Going to the movies
A movie theatre is called das Kino, and they show the latest movies and blockbusters. Although most movie theatres are very modern with the latest technology,
February
February is the month of love. It is a big celebration in South Africa, but not so popular in Germany.
As a rule, restaurants do not offer any special Valentines deals and neither does the Hotels.
The more commercial shops will have some special items or sales.
It is also Carnival season , also called the fifth season, things can get a bit “Narrisch”Â
So what is Carnival, Fastnacht and Faching?Â
These are basically the same but they differ from region to region.
- Fasching – Austria, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Sachsen
- Fastnacht – Baden, Franconia, Hesse, Saarland, Mainz, Swabenland, Switzerland and Luxumbourg
- Karneval – Rhineland: Aachen, Bonn, Köln and Düsseldorf
Carnival is a celebration of excess and includes parades, floats, dancing, formal balls, wearing costumes, noise and a lot of partying. It is the period before Lent, that starts on Ash Wednesday.
Lent is a time of repentance and abstinence in preparation for Easter.
Narrenzunft
This is yet another version of carnival.
The local carnival clubs of the Swabian-Alemannic carnival and some of the Rhenish carnival describe themselves as fools’ guilds. These guilds are mostly organised in the legal form of a registered association (Verein).
You can find the “Zunfttermine” here.
You can find a list of the associations / Vereine here.
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| 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. |
Plan your month
everything you need to know
Festivals
The most famous festival in Germany, the Oktoberfest in Munich, starts 17 September. Other great beer fests to visit are the Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart from 23 September and the Oktoberfest on top of the Zugspitze (still unsure for 2022). Similar festivals will be celebrated all over Germany and you can search for Oktoberfest and your town to find one close to you.
Autumn is also time for  wine festivals.
If you love Pumpkins, head out to Ludwigsburg for the biggest Pumpkin festival in the world. It will run from 26 August until 1 December 2022
Holidays
| Date | Holiday | Information | States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Holidays | |||
| - | |||
| Observations | |||
| Valentines Day | 14.02.2023 | All | |
| Women’s Carnival / Weiberfastnach | 16.02.2023 | All | |
| Fastnachtssamstag | 18.02.2023 | ||
| Fastnachtssonntag | 19.02.2023 | ||
| Rose Monday / Rosenmontag | 20.02.2023 | ||
| Fastnacht / carnival | 21.02.20236 | ||
| Aschermittwoch/ Ash Wednesday | 22.02.2023 | A Christian holy day of prayer and fasting, and the first day of Lent | All |
Events listed on our website
Virtual get-together April 2023
13/04/2023 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Join us for a casual monthly get-together. The idea is to get to know other Southern Africans, support each other, and share our ideas and tips on life in Germany. Follow the skype link: Skype Meeting Planned for 2023: 11 May 8 June 13 July 10 August 14 September 12 October 9 November 7 December
Africa Festival – Nomfusi Gotyana at the Africa Festival
26/05/2023 @ 10:00 pm – 11:45 pm – Nomfusi Gotyana, known as Nomfusi, is a South African singer and performer of Afro-Soul music. She was born in the township of KwaZhakele in the Eastern Cape This is an external event and is shared only for information purposes Tickets for this event can be bought on the Africa Festival website The International Africa Festival […]
Milieu Tropicale presents Sandy B
18/03/2023 @ 8:30 pm – 11:45 pm –
South African Kwaito Legend in Germany
Sandy B in Berlin
07/04/2023 @ 8:00 pm – 11:45 pm –
https://panda-platforma.berlin/events/sandy-b-south-african-kwaito-legend/
Scatterlings Bring and Braai 2023
24/06/2023 – 25/06/2023 @ 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Each family bring their own food and drinks If you would like to stay over please book your own accommodation. For Day Visitors 30 Euro pp. Acc@Basecamp 20 Euro pp Please RSVP before 30.03.23 Facebook link to the event Organiser Website
Alice Phoebe Lou – Berlin
05/11/2023 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm – This is an external event and is not organised by the admins of this website. It is purely for information purposes. Alice Phoebe Lou is a Berlin-based South African singer-songwriter. She has released three EPs and four studio albums. In December 2017 her song “She” from the film Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story was included […]
Alice Phoebe Lou – Munich
27/10/2023 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm – This is an external event and is not organised by the admins of this website. It is purely for information purposes. Alice Phoebe Lou is a Berlin-based South African singer-songwriter. She has released three EPs and four studio albums. In December 2017 her song “She” from the film Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story was included […]
Alice Phoebe Lou – Frankfurt
26/10/2023 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm – This is an external event and is not organised by the admins of this website. It is purely for information purposes. Alice Phoebe Lou is a Berlin-based South African singer-songwriter. She has released three EPs and four studio albums. In December 2017 her song “She” from the film Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story was included […]
Alice Phoebe Lou – Hamburg
11/11/2023 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – This is an external event and is not organised by the admins of this website. It is purely for information purposes. Alice Phoebe Lou is a Berlin-based South African singer-songwriter. She has released three EPs and four studio albums. In December 2017 her song “She” from the film Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story was included […]
World League w/ Black Coffee
09/04/2023 @ 3:00 pm – 11:15 pm – This is an external event organised by World League. We are not the organisers, this is just for information puposes. Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, better known by his stage name Black Coffee, is a South African DJ, record producer and songwriter. Black Coffee kicked off 2022 with a triumphant Grammy Award win for Best Dance/Electronic Album […]
Schalk Bezuidenhout Comedian (Amsterdam)
17/05/2023 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm – This is an external event just for information purposes, we are not responsible for the booking or management thereof Schalk Bezuidenhout was born in Kempton Park or as he calls it – ‘The New York of the East Rand’. In Kempton Park the traditional Afrikaans way of living was a good life. Your mother’s breast […]
Annual South African get together – Save the date
17/06/2023 @ 1:00 pm – 11:30 pm – Hi Saffas! Just posting a Save the Date for the annual meetup in Düsseldorf! Details to follow on the FB group It’s a lovely day filled with delicious SA food (a bring and share), great music and the best company! It’s a family-friendly event and we’ll most probably jol late into the night for those […]
Some foods and drinks to try
01.
Krapfen
A jam-filled doughnut, also known as Berliner or Berliner Pfannkuchen
02.
Hearty Food
- If you want to warm up, try some hearty food like Eisbein, Sauerbraten, Falscher Hase (Meatloaf) or Kartoffelsuppe. A glass of Glühwein can help keep you warm.Â
03.
Reibekuchen
Potato pancakes (Rosti) served with Appel sauce, or savoury with egg or onion
04.
Bratwurst
Another seasonal fruit is the Damask Plum ( Zwetschgen). It is not to be confused with normal plums (Pflaumen). Most bakeries will sell Zwetschgenkuchen or Zwetschgendatschi. Eat it with a big dollop of cream or ice cream. You can also substitute the Zwetschgen for Mirabellen
05.
Kölsch
Kölsch is a light, clear (filtered) and top-fermented beer with an average original gravity of 11.3 °P and an average alcohol content of 4.8%.. It must be brewed in Köln
Fruit and Veggies in Season
Vocabulary
Narrenrufe
The origins of these “fools calls” are not always clear and their exact meaning is also lost in time. Most villages have their own call.
Here are some of the most well known:
| Call | Where | Meaning |
| Helau | Mainz, Düsseldorf, Koblenz |  |
| Alaaf | Bonn and Aachen | Alles ab or everything down |
| Kölle alaaf | only in Köln |  |
| Wau-Wau | all over | Â |
| Narri-Narro | Schwabenland | I’m a fool, your are a fool |
| Ahoi | Ludwigshafen and in the North | Â |
| Hasi Palau | Paderborn | Die Hasen. Palau is a different form of Helau. |
| Alleh hopp | Saarland | Los geht’s |
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Sources
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