Different countries around the world are known for several unique things. The same can be said for a country like Germany. Living in Germany exposes you to the customs, culture, and traditions that contribute to what makes the country and the people unique. Let us take a look at some of the cultural diversities in Germany.
Language
The German language is the official and most spoken language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. The German language serves a purpose of an important second language in the Central and Eastern languages. Some of the Western works are written in German. For example, popular works in Philosophy, literature, physics, medicine, art, history, chemistry, and many more are written in the German language. If you’re interested in learning German, check out our page.
Religion
Christianity has to be the largest religion in Germany. According to research, 54% of people practice Christianity, 40.1% have no religion, 5.0% practice Islam, 0.2% practice Buddhism, 0.1% practice Judaism, 0.1% practice Hinduism, 0.1% practice Yazidi and finally 0.4% practice other religions aside the ones stated.
Local Cuisine
The local cuisine in Germany is part of the cultural diversities in Germany. Different countries have foods that they love to eat and consider as unique. In the culture of the Germans, their food is made up of several distinct recipes, which include plenty of vegetables, meat, bread, potatoes, etc. Considering this, you are less likely to go out of the idea of what to eat even if you are the type that is quite choosy.
The quality of German foods has a high rate of a meat diet, which provides quality protein that helps to maintain, grow and heal the muscles, tissues, and skin of the body. It is also rich in vegetables which help to aid easy digestion.
Music
Ever heard of Rock and Pop? These genres are the most listened to in Germany. Classically, German music is one of the most performed music in the world. Where they have popular composers like Ludwig Van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner, and many more known in history and around the world.
Fashion
Traditionally, Women in Germany wear what is called ‘’Dirndl’’. It has a low neckline, a blouse worn under the bodice, and a wide high waist skirt attached with an apron. For the Men, it is called ‘’Lederhosen’’. It is a well-known outfit which commonly means ‘leather trousers’, worn by riders, hunters and other outdoor laborers.
It could generally be worn during festivals, parties, weddings, or any special gatherings.
The Festivals, Holidays and Celebrations
As other countries have special days reserved for special events. Part of the cultural diversities in Germany are the special festivals and celebrations that occur every time of the year.
Here are some of the festivals, holidays, and celebrations that occur every time of the year in Germany
- Three King’s Day (Drei Konigstag): in Germany, this is the celebration of the 12th day of Christmas.
- Spargelfest: this is the celebration of white asparagus and it is celebrated during spring.
- St. Martin’s Day: it is celebrated by youths and this is another chance for German kids to collect candies, after Halloween.
- Beethoven fest: this is a live concert with classical music.
- Wurdtmarkt: this is the largest wine festival in Germany. It has to do with the tasting of wine.
- Munich Opera Festival: this is a musical festival, celebrating culture through music and arts.
- Rock Am Ring and Im Park: this is a celebration of different music genres like rap, rock, pop and metal.
- Erntedankfest: it could also be called ‘Thanksgiving’. This is a religious holiday celebrated on the first Sunday of October.
- Mother’s Day: it usually takes place on the 8th of May. This is the celebration of mothers, expressing our love for them by giving gifts.
- Oktoberfest: this is an annual beer festival, celebrated for 16-28 days and which days place around the middle of September to the first Sunday of October.
Architecture
There are so many famous, attractive and beautiful buildings in Germany. As a foreigner, you could visit some of these places where these famous buildings are located to enjoy the view and take beautiful pictures. Some of these buildings are built half-timbered and from brick.
Some of these famous buildings are:
- Schwerin Castle
- Trier Saint Peter’s Cathedral
- Reichstag Building
- Cologne Cathedral
- Duchess Anna Amalia Library
- The Semperoper, Dresden
- Wiblingen Monastery Library
- Neuschwanstein Castle
- Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart Library
- Vischering Castle
Sports
The major and most popular sport in Germany is football. Other sporting activities are car racing, track and field, cycling, boxing, tennis, handball, alpine skiing biathlon, and ski jumping. For the Olympics, Germany had the highest number of medals during the 1992, 1998, 2002, and 2006 winter Olympics in Turin.
Arts And Crafts
German arts and crafts create a cultural sense of belongings and experience for people in and out of the country, especially the kids. There are so many beautiful German arts and crafts that have been created in history, which represent a part of the German culture.
Some of the arts and crafts which make up part of the cultural diversities in Germany are:
- Glashutte: watchmaking
- Lauscha: Glass Manufacturing
- Burgel: Small Town Pottery
- Seiffen: Wooden Art And Toys
- Markneukirchen; Instrument Making
Symbols
There are symbols in Germany that represents the country as a whole; they show and tell more about the culture, life, history, and people of Germany.
Some of them are:
- The Flag: the flag is a national symbol of Germany. It consists of black, red and gold colors.
- The Coat Of Arms: the coat of arms of Germany has a black eagle with a red beak, a red tongue, and red feet on a golden field. It is one of the oldest coats of arms in the world and the oldest national symbol used in Europe.
- The National Anthem (Deutschlandlied): it has been the national anthem since 1922.
- The Majestic Mark: the iron cross was a military decoration in the kingdom of Prussia and later on, it was in the German Empire.
- The German Reunification: this was a process by which the German Democratic Republic became part of the Federal Republic of Germany to form the reunited country of Germany in 1990.
If you’re looking toward migrating to Germany, we’re here to make the process seamless for you. Get a free assessment from us here. You can also read more about the cultural diversity in Germany here.
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