GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — When it comes to celebrations in Germany, colorfully decorated trees are not just for the Christmas season. Roughly four weeks before Easter, which falls on April 4, 2021, handcrafted eggs dangle from the branches of birch trees — symbolizing new life and fertility. Towns of all…
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Growing everything from the famous white asparagus to the eponymous Hallertau hops, Bavaria continues to be the most important agricultural state and the largest producer of food in Germany. But farming in Bavaria is more than sustenance, it’s tradition. For centuries, townspeople have flocked to…
By Molly Hayden, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs CHODOVA PLANA, Czech Republic — While German culture is bathed in mores of beer, their neighbors to the east have taken it one step further — by literally bathing themselves in beer. Tucked away in the Bohemian town of Chodova…
ATHENS, Greece — Influences of American and European culture as we know it started centuries ago with toga-clad Greeks as they meddled in mathematics, dabbled in democracy and flirted with philosophy, creating an unprecedented civilization. Advances to the technological age could not have happened without our neighbors to…
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Flowers have started to bloom, the sun has finally (yes, finally) peeked out from behind the winter clouds and the sound of chirping birds fills the air. Yes, spring is in the air, summer is following closely behind, and in Germany, the first of May is a…
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — The term “lazy Sunday” originated well before Andy Samberg decided to rap about it on Saturday Night Live, but living abroad will bring a heightened awareness to the fitting phrase. Here in Germany, Sundays are sacred. Shops are closed and the hustle and bustle of town…
MUNICH — While I can’t pinpoint the origin of this story, it’s not going to stop me from telling it. And, according to numerous tourism sites and “legend,” it’s true. Promise. The story goes something like this: In the early 16th century, Paulaner monks of the Neudeck ob…
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — One day each year, women around Germany officially rule the roost during Weiberfasching. Celebrated on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday — which is Feb. 10, 2016 — Weiberfasching (meaning women’s carnival) marks the transition from the Fasching fest season into the Lenten season leading up to…
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — It officially began on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11:11 a.m., but the hoopla is just around the corner. Fasching is Germany’s carnival season, a time of festivity and merrymaking. It’s an excuse to break rules (and poke fun at those who…
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Moving to a new country yields an obvious learning curve, and Germany is no exception. Driving on the autobahn for the first time often warrants a brief word with the Almighty, and seeing the word “Ausfahrt” larger than life will no doubt expel fits of laughter. …