Festivals and Celebrations — Weihnachten, Karneval and Oktoberfest

Understanding German festivals and celebrations is important for GCSE German, both for cultural knowledge and as a topic for speaking and writing. This lesson covers the major German-speaking festivals, related vocabulary and how to describe celebrations in different tenses.

1. Christmas (Weihnachten)

Weihnachten is the most important festival in German-speaking countries and has many traditions that differ from the UK.

Key Vocabulary

German	English
Weihnachten	Christmas
Frohe Weihnachten!	Merry Christmas!
der Heiligabend (24. Dezember)	Christmas Eve
der erste Weihnachtstag (25. Dezember)	Christmas Day
der zweite Weihnachtstag (26. Dezember)	Boxing Day / St Stephen's Day
der Weihnachtsbaum / der Christbaum	Christmas tree
der Weihnachtsmarkt / der Christkindlmarkt	Christmas market
der Adventskalender	Advent calendar
der Adventskranz	Advent wreath
der Nikolaustag (6. Dezember)	St Nicholas Day
der Stiefel (die Stiefel)	boot (children put out boots for Nikolaus)
das Geschenk (die Geschenke)	present
Geschenke auspacken	to unwrap presents
die Bescherung	the gift-giving (on Christmas Eve)
das Christkind	the Christ Child (brings gifts in some regions)
der Weihnachtsmann	Father Christmas / Santa Claus
der Lebkuchen	gingerbread
der Stollen / der Christstollen	Christmas stollen (fruit bread)
der Glühwein	mulled wine
die Plätzchen	Christmas biscuits
die Kerze (die Kerzen)	candle
Weihnachtslieder singen	to sing Christmas carols

German Christmas Traditions

Heiligabend (Christmas Eve, 24th December) is the main celebration. Families exchange gifts on the evening of the 24th (die Bescherung).
The Nikolaustag (6th December): children place their boots outside the door and Sankt Nikolaus fills them with sweets, fruit and small gifts.
Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets) are held in every German city during Advent, selling Glühwein, Lebkuchen, handcrafted ornaments and food.
In southern Germany, the Christkind (Christ Child) brings gifts, while in northern Germany, the Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas) is more common.

Exam tip: German Christmas customs are a popular topic for reading and listening texts. Remember that the main celebration is on Heiligabend (24th December), not the 25th.

2. Easter (Ostern)

German	English
Ostern	Easter
Frohe Ostern!	Happy Easter!
der Karfreitag	Good Friday
der Ostersonntag	Easter Sunday
der Ostermontag	Easter Monday
der Osterhase	Easter Bunny
das Osterei (die Ostereier)	Easter egg
Ostereier suchen	to search for Easter eggs
das Osterfeuer	Easter bonfire
der Osterbrunch	Easter brunch

German Easter Traditions

The Osterhase (Easter Bunny) hides eggs in the garden for children to find.
Osterfeuer (Easter bonfires) are lit in many regions on Easter Saturday.
Karfreitag (Good Friday) is a public holiday with many restrictions — in some states, dancing and loud music are banned.

3. Carnival (Karneval / Fasching / Fastnacht)

German	English
der Karneval (Rheinland)	Carnival
der Fasching (Bayern)	Carnival
die Fastnacht (Südwestdeutschland)	Carnival
der Rosenmontag	Rose Monday (main parade day)
der Karnevalsumzug	Carnival parade
sich verkleiden / Kostüme tragen	to dress up / wear costumes
die Maske	mask
der Narr / die Närrin	fool / jester
Konfetti werfen	to throw confetti
tanzen und feiern	to dance and celebrate
der Straßenkarneval	street carnival
die Büttenrede	humorous Carnival speech
Alaaf! (Köln) / Helau! (Düsseldorf, Mainz)	Carnival greeting

Carnival Traditions

Carnival is celebrated most vigorously in the Rhineland (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Mainz) and in Bavaria (as Fasching).
The Rosenmontag parade is the highlight, with huge floats, costumes, and sweets thrown to the crowds.
Carnival season officially starts on 11.11. at 11:11 Uhr (11th November at 11:11 am).
The final day is Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday), which marks the start of Lent.

4. Oktoberfest

German	English
das Oktoberfest	Oktoberfest
die Wiesn (Bavarian name)	the festival ground
das Festzelt / das Bierzelt	festival tent / beer tent
die Tracht	traditional costume
das Dirndl	traditional dress (women)
die Lederhose	leather trousers (men)
die Blasmusik	brass band music
das Karussell	carousel
das Riesenrad	Ferris wheel
die Achterbahn	roller coaster
die Breze(l)	pretzel (Bavarian)
das Hendl	roast chicken (Bavarian)
die Maß (ein Liter Bier)	a litre of beer
O'zapft is!	It's tapped! (opening ceremony cry)
Prost!	Cheers!

Oktoberfest Facts

Held annually in Munich (München) over two weeks from late September to early October.
Around six million visitors attend each year.
The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding.
It is the world's largest folk festival (Volksfest).

5. Other Celebrations

German	English
Silvester / Neujahr	New Year's Eve / New Year
Frohes neues Jahr! / Guten Rutsch!	Happy New Year!
Feuerwerk anschauen	to watch fireworks
Bleigießen (now Wachsgießen)	lead/wax pouring (fortune-telling tradition)
der Tag der Deutschen Einheit (3. Oktober)	German Unity Day
der Geburtstag	birthday
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!	Happy Birthday!
die Hochzeit	wedding
die Taufe	christening / baptism
die Konfirmation	confirmation (Protestant)
die Kommunion	first communion (Catholic)

timeline
    title German Festival Year (Festkalender)
    Januar : Silvester / Neujahr : Dreikönigstag
    Februar-März : Karneval / Fasching : Rosenmontag : Aschermittwoch
    März-April : Ostern : Karfreitag : Ostermontag
    Mai : Tag der Arbeit (1. Mai) : Muttertag
    Oktober : Tag der Deutschen Einheit (3. Okt) : Oktoberfest (Sept-Okt)
    November-Dezember : Sankt Martin : Nikolaus (6. Dez)
    Dezember : Weihnachtsmärkte : Heiligabend (24. Dez) : Weihnachten (25.-26.) : Silvester

6. Describing a Festival (Model Paragraph)

Letztes Jahr habe ich einen Weihnachtsmarkt in Köln besucht. Es war wunderschön! Überall gab es kleine Holzhütten mit Geschenken, Lebkuchen und Handwerkskunst. Ich habe Glühwein getrunken und gebrannte Mandeln gegessen. Die Atmosphäre war magisch — es gab Weihnachtsmusik und tausende Lichter. Nächstes Jahr möchte ich den Karneval in Köln erleben, weil das Straßenfest berühmt ist.

Festivals and Celebrations (Weihnachten, Karneval, Oktoberfest)