van Blerk. From the vast plains of South Africa, these two extraordinary artists come together to enchant us with their unique voices and enchanting melodies. These artists enjoy world fame in their home country, so prepare yourself for an […]

Fokofpolisiekar / Die Heuwels Fantasties

12/07/2024 @ 7:00 pm – 11:45 pm – After a sold-out show in 2023, Fokofpolisiekar is back. This time they bring their friends from Cape Town, Die Heuwels Fantasties, as support. There is no better live combo showcasing the best of African rock and African alternative music than these two acts. It will be energetic, melodic and full of nostalgia as these two […]

Voting Abroad – 2024 – Berlin

18/05/2024 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 pm – Casting of votes at a foreign mission A person who wants to cast a special vote at a foreign mission in terms of section 33(3) or (4), may do so on 17 May 2024 and 18 May 2024, between 07:00 and 19:00, depending on the host country’s dominant religious and cultural practices. In practice, this […]

Voting Abroad 2024 – Munich

18/05/2024 @ 7:00 am – 7:00 pm – Casting of votes at a foreign mission A person who wants to cast a special vote at a foreign mission in terms of section 33(3) or (4), may do so on 17 May 2024 and 18 May 2024, between 07:00 and 19:00, depending on the host country’s dominant religious and cultural practices. In practice, this […]

Trevor Noah Tour – Berlin

01/08/2024 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm – Trevor Noah Off the Record Tour. The actual time is not published yet, estimated it will be in the evening We are not the organisers of this event it is shared for information purposes only Tickets via the Trevor Noah website – this will take you to the Eventim Website

Trevor Noah Tour – Stuttgart

03/08/2024 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm – Trevor Noah Off the Record Tour. The actual time is not published yet, estimated it will be in the evening We are not the organisers of this event it is shared for information purposes only Tickets via the Trevor Noah website – this will take you to the Eventim Website

Some foods and drinks to try

01.

Bärlauch (Wild Garlic) is in season. Wild garlic can be bought at markets or you can harvest it in the forests. I would not recommend harvesting Bärlauch yourself, as the leaves can look similar to those of the Lily of the valley – which is poisonous.

02.

During the months that contain the letter “r,” which typically run from September through the beginning of spring, seafood lovers can indulge in a variety of delicious options including oysters, scallops, and clams. Be sure to savour these delectable treats to the fullest during March!

03.

The delicious, nutrient-packed leaf spinach (Blattspinat) season typically begins in the month of March.

04.

Morels, also known as Morchella, are a delicious and versatile type of sac fungi that can add incredible flavour to any dish. Here are some recipe ideas

05.

Starkbier is as the name suggests a strong beer. Starkbierzeit is called the 5th season. It is during Lent (From Ash Wednesday (14.02.2023) to Easter). Read more here

Fruit and Veggies in Season

Vocabulary

Spring	der Frühling
Wild garlic	der Bärlauch
Morels	die Morcheln
Chervil	der Kerbel
Turnips	die Steckrüben
Radish	der Rettich
Lamb’s lettuce	der Feldsalat
Scallops	die Jakobsmuscheln
Oysters	die Austern
Clams	die Venusmuscheln

Sources

Cycling

The entire cycling scene in Germany took some getting used to when I arrived here. In South Africa its sort of all kitted out serious

Participating in Sports in Germany

Sports in Germany South Africans are generally a sport-crazy bunch. Not just watching it, but also actively taking part. Participating in sports here in Germany

Outdoors

Most South Africans love being outside the house. This can sometimes feel like a challenge in Germany, but I have learned very quickly that you

Weather in Germany

German Climate Germany’s climate is temperate and marine, with cold, cloudy winters and warm summers and in the south occasional warm föhn wind. The greater

February

February is a month of great importance as it is known for love. This event is celebrated with great vigour and passion in South Africa, where lovebirds often exchange gifts, plan special surprises, and indulge in delicious, romantic dinners. However, it is not celebrated with the same intensity in Germany.
In general, most restaurants and hotels in Germany do not offer any special deals or promotions for Valentine’s Day celebrations. However, some shops offer special deals and sales on Valentine’s Day.
So, if you’re interested in celebrating this day of love in Germany, you might have to be a little creative in planning your celebrations. Nonetheless, with your loved ones by your side, any day can turn out to be a special day filled with love, happiness, and cherished memories.

Season	Winter
Time	Central European Time (CET), one hour behind South Africa
Weather	The temperatures average between -2.4 °C and 3.5 °C. It could get much colder, depending on the location. Snow is likely in the mountain areas. Coastal cities have a milder climate and the possibility of snow is low. The average daily sunshine is 2.7 hours.