Harvest Festival Literally: harvest thanksgiving festival

1
Erntedankfest

• Harvest Festival (Literally harvest thanksgiving
  festival)
• Village festival
• First Sunday of October
• Starts with church service with an alter
  decorated with harvest crops
• Parades and festivities follow

2
Martinstag

• November 11th
• Children's holiday
• Parents sometimes light bonfires
• Parade through the streets singing songs and
  collecting candy

I'm coming with my lanternAnd my lantern comes
with me.Up above the stars are glowing,We are
glowing down here.My light is out,We're going
home,Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.
Ich geh' mit meiner LaterneUnd meine Laterne mit
mir.Dort oben leuchten die Sterne,Hier unten,
da leuchten wir.Mein Licht ist aus,Wir geh'n
nach Haus,Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.
3
Weihnachten

• Christmas

4
Advent
Advent, Advent A little light is burning First
one, then two, Then three, then four, Then the
Christ child stands at the door.
Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt. Erst
eins, dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier, dann
steht das Christkind vor der Tuer.

• Each family creates an advent wreath four
  weeks before Christmas and each Sunday the
  children light a candle while they sing the
  Advent song

5
Nikolaustag

• St. Nicholas Day
• December 6th
• Children put out freshly polished shoes
• St. Nicholas visits and leaves candy
• Some times he visits in person wearing a long
  robe and carrying a tall, curved staff.
• He has a sidekick who goes by different names
• Knecht Ruprech
• Krampus
• Pulterklas
• Hans Muff
• The side kick either gives out the goodies or the
  lashes, depending on whether the kids have been
  naughty or nice that year.

6
Heiligabend

• Christmas Eve
• Music, Carols, Presents, Church
• Traditional Christmas Dinner Fish
• Celebration with immediate family
• On the 25th friends are invited also for a goose
  or turkey dinner

7
Silvester

• New Years Eve
• December 31st is the day of Saint Sylvester
• Celebrating with friends
• Small gatherings
• Huge New Years Eve Balls
• Some participate in games that are supposed to
  tell the events of the coming year
• Like (Bleigießen)
• people pour molten lead into a bowl of water and
  look for figures and meanings in the shapes into
  which the lead hardens.

8
Heilige Drei Konige

• Epiphany- Day of the Three Kings
• Celebrated January 6th
• Children dress up as the three Kings
• Go door-to-door to collect money and candy for
  charities
• They wear long robes and cardboard crowns one
  carries a cut-out star on a pole, symbolizing the
  star that led the wise men to Jesus.
• They sing carols, sprinkle holy water and spread
  incense, and as a sign of protection
• They write the initials of the wise men and the
  year on the door of each home they visit

9
Karneval

• Officially it lasts from November 11th until the
  first day of Lent
• Most towns have their big celebration January 7th
  with the election of the Carnival prince and
  princess
• During the final days social rules are forgotten
  people dress up and run wild through the streets