Chapter 2 Holidays, Custom and Leisure

Question 1

Name three German public holidays which are secular (世俗) (English and German terms)

Answer 1

1/1 neujahr (New Year)
1/5 tag der arbeit (Labour’s Day)
3/10 tag der deutschen einheit (German Unity Day)

Question 2

Name at least four different holidays which are of religious origin (English and German terms)

Answer 2

Apr Karfreitag (Good Friday)
May/Jun Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi)
May/Jun Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day)
1/11 Allerheiligen (All Saints Day; in some states)
25/12 1. Weihnachtsfeiertag (Christmas Day)

Question 3

Why is Silvester called Silvester? What day is it?

Answer 3

New Year’s Eve (31/12), remembrance of the commemorated Pope Silvester I

Question 4

What is a popular Silvester tradition?

Answer 4

• watching a 15-minute film on television, shot in black and white in 1963 called “Dinner for One or the 90th Birthday.”
• Feuerzangenbowle (fire prongs punch, Red wine spiced with orange and lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves is heated in a fireproof bowl, with a large burning sugar cone)

Question 5

What activities do people do during Carnival? Any variations according to different regions?

Answer 5

• Weiberfastnacht: Women take over the regime in city halls and office; women are free to cut off with impunity the ties of any males they can get their hands and scissors on; balls, parties, and meetings of the carnival societies
• Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) Parade in Cologne featuring huge floats, dress in funny costumes, drinking and catching candies from floats
• Fasching in Munich featuring masked balls

Question 6

On what day do all crazy Carnival activities abruptly come to an end?

Answer 6

Ash Wednesday

Question 7

What are German people’s favorite activities: in the evening

Answer 7

Watch television, read newspapers and magazines or listen to music, meet with friends, drop in a neighbouring pub for beers and game of cards

Question 8

What are German people’s favorite activities: on weekends

Answer 8

Outdoors; walking, playing soccer, hiking, swimming

Question 9

Describe the German attitude towards traveling.

Answer 9

Obsessed with travelling; most popular tourist by host countries

Question 10

What are their favorite holiday destinations?

Answer 10

Spain, Italy, Austria, Turkey and France

Question 11

What effect does the love of traveling have on the school calendar?

Answer 11

stagger the summer school vacations by state

Question 12

What is “Aktivurlaub”

Answer 12

a vacation during which you learn or improve a mental or physical skill, has also become popular

e,g, limbing up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, trekking through Nepal or Tibet, hiking the Inca trail in Peru, visiting tea plantations in Sri Lanka, or exploring pre-Columbian cultures in Central America

Question 13

What sports are popular in Germany?

Answer 13

Soccer (Fuβball), gymnastic (Turnvereine), tennis

Question 14

What are “Vereine”? What types are there? (examples)

Answer 14

Clubs

• stamp and coin collecting
• dog and rabbit breeding
• railroad modeling
• sailing and gliding
• Marksmen, carnivalists
• amateur wireless operators