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South Africans in Germany

April

April is mostly associated with Easter celebrations and holidays.  
Many houses and gardens are decorated with Easter bunnies, eggs, and spring flowers. Another tradition is to 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.

Most towns have Easter markets and decorate the town fountains with Easter eggs. These decorated fountains are called Osterbrunnen.

 It is also pollen season. You can find a Pollenkalender on the Allergie website.

Season Spring
Time Central European Time (CET), the same time as South Africa until the last Sunday of October, when Wintertime starts (30 October 2022).
Weather

The temperatures average between 3 °C and 12 °C.
The weather can be very fickle in April.
It can change from hot to snowing within days and it is very difficult to make long-term forecasts.
It can also be warmer or colder, depending on the location.
The average daily sunshine is 5  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

Most towns will have spring festivals. The two most famous ones are the Frühlingsfest in Munich and also the one in Stuttgart. It is a great time to marvel at the cherry blossoms and magnolias. A great place to watch the magnolias bloom is at the Wilhelma zoo in Stuttgart, with over 70 trees.

Holidays

HolidayDateInformationStates
Public Holidays
Good Friday / Karfreitag2022-04-07 KarfreitagAll
Easter Sunday / Ostersonntag2022-04-09Ostersonntag
Easter Monday / Ostermontag2022-04-10Ostermontag
Observations
Palm Sunday / Palmsonntag2022-04-02The Sunday before Easter.
The feast commemorates
Jesus' triumphal entry into
Jerusalem
Maudy Thursday / Gründonnerstag2022-04-06Maundy 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
Karsamstag2022-04-08Six days before Ash Wednesday
More info
All
Walpurgisnacht2022-04-30All
School Holidays and Terms
Easter HolidaysVariousSchool HolidaysAll except Hamburg

Events listed on our website

South African London Boat Party in London

19/08/2023 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Join a bunch of fun-loving South Africans for a 3-hour party cruise on the Thames followed by a gathering at a local pub/club for the Ultimate South African After Party. When Summer is in London, it is time for the best jol, the South Africans Boat Party on the Thames River. Join a bunch of […]

African Picnic Schwäbisch Hall

16/06/2023 – 17/06/2023 @ All Day – Music, art and culture of Africa This is an external event share for information purposes only Info can be found on their website 

SIBUSILE XABA & ESINAM at Privatclub Berlin

31/05/2023 @ 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm – This is an external event and only shared by us for information purposes Sibusile Xaba and ESINAM are kindred spirits in music and their collaboration brings healing to body and soul. As multi-instrumentalists, the two artists translate messages from their ancestors through rhythms and grooves. Their vocals heighten the trance into rhythmic patterns that bring […]

Jo Black live in Amsterdam 15 July

15/07/2023 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Jo Black – Hoop in Afrikaans Jo Black bring HOOP vir SLEGS EEN AAND in Amsterdam, op 15 Julie 23. Dit is die eerste keer wat Jo sy treffers na Nederland bring. Voorvertoning deur Dewald Wasserfall This is an external event and not organised by us, we share it for information purposes only Tickets can […]

INDIGO WAVES AND OTHER STORIES Exhibition – Berlin Gropius Bau

05/04/2023 – 13/08/2023 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm – The Gropius Bau and SAVVY Contemporary are delighted to present the project INDIGO WAVES AND OTHER STORIES: RE-NAVIGATING THE AFRASIAN SEA AND NOTIONS OF DIASPORA – running from 6 April to 13 August 2023 at the Gropius Bau and from 21 April to 4 June 2023 at SAVVY Contemporary. The multi-chapter exhibition brings together works […]

INDIGO WAVES AND OTHER STORIES Exhibition – Berlin

20/04/2023 – 04/06/2023 @ 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm – South African multidisciplinary artist Thania Petersen at SAVVY Contemporary in Berlin as of 20 April 2023: The Gropius Bau and SAVVY Contemporary are delighted to present the project INDIGO WAVES AND OTHER STORIES: RE-NAVIGATING THE AFRASIAN SEA AND NOTIONS OF DIASPORA – running from 6 April to 13 August 2023 at the Gropius Bau and […]

Afrika festival in Birkenried 26 – 29 May

26/05/2023 – 29/05/2023 @ All Day – Afrika festival in Birkenried – Music food and good vibes This is an external event that we share for information purposes only. We are not responsible for ticketsales   More info – http://www.afrika.birkenried.de/

Trevor Noah in Berlin

28/06/2023 – 01/07/2023 @ 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm – South African comedian Trevor Noah has shows booked for Berlin. This is an external event that we share for information purposes. We are not responsible for ticket sales. Tickets can be bought on Eventim Dates 28 June to 01 July. Tickets for 27 June are sold out

Fokofpolisiekar in Leuven Belgium 16 June

16/06/2023 @ 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm – Fokofpolisiekar has one concert in Leuven in Belgium. This is an external event and we share it just for information purposes. We are not responsible for any ticket sales Tickets available from Het Depot

Some foods and drinks to try

01.

Made with yeast dough, raisins and almonds. Eaten with butter. Some great recipes on Chefkoch

02.

Chocolate

  • If you want to warm up, try some hearty food like Rouladen, Linseneintopf or Kartoffelsuppe

03.

Asparagus

The Asparagus season in Germany starts towards the end of April and ends on the 24th of June (St. John the Baptist Day)

04.

Ostereier

Brightly colored boiled eggs and of course beautiful chocolate easter eggs in the bakeries

05.

Beer

Starkbier is as the name suggests a strong beer.  Starkbierzeit is called the 5th season. It is during Lent (From Ash Wednesday (22.02.2023) to Easter). Read more here

Fruit and Veggies in Season



Vocabulary

Happy Easterich wünche dir frohe Ostern
Easter bunnyder Osterhase
Easter eggdas Osterei
Easter lambdas Osterlamm
Chocolate bunnyder Schokohase
Daffodilsdie Osterglocke

Sources

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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 part of Germany lies in