Season | Spring |
Time | Central European Time (CET), Summer time – the same time as South Africa until the last Sunday of October, when Wintertime starts (30 October 2022). |
Weather |
The average temperature is between 7.2 and 16.8 degrees Celsius. The days become longer and there are more hours of sunshine. |
In May we celebrate the changing of the seasons. The sun is shining and it is much warmer during the day.
The days are longer and people are enjoying beer and “gemütlichkeit” in the beer gardens.
Many of the public swimming facilities (Freibad) will open. Other swimming options are to swim in a the ocean, a Baggersee, or a lake.
On the 1st of May (Mayday), in most small towns, people will come together to put up the Maypole. Most will wear traditional clothes for the event. It is a tradition in smaller villages to steal each other’s poles.
To get the Maypole back, the town has to pay a hefty ransom (mostly beer).
Once the Maypole is up, there the music, dancing, and feasting can start.
The tradition of putting up a Maypole dates back to the 16th century.
It is also the start of the summer festivals, see the events section.
It is also great weather for outdoor activities. See out Sports Section
In both South Africa and Germany, Mother’s day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
Fathers day is celebrated in June in South Africa but in Germany, it is celebrated on Ascension Day (Hemelvaart/Christi Himmelfahrt) and thus falls on a public holiday. Ascension Day is always on a Thursday.
It is also pollen season. You can have a look at the Pollenkalender here
Holidays
Holiday | Date | Information | States |
---|---|---|---|
Public Holidays | |||
Tag der Arbeit / Worker’s Day | 2022-05-01 | Tag der Arbeit / Worker’s Day | All |
Christi Himmelfahrt | 2022-05-26 | Christi Himmelfahrt | All |
Observations | |||
Mothers Day | 2022-05-08 | Same as in South Africa | All |
Fathers Day | 2022-05-26 | All | |
School Holidays and Terms | |||
Pfingstferien | Various | Shool Holidays |
Events
- Mayday
- The Frühlingsfest in München
- Music Festival in Dresden
- Mozart Festival in Würzburg
- Wine Festival in Würzburg
- Handel Festival in Halle
- In June but get tickets now – Summer night concert in Schönbrunn
Food and drinks to try
Fruits and veggies in season
Vocabulary
Maypole | der Maibaum |
a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer. | die Gemütlichkeit |
man made quarry filled with water | der Baggersee |
Lake | der See |
Ocean | das Meer |
Beach | der Strand / der Badestrand |
Sources
Related content

Swimming in Germany
Swimming options Private swimming pools are not so popular in Germany, but there are good public swimming options available.Public swimming pools / Öffentliche Schimmbäder /

Braai Season
Summer is finally here and it is time to invite friends for some outdoor cooking. But before you light your charcoal, check out the rules

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