Fronleichnam is the name given to Corpus Christi – a date in the Catholic Church calendar that is celebrated 60 days after Easter. It is only a public holiday in some parts of Germany. The day generally starts with a Church service – often held in the open air. This is then followed by a procession through the town, often stopping at decorated altars en route. Often … [Read more...]
Pfingsten
Pfingsten is the weekend known in English as Whitsun or Pentecost. The Sunday and Monday are bank holidays in the whole of Germany. It falls 50 days after Easter. Pfingsten celebrates the moment when the Holy Ghost descended to Jesus’ disciples, allowing them to be understood by everyone that they talked to. To the listeners they appeared to be speaking in their native … [Read more...]
Christi Himmelfahrt
Christi Himmelfahrt is known in English as Ascension Day. It is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter Monday. The name comes from the New Testament, where it is described how Jesus ascended to heaven having shown himself to his aspostles 40 days after the resurrection. The day is a bank holiday in all of Germany as has been since 1936, although it was not celebrated in … [Read more...]
Maifeiertag
Maifeiertag is the name given to the first (1st) day of May, known in English as May Day. It is also known in Germany as the Tag der Arbeit. It is a public holiday, but unlike in some other countries it always falls on the 1st and is not moved to accommodate weekends. The day was first celebrated in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic in 1919, but it was not … [Read more...]
Buß- und Bettag
Buß- und Bettag is a day celebrated in the Evangelical Church. It is a day on which to change one's direction and to turn to God as the Church year comes to an end and we move towards Advent. It was previously a national holiday, but this was changed from 1995 onwards to finance the new Pflegeversicherung. It remains a holiday in Saxony. Many families start their … [Read more...]