I recorded a video of the fireworks last night (this morning) from our balcony. It is very dark, but in the second half you can clearly make out the rockets flying overhead and one being lit on the ground. It is also very noisy!
Silvester
December 31, 2007 By 1 Comment
Silvester is the last day of the year, 31st December, known in English as New Year’s Eve.
Many people hold or visit parties on this evening, others spend the evening with their families at home.
Popular things to eat on this evening are raclette and fondue. At midnight everyone goes out onto the streets and lets of fireworks to celebrate the New Year.
A long running television programme is the Silvesterstadl shown on the public broadcast ARD, which runs for about 4 hours and contains traditional folk music as well as sketches and interviews, many of which are connected with Silvester traditions.
The most well-known television programme on this day must, however, surely be Dinner for One – a 20-minute sketch with Freddie Frinten and May Warden which is shown every year on several channels which over the years has become a traditional part of Silvester viewing for a large part of the German population.
To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:
(Press the “play” button to listen to the podcast)
That’s not how you write Silvester!
December 30, 2007 By 3 Comments
It’s a common enough mistake made in Germany – Silvester, the name from New Year’s Eve, is named after Pope Silvester I, who died in the 4th Century A.D.
However, many people mis-spell it as “Sylvester”, like the cartoon cat. Even TV shows get it wrong, once in a while.
This week, I saw it mis-spelled on the door of a local supermarket:
