Category: Germany
See How a Medieval Castle in Heidelberg Makes for a Festive German Christmas Market
Amanda & I were looking to visit a local Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) this past Sunday afternoon, and we had not visited Heidelberg together during December. Since Heidelberg is only a 20 minute drive, we headed out at noon, as a thin layer of fog filled the Neckar River Valley. Arriving somewhat early for the Market ...
How Did Today’s Christmas Traditions Start in America? Here’s a Hint German Christmas Markets.
Christmas in Germany is my favorite time of year! As a child growing up in the US, I always loved Christmas, and now living in Germany I feel as if I am living inside of a Christmas storybook come to life, since most of the images we Americans have of Christmas have their origins from ...
We Have an Announcement – InterNations.org Has Recommended Our Site for Expats in Germany
Exciting news from the home offices here at WorldThruOurEyes.com. Okay, it is just my desk in my apartment overlooking the Rhein River....but exciting news nonetheless!!! InterNations.org is an international community of 1 million+ Expats worldwide that was founded in 2007 by Expats for Expats. It is a great networking organization for Expats in various communities ...
A Traditional German Housewarming Present
I have lived in Germany now for two years, and have just learned about a traditional German housewarming present. My new awareness of this very longstanding tradition is because of a relocation into a new office building at work. The tradition.... is giving the new homeowner gifts of bread & salt, as well as one ...
Do You Know about St. Nicolas Day in Germany? Do You Know the History & Origin of Santa Claus vs. Saint Nicolas?
As a child and even today, my favorite image of Christmas is "Santa Claus". Who would not love a figure that brings you gifts, right? Before moving to Germany, I never really gave much thought into the origin of Santa Claus, or why he had so many names (e.g., St. Nick, St. Nicolas, Kris Kringle, ...
See How German I Am Now After Living in Germany
After two years of living in Germany, I wonder to myself how 'German' have I become versus my American culture? The last time I visited home in the States was at Christmas last year, and I could already notice a difference after my first year. So, this got me thinking -- How German Am I ...
See the Differences of Celebrating Birthdays between US & Germany
So, with October 3rd being my birthday, I thought it would interesting to post the differences in traditions associated with birthdays between the US and Germany. Obviously this post provides general differences, but these can vary depending on the region of each country as well as the origin of the people involved. In other words, ...
There Is a lot to Love about Worms, Germany – and it is more than the city’s name….
Okay, so for us Americans, we find the name of the town "Worms" to be funny. The city is not named after a plaque of "worms" but its name has its origin from Latin "Vormatia" meaning "settlement in a watery area" - yeah, I did NOT take Latin! But, in German, the letter "W" is ...
Picking the Perfect Day Trip from Frankfurt or Stuttgart – the Town of Speyer – One of the oldest cities in Germany
Speyer is located about 20 minutes south of where we live in Ludwigshafen, and was settled about 5000 years ago by early nomadic tribes. In about 10 BC, Speyer became a settlement as part of the Roman Empire. As with this part of Germany, the Rhineland-Palatinate area has been settled numerous times between the Romans, ...
How to Properly Watch Germany win the 2014 World Cup
I will honestly admit that I did not grow up a soccer fan. In the US, soccer is a very popular sport played by kids, as proven by the popularity of the "Soccer Mom". But, as kids grow up, they seem to stop playing soccer and move on to other interests. And, the best teams ...
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