Five Unusual Customs Unique to Germany
If you are considering removals to Germany, you may be thinking about learning the language, sorting out your euros, arranging transport and preparing for any differences in culture.
However, the country has one or two customs which might seem unusual but may be worth learning to help you settle into your new surroundings. Here The Moving Partnership put the spotlight on five of them.
Lost Property
If they find something in the street, Germans won’t usually take it to the police, lost property office or nearest shop. Instead, they hang it on the nearest tree; this is on the basis that the person looking for it will come back to the area at some point – and its new location should be fairly visible and easy to find.
There don’t appear to be any historic reasons for this – just a tradition of friendliness.
Different Holidays
The Germans celebrate most of the usual Christian holidays – Christmas, New Year and Easter – with statutory days off for each. However, there are one or two others which are unique to the country.
Prime among these is German Unity Day, every 3rd October – it commemorates the day when the German Democratic Republic (or East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (aka West Germany) reunified become one united country in 1990 – Germany.
Some days are celebrated in some states but not others. For example, International Women’s Day on March 8 is a holiday in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, but nowhere else, and Assumption Day on August 15 is marked just in Bavaria and Saarland.
The Carnival Season
Most people will be familiar with Christmas markets and beer festivals, particularly Oktoberfest, both of which originated in Germany. However fewer, people will have heard of the German Karneval season. This takes place in February and is also known as Fasching or Fastnacht (different terms are used in different parts of the country).
Technically, the carnival season starts on 11th November the previous year (at 11 minutes past 11), but most of the action takes place in the few days leading up to Ash Wednesday. People get dressed up in weird and wonderful costumes, and they organise parades and parties.
Some believe the tradition originated because it precedes Lent and was the last chance to ‘eat, drink and be merry’ before the fasting season. It’s believed to have originated in the cities of Mainz and Speyer; these days Cologne is believed to have the most spectacular celebrations of the season.
The First Day at School
If you have moved to Germany and enrolled your child in a local primary school, then you don’t need to worry about their integration and settling them in.
On their first day they will receive a welcoming gift in the form of a Schultute (pictured) – this translates as ‘school cone’ and contains sweets, other small gifts, as well as items they might find useful such as pens, pencils and sharpeners.
It’s designed to make the child’s day more memorable and less nerve-wracking. The practice began in the early 19th century in Saxony and spread to other regions over the years.
Sunday is a Quiet Day
In Germany, penalties for making too much noise can be severe, such as hefty fines, and migrant families can often be caught out if they are unaware of the rules and regulations. These rules can be applied even if you were thinking of doing something comparatively innocent, such as mowing the lawn.
Trading laws are also more restrictive, and few shops are open on this day of the week. As such, it’s important to always treat Sunday as a quiet, low-energy day for rest and relaxation and spending some quality time with the family.
Removals to Germany with The Moving Partnership
At The Moving Partnership, we can help with removals to Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and all other major destinations in Germany (as well as smaller towns and villages).
Our network of contacts in the international removals industry allows us to source a quote which will not only be competitive but tailored to your exact needs. For more information about our international removals to Germany, follow this link.
You can get the whole process under way with a free online quote.
