Going to the movies
It is always exciting to plan a visit to the movies! There are so many things to consider, like choosing the right movie theatre, picking
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”
So what is Carnival, Fastnacht and Faching?
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.
| 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 7 December 2023
07/12/2023 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 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 – You do not need a Skype account to participate
Online Wine Tasting
25/11/2023 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Online Tasting with Gerard Holden from Holden Manz You’ll get to know one of the most beautiful wineries in South Africa. But Holden Manz is not just a visual delight – their wines are a true dream. Gerard acquired the estate with his partner Migo Manz in August 2010, when it was still known as “Klein […]
The Travelling Art Gallery
02/11/2023 – 25/11/2023 @ 11:00 am – 7:00 pm – The Travelling Art Gallery is an artists’ initiative of contemporary artists from South Africa. Visit one of our upcoming exhibitions or browse through our online art catalogues at your leisure. Click on the images to open the respective catalogues. For art purchases and questions, please contact them by email at hello@thetravellingartgallery.com
Charity Wine Tasting
23/11/2023 @ 6:00 pm – It is time for our pre-Xmas charity walkabout wine tasting and Xmas shopping for charity! Walkabout and taste wines with purpose from South Africa – wines grown at a protea sanctuary, WWF-certified wines, organic and vegan wines and much more. Snacks will also be provided. And if you are on a dry November before you […]
Juanita du Plessis “live in Amsterdam”
27/01/2024 @ 7:00 pm – Juanita du Plessis live in Amsterdam Tickets available at Ticketkantoor.nl Disclaimer: This event is not organised by the admin of this website, we only share it for information purposes
Südafrikanischer Glühwein-Nachmittag und Abend
02/12/2023 @ 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Südafrikanischer Glühwein-Nachmittag und Abend No need to make a reservation. For more information see the Capewineland Events page
Thabilé
17/06/2023 – 25/11/2023 @ 12:00 am – In her new album „Read My Lips“, Thabilé’s musical range encompasses genres such as jazz, soul, Afro, gospel, pop and R’n’B. The musical arrangements of the highly talented producer Steve Bimamisa are immensely captivating due to their instrumental clarity, without being obtrusive. Her vocal presence is varied, perfect, embracing and warm. Songs such as „Read […]
KerstInVlaanderen- Kersfees Konsert met Nadine and ander kunstenaars
23/12/2023 – 28/12/2023 @ 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm – Christmas concert with guest Artist Nadine from South Africa. Various locations and dates This is an external event shared for information purposes only Tickets can be bought on the Kerstinvlaanderen.be website More information
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.
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 | |
| Narri-Narro | Schwabenland | I’m a fool, your are a fool |
| Ahoi | Ludwigshafen and in the North | |
| Hasi Palau | Paderborn | Die Hasen. Palau is a different form of Helau. |
| Alleh hopp | Saarland | Los geht’s |
Sources
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