Government
Government:
- Germany is a federal republic which is a federation of states with a republican type of government.
- Germany was declared a federal republic on May 23, 1949.
- The executive branch of the government is made up of the Chief of State, the Chancellor, and a president.
- The legislature branch of the government consists of a Parliament which includes the Federal Council (Bundesrat) and the Federal Diet (Bundestag)
- The judicial branch is made up of the Federal Court of Justice, Federal Administrative Courts, Federal Finance Court, Federal Labor Court, and the Federal Social Court.
- The main political parties and leaders of Germany includes the Alliance '90/Greens, Alternative for Germany (AfG), Christian Social Union (CSU), Free Democratic Party (FDP), Left Party (also called Die Linke), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Food
Food:
- Germans love rich and healthy cuisines but each area of Germany has its own opinion on what traditional meat looks like.
- The most consumed meat in Germany is pork and the most traditional dishes are Schweinshaxe (braised pork hock) and Saumagen (pork stomach)
- Sausage is also closely associate with German food and beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage.
- Some of the most popular dishes in Germany are: Apfelstrudel, Eintopf, Kaesespatzle, Kartoffelpuffer, Brezel, and Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte.
Traditions
Language/Religion/Traditions:
Language:
Religion:
Traditions:
Language:
- Unsurprisingly enough, the official language of Germany is German.
- Over 95% of the population speak German as their first language.
- Other languages spoken include Serbian, North and West Frisian and Danish.
Religion:
- The dominant religion is Christianity with 65-70% of the population declaring themselves Christian.
- Other than Christians, Muslims make up 3.7% of the population while 28.3% have no religion or have religion other than Christianity or Islam.
Traditions:
- List of German Holidays: New Years Day, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Labor Day, Ascensions Day, Whit Sunday, Whit Monday, Corpus Christi Day, Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Day of German Unity, Reformation Day, All Saints Day, Day of Prayer and Repentance, Christmas, and 2nd Christmas Day.
- Germans celebrate many of the traditional Christian holidays including Christmas and Easter.
- There is also German Unification Day on October 3rd to celebrate the reuniting of East and West Germany.
- The Oktoberfest is the country's big beer bash and actually starts on a Saturday in September and lasts 16-18 days, on the first Sunday of October.
- The tradition started in 1810 when the Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese Von Sachsen-Hiddleburghausen. (I'm sure she was glad to get rid of that name)
- Speaking of weddings, one rule about German weddings is that a "special" place must be chosen for the ceremony, rather than having it in a church.
- Other ceremonies like birthdays and funerals have rules as well.
- Children's birthdays are celebrated almost the exact same way as in America or Britain, except instead of singing "Happy Birthday to You" they sing "Zum Geburtzstag viel Glümlck."
- Funerals are generally held three or four days after the individual has passed and mourners gather in a church, and wear black or violet.
- The priest sprinkles holy water and incense on the coffin and while the bells are ringing, the mourners follow the coffin out to the gravesite and four pall-bearers lay the coffin in the earth.