tradition
Are you ready for Walpurgisnacht, Germany's night of witches?
Germany and witchcraft? Well, let's just say they both have quite the history. The lands that make up modern Germany were the scene of some of the bloodiest persecutions of 'witches’ from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
Teenager killed by maypole in Rhine region
A 15-year-old died in tragic circumstances on Sunday in a small town in western Germany as the community tried to erect a new Maibaum (maypole).
Six odd things Germans do in the summer
These summer pastimes show that Germans' reputation for being uptight and straight-laced sticklers for punctuality couldn't be further from the truth. Many like nothing better than getting naked and drunk, and blocking up public traffic routes on the way.
German Mother’s Day: Florists to Nazis and back again
American Mother’s Day: started by a grieving daughter. British Mother’s Day: stemmed from Christian tradition. German Mother’s Day: started by some florists looking to sell more flowers.
Nuremberg elects angel to run Christmas market
As Nuremberg prepares to host the most famous annual Christmas market in the world, The Local spoke with the newly selected Christkind - a mysterious angel that opens the festivities from on high each November.
German kids enjoy 'back to school' traditions
As the first German youngsters wave goodbye to the 2015 summer holidays and return gamely to the school gates, The Local looks at what this summer's first-graders can get excited about as they begin their primary school years.