Referat 2

Danielle Riley Dr. Nagle

MWF 11:00

Frohe Festtage!

Austria Germany

Switzerland

JANUARNeujahr* New Year's Day 1. Januar (am ersten Januar)

Heilige DreiKönige*

Epiphany,Three Kings

6. Januar (am sechsten Januar)

A public holiday in Austria and the states of Baden-

Württemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), and Sachsen-

Anhalt in Germany.

FEBRAURMariäLichtmess Candlemas

(Groundhog Day)2. Februar (am zweiten Feb.)Catholic regions

Valentinstag Valentine's Day 14. Februar (am vierzehnten Feb.)

Fasching,Karneval

Mardi GrasCarnival

In Catholic regions in Feb. or Mar., depending on the date

of Easter.

MARZTag der Kranken Day of the Ill

am ersten Sonntag im März (first Sunday in March; only

in Switzerland)Internationaler Frauentag International Women's Day 8. März (am achten März)

Josephstag St. Joseph's Day19. März (am neunzehnten März; only in parts of Switzerland)

MariäVerkündigung Annunciation 25. März (am

fünfundzwanzigsten März)

APRILErster April April Fool's Day 1. April (am ersten April)

Karfreitag* Good Day Friday before Easter

Ostern EasterOstern falls in March or April, depending on the year;

Walpurgisnacht Walpurgis Night

30. April (am dreißigsten April) in Germany (Harz). Witches (Hexen) gather on eve of St. Walpurga's feast day (May Day).

MAI

Erster Mai*Tag der Arbeit

May DayLabor Day 1. Mai (am ersten Mai)

Muttertag Mother's Day 2nd Sunday in May(Austria, Germany, Switz.)

JUNIVatertag Father's Day

12. Juni 20052nd Sunday in June(Austria only; diff. date in Germany)

Johannistag St. John the Baptist's Day 24. Juni (am vierundzwanzigsten Juni)

Siebenschläfer St. Swithin's Day

27. Juni (am siebenundzwanzigsten Juni) Folklore: If it rains on this day it will rain for the next seven weeks. A Siebenschläfer is a dormouse.

JULI

Gedenktag des Attentats auf Hitler 1944**

Commemorative day of the assassination attempt on

Hitler in 194420. Juli - Germany

**This is more of an observance than an official holiday. On July 20, 1944 an assassination plot against Hitler failed when a bomb placed by Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg detonated but only injured the dictator slightly. Von Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators were arrested and hanged. Today von Stauffenberg and the other plotters are recognized for trying to end Nazi terror and restore democracy in Germany.

AUGUSTNational-feiertag* Swiss National Day 1. August (am ersten Aug.)

Celebrated with fireworks

MariäHimmelfahrt Assumption 15. August

SEPTEMBER

Michaelis (das)der Michaelistag

Michaelmas (Feast of St. Michael the Archangel)

29. September (am neunundzwangzigsten Sept.)

OktoberfestMünchen Oktoberfest - Munich

Two-week celebration beginning in late Sept. and ending on the first Sunday in October.

Erntedankfest German ThanksgivingEnd of September or early October; not an official holiday

OKTOBERTag derdeutschenEinheit*

Day of German Unity

3. Oktober - Germany's national holiday was moved to this date after the Berlin Wall came down.

National-feiertag* National Holiday (Austria)

26. Oktober (am sechsundzwanzigsten Okt.) Austria's national holiday, called Flag Day, commemorates the founding of the Republik Österreich in 1955.

Halloween Halloween

31. Oktober (am einunddreißigsten Okt.) Halloween is not a traditional German celebration, but in recent years it has become increasingly popular in Austria and Germany.

NOVEMBERAllerheiligen All Saints' Day 1. November (am ersten

Nov.)

Allerseelen All Souls' Day 2. November (am zweiten Nov.)

For the Protestant version of the Catholic All Soul's Day.

Martinstag Martinmas

11. November (am elften Nov.) Traditional roast goose (Martinsgans) and lantern light processsions for children on the evening of the 10th. The 11th is also the official start of the Fasching/Karneval season in some regions.

DEZEMBERNikolaustag St. Nicholas Day

6. Dezember (am sechsten Dez.) - On this day the white-bearded St. Nicholas (not Santa Claus) brings gifts to children who left their shoes in front of the door the night before.

MariäEmpfängnis

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

8. Dezember (am achten Dez.)

Heiligabend Christmas Eve

24. Dezember (am vierundzwanzigsten Dez.) - This is when German children receive their presents (die Bescherung) around the Christmas tree (der Tannenbaum).

For Christmas and New Year's vocabulary see our English-German Christmas Glossary and Silvester Glossary.

Weihnachten* Christmas Day 25. Dezember (am fünfundzwanzigsten Dez.).

ZweiterWeihnachtstag* Second Day of Christmas

26. Dezember (am sechsundzwanzigsten Dez.). Known as Stephanstag, St. Stephen's Day, in Austria.

Silvester New Year's Eve 31. Dezember (am einunddreißigsten Dez.).

Sources • http://german.about.com/library/

blfkalender.htm