Fastenzeit

Posts Tagged ‘fastenzeit’

Carnival Pack 2

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

“Carnival Pack 2″ is a collection of 4 transcripts, each in their own PDF file. The pack is a ZIP file containing the 4 PDFs and is available from the AllThingsGerman Download Store.

The transcripts in this pack are:

To find out more, visit the AllThingsGerman Download Store.

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Aschermittwoch is the German name for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Although it is not a public holiday, most companies will allow their employees time off during the day to go to church, if they wish to.

At church, people are blessed with a cross on the forehead made from the ashes of last year’s palm leaves.

This is also the day on which the policital parties hold their regional meetings. The use them to plan for the coming political year, and also to critise the policies of their opponents.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Fastenzeit is the name given to the time of fasting between Ash Wednesday and Easter. During this time people avoid eating meat, although in some families this is extended to eating sweets and listening to music, or drinking alcohol.

In some areas of Germany, people are not supposed to laugh on Good Friday, or dance between Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday.