Germany culture

Germany culture people food and festivals 

Germany is at the center of Europe, not only geographically, but also in terms of politics and economics. The country is Europe's second most populous after Russia, with more than 81 million people, according to the World Factbook. The German economy is the largest on the continent and the fifth largest in the world. 

While German exerts its influence on the countries that border it — Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland and Poland — all of these cultures have, in varying degrees, had a hand in shaping today’s Germany.

In the present times, traditional clothing in Germany is worn only during special occasions like weddings and festivals. If you wish to get a glimpse of the rich traditions Germany has in terms of fashion, attend the Oktoberfest. The local crowd usually like dressing up traditionally; women in their Dirndl in vibrant colors, and men in their Lederhosen. Dirndl is a traditional women’s attire that comprises a fitting bodice and blouse with a skirt and apron. According to customs, the married women’s apron is knotted. Lederhosen is a leather trouser for men. It is worn either short (above the knee) or long (as a capri, just below the knee). Men often pair the lederhosen with a light colored shirt and haferl shoes.

Festivals in Germany

According to the official tourism website of Germany, the country hosts about three million events each year, many of which are specific to the city or town and month. These events include religious festivals, cultural carnivals and ‘funfairs’. The most popular festivals and carnivals in Germany include the following:

1. Oktoberfest – Originally held in Munich, this 16-day extravaganza constitutes gallons of beer, millions of roasted meat and more than 200 years of traditions.
2. Wine Festival – Wine festivals are organized in a number of locations in the wine producing regions of Germany, like Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Mainz. The largest wine festival in the world is in Bad Dürkheim, which is popularly known as Wurstmarkt.
3. Schützenfest – This ten-day fair held in Hannover highlights a procession by over 10,000 riflemen.
4. Christmas Markets – This December shopping fair is held in over 150 places in Germany and features hand-crafted, unique, and home-made treats and gifts sold by their makers. Nuremberg and Dresden are famous for their Christmas markets.

The Arts

Culture doesn't just refer to how people interact and look. "Culture also means refined intellectual, artistic and creative achievement, for example as in cultural knowledge, or a cultured person," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science. 

Germans have made tremendous contributions to classical music, and the traditions of famous German or Austrian composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig von Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler live on today.

Germans love their cuisine, and so does the entire world. From sausages to the sumptuous Black Forest Cherry Cake, no one does it better than a German. In the country although, each region features their own style of cooking, dishes and tastes. 

So, if in Bavaria veal sausages and pork knuckles are praised, Hamburg offers labskaus stew, and Saxony swears by their stollen cake. The different regions are basically influenced by their individual histories and the country they are location-wise closest to. The only common factor it seems is the love for different types of breads, potatoes and meat. Some of the most popular gastronomical delicacies in Germany are Sauerbraten (pickled meat), Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage), Butterbrezel (buttered soft pretzels), Eintopf (traditional German stew), Knodel (potato dumplings), Apfelstrudel (literally, apple strudel), Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry Cake), Schnitzel (meat cutlet), and Wurst (Sausages).