National Holidays and other Holidays

in Scotland and Germany

Before 1958 the Christmas day was a normal working day. Since then the Scots celebrate similary to England . Presents are given by Santa Claus

Christmas

Celebrated since the 16th century. In Germany a Christmas tree is decorated - it’s not Christmas without one - latest one day before Christmas Eve. Presents are not given by Santa Claus – they are brought by the „Christkind“

Christmas

Silvester/New Year‘s Eve

In Germany people celebrate Silvester With friends and/or family and neighboursThey drink champagne or prosecco at midnight and eat traditional food. There is a big firework at midnight

The name of Silvester is HogmanayPeople in Scotland sing old songs and dance traditional dances

National Holidays

3rd OctoberDay of German

Reunification 1990

30th NovemberSt. Andrew‘s Day

Carnival (Fasching, Fasnet)

It is celebrated in many parts of Germany from Rose Monday toAsh Wednesday and in some regions the carnival period startsafter the 6th January. People dress up for carnival balls and there are Carnival Parades in many towns on Rose Monday

Easter

Easter is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon inspring (earliest on 22nd March latest on 25th April)

Children receive and hunt for chocolate Easter eggs and they play games with hollowed eggs such as rolling them down a hill.

Easter (Ostern)Easter is also celebrated on the firstSunday after the first full moon in spring. It marks the end of the Holy Week and is celebrated to remember the resurrection of Christ. It celebrates the believe that death is not the end of life but the beginning of something new.

Easter takes up the traditions of the old spring and fertility rites for which eggs and the Easter bunny are standing. There is a tradition of decorating hollowed eggs and lighting Easter fires on Easter Sunday.

1st May (May Day)

Students gather in Edinburgh with littorches - this began as a rebellion against Margaret Thatcher’s restrictions on the right to gather.Another tradition is to be seen in St.Andrews where the students of the university run into the North Sea late on 30th April

1st May (May Day)

May Day is Labor Day and a National Holiday in Germany, with demonstrations against working conditions and unemployment. In big cities there are sometimes big clashes between the demonstrators and the police.

The night before May Day is Walpurgis Night, which is similar to Halloween and is of pagan origin.Bonfires are lit on the evening before May Day.In Southern Germany people erect May trees with ribbons and carved figures and other decorations.

Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday is celebrated at the 4th Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday)It dates back to the Roman Hilaria festival which was held to celebrate the mother goddess Cybele. After converting to Christianity it was celebratedTo honour the Virgin Mary and “mother church”

Today it is celebrated by giving ones mother a day of rest, where she is spoiled for the day

Mothers Day

In Germany as in many other countries Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May and is more or less the way it is celebrated in America-It was invented in the 1920s when the birthrate was very low. Originally itidealized motherhood as such and didn’t celebrate the individual as it is today.

Halloween

It is celebrated on 31st October.Originally it was a courting ritual. In the present day children disguise themselves and go from door to door offering entertainment of various sorts.

Halloween

It is also celebrated on 31st October in a custom similar to America.Students and Children dress up on Halloween for parties and small parades in which pumpkin ghosts play an important role.The next day is All Saints Day where Catholic people will go to church and worship all saints. The day after that is for remembering the dead (All Souls Day)