Whether it's fireworks on New Year's Eve, not saying "Happy Birthday" before one's actual birthday, dancing around the May pole on May Day, or celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day, Germany has its own unique take on traditions, superstitions and simply throwing a party.
Even in modern, technicized 2018, many traditions and customs still center around the seasons. Spring is heralded as the season of new beginnings; summer is cherished as time off work and school and a chance to experience; Christmastime will make any small kid's eyes light up – while fall traditions often look to the outdoors for inspiration.
The changing light outside plays a big role in those autumn traditions, with candles and lanterns taking center stage. Apple festivals celebrate the bounty of a fruit harvest, but also mark the end of a season full of sunlight.
Fall in Germany also means a look back at significant political events that changed modern German history forever.
Take a look at our picture galleries to get a glimpse of autumn in Germany.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Parading with paper lanterns in November
Every year around November 11, German families with young children celebrate St. Martin's Day by singing songs and parading outside with paper lanterns that they've prepared in school or pre-school. The holiday is named after St. Martin of Tours, who is said to have shared his cloak with a beggar during a storm. A St. Martin figure on a horse often accompanies the parades.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Celebrating the opening of Carnival
On the same day as St. Martin's — more precisely, on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11:11 a.m. — Germany's three carnival "strongholds" of Cologne, Dusseldorf and Mainz celebrate the opening of "Karneval" by coming together in the city center wearing costumes. The carnival season then officially ends on Ash Wednesday the following year.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Playing with chestnuts
Hidden in prickly shells are smooth brown chestnuts like these. Children collect non-edible ones they find in parks in the fall. They can be turned into necklaces or little animal figures by assembling them with toothpicks. But be careful! If you step on them, it can hurt.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Mushroom picking
This is probably one of the most delicious perks of the fall. With some luck, you can find "Steinpilze," which is a variety of porcini mushroom. "Maronen-Röhrling," known in English as the bay bolete, are even more common. Though some Germans are true mushroom experts, these two varieties are quite easy to recognize, making it easy for everyone to distinguish them from the toxic ones.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Enjoying the leaves
A walk in the woods to admire the colorful autumn leaves is a typical Sunday afternoon activity in Germany. In the city, they pile up on the sidewalk, waiting to be swept away by city employees. As tempting as it might be for children to run through them, they quickly need to learn that they often hide other piles — of dog poop.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Going to the spa
Although many thermal baths are open all year, it is definitely satisfying to experience the contrasts in temperatures when it gets cold outside by heading to a "Therme." Germans take their spa culture very seriously. Many foreigners are initially surprised to discover that being naked is a requirement in some areas of a spa — so it's important to bring a towel to sit on the sauna benches.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Getting the wool clothes out
Many German parents prefer to cover their babies with organic wool from head to toe; many respectable adults also wear merino wool long johns. The clothes are quite expensive, but these natural, ecological and sustainable products are considered worth the investment. However, without a disciplined storage ritual over the summer, woolens can also disappear surprisingly quickly — munched by moths.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Turning up the heat
As it gets cold, Germans heat their homes. Although most apartments are heated with gas, there are still older houses that need to be heated with coal. That used to be a lot more frequent 10 years ago - now the smell of coal in the air automatically brings a feeling of nostalgia. Winter is coming, just like in the good old days.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Opening up the windows while heating
"Stoßlüften" is a concept that's so German, it doesn't have a direct translation in English. It refers to the fact that people open the windows completely for a few minutes to air out the apartment, even when it's very cold and the heaters are on. It is considered a way to avoid mold in humid houses. Some overdo it, turning those "few minutes" into several hours.
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10 things Germans do between fall and winter
Stocking up on Advent calendars
Although these special calendars are used to count the last 24 days before Christmas, for unknown reasons, German supermarkets put loads of them on sale in October. It can only be assumed that quite a few people cheat and eat them whenever — or stock up on them in case some catastrophe would prevent them from buying them a few days before Advent actually starts.
Author: Elizabeth Grenier
