Category: Germany
-
5 German Christmas Traditions 2025
5 German Christmas Traditions 2025 In Germany, Christmas decorations appear before December 1. Many Germans take pleasure in beautiful scenes with the snow-covered straße (streets), colorful lights, Christmas-themed markets, and warm treats. My father’s side of the family is German, and we enjoy many German traditions. It is these country customs and the cultural…
-
International Sculpture Day
International Sculpture Day By Sharon Schweitzer Sculpture has personal significance for me and my Czech – Slovak family. This beautiful mother with children piece was created by my great-uncle Franta Uprka in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic near the Slovak border. I discovered this piece 10 years ago when I was…
-
National German-American Day
National German-American Day By Sharon Schweitzer and Polina Anastassieva This German-U.S. American heritage holiday commemorates the thirteen German-Mennonite families from Krefeld who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, On October 6th, 1683, these families established the first German settlement in the original thirteen colonies. They named it Germantown. It was during these early years of…
-
International Translation Day
International Translation Day By Sharon Schweitzer The role of a translator is indispensable in maintaining productive, positive, and clear interpersonal communication in international circles. From translating sensitive documents to the lyrics of your favorite K-Pop song, translators are the foundation of international peace deals and global media consumption. International Translation Day honors the…
-
World Tourism Day
World Tourism Day By Sharon Schweitzer Tourism has been a part of the human experience as long as there have been distant places to go and experience. It was originally the province of the wealthy, with travel being difficult and expensive, but it afforded opportunities to learn new languages, experience different cuisines, and…
-
European Day of Languages
European Day of Languages By Sharon Schweitzer In 1997, the idea of organizing a campaign to convince the general public of the importance of learning more languages was born. This idea arose at the conference on Language learning for a new Europe, which launched the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (C.E.F.R.)…
-
European Heritage Days
European Heritage Days By Sharon Schweitzer European Heritage Days are celebrated all over the Continent in order to mark European unity, to share stories of common values and to ensure that the past isn’t forgotten. In Berlin, these special days are celebrated in September — and the “Day of the Open Monument” opening …
-
St. Stephen’s Day Hungary
St. Stephen’s Day Hungary By Sharon Schweitzer St. Stephen’s Day holds a long and interesting history. It begins with Stephen the Grand Prince of the Hungarians who laid the foundations of the state. Until the end of the 10th century, the Hungarians were in conflict with other European countries. In 955 A.D., Hungarian…
-
National Culture Consciousness Week
National Culture Consciousness Week By Sharon Schweitzer “Culture is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language,” (Raymond Williams, 1976, pg. 87). Culture does not consist of just one set description or definition. It is a concept that varies from one person to the next. Culture can be as…
-
Father’s Day
Father’s Day By Sharon Schweitzer We hold an incredibly special place in our hearts for our fabulous fathers and we observe with intrigue as cultures worldwide celebrate father figures. U.S. Americans prepare to honor fathers, father-figures, and male role-models on Sunday, June 16th, 2024, and we share the unique traditions of ten countries…