Name _______________________________________________________________ Datum_________________Stunde _______Geburtstag u. Das Haus Deutsch IIKulturecke

As is customary here, Germans attach a greeting card (Glückwunschkarte) to a gift. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag! is the most accepted and popular form of wishing someone a happy birthday.The first two words, Herzlichen Glückwunsch, or the plural, Herzliche Glückwünsche, will fit almost any occasion if you wish to congratulate someone in German, be it a birthday (Geburtstag), a name day or Saint’s Day (Namenstag), a wedding (Hochzeit) or an anniversary (Jubiläum).Special Occasions

There are many special occasions that can mark a family calendar throughout the years. Birthdays in Germany are celebrated not unlike ours. Generally, children’s birthdays are celebrated among the immediate family.Teenagers often invite their friends to a birthday party.

Although the presence of many foreign workers and their families has greatly increased the importance of religious communities, which decades ago were hardly represented in Germany, most Germans belong to a Christian church—Protestant or Roman Catholic. About half are Protestant (mostly in northern Germany), the other half Catholic (mostly in southern and western Germany). A special occasion in the Christian church that usually takes place within the first three months of a child’s birth is baptism (Taufe), to which the closest relatives are invited.

Even though a birthday (Geburtstag) is the most common celebration, in southern Germany the saint’s day or name day (Namenstag) is still observed. Children here are often named after a saint whose birthday is observed on that day. Similar to a birthday, gifts are also given on Namenstag. At the age of 13 or 14, many Germans go through a religious instruction process that culminates in confirmation (Konfirmation), when these young adults become full members of the church.

As you have already learned in an earlier unit, there are three different schools after the Grundschule that students can attend. Upon graduating from the Hauptschule, students receive a certificate called Abschlusszeugnis.When they graduate from the Realschule, they get a certificate called Mittlere Reifezeugnis. Finally, students graduating from the Gymnasium receive their Abitur, which they will need if they want to continue their education.

The road to marriage usually starts with the engagement (Verlobung). When the engagement becomes official, couplessend out written announcements to their friends and relatives who will respond with cards of congratulations. Many willalso send flowers or a gift. Bridal showers, a common practice in the United States, are not customary in Germany. Engagement presents are given on the day of the engagement. Most engaged couples exchange matching wedding rings which are worn on the left hand.

The engagement eventually leads to the wedding (Hochzeit). Some American customs, such as the big wedding cake, the throwing of confetti or rice and the wedding march are not part of the German tradition. However, the custom of Polterabend (poltern = to make a loud noise) is still popular in many parts of Germany. The evening before the wedding, friends of the couple go to the bride’s house and smash piles of old pottery (no glass is allowed) at the door or under the window. It’s an old superstition that the loud noise helps to avert bad luck.To ensure future married bliss, both bride and groom are expected to sweep up the broken pieces together at the beginning of their marriage.

In Germany, the civil marriage is obligatory. It takes place at the local registrar’s office (Standesamt) in the presence of two witnesses. A church wedding usually follows the civil cermony.The clergy cannot marry a couple without the civil wedding certificate. Wedding presents often are delivered at the house while the family is attending the church ceremony or—if you are invited to the Polterabend—on the eve of the wedding. At the wedding ceremony, the wedding rings are changed from the left to the right ring finger. Similar to our country, an anniversary (Jubiläum) is considered a special occasion. A silver wedding anniversary (silberne Hochzeit or Silberhochzeit) means that a couple has been married for 25 years. After 50 years of marriage it is a golden anniversary (goldene Hochzeit).

Mother’s Day (Muttertag), which falls on the second Sunday in May, was introduced in the United States in 1914 and in Germany in 1923. Contrary to the United States, however, in Germany, Father’s Day (Vatertag) is not celebrated on a Sunday but on Ascension Day (Himmelfahrtstag), which is on a Thursday, 40 days after Easter (Ostern).

When someone dies in Germany, it is customary for the family members of the deceased to place an obituary (Todesanzeige) in the local paper that often includes personal and emotional comments from the immediate family. In most cases a black-rimmed announcement is mailed out to relatives and friends of the deceased. Perhaps one of the quickest ways to learn about special occasions in Germany is by going to a department store or bookstore and browsing through the numerous greeting cards!

Source: Deutsch Aktuell 1, Kapitel 8, s. 225--234Wovon spricht man hier?Identify the special occasions or events that are described in German.You may not understand every word, but you should be able to figure out what is being referred to. These are words that you may need to know: viel Lärm machen to make lots of noise; die Geburt birth; das Ereignis event; ist gestorben died; die Zeitung newspaper; die Kirche church.

_____________1. Einen Tag vor der Hochzeit machen Freunde viel Lärm.

_____________2. Ein besonderer Tag im Mai für die Mutti._____________3. Ein paar Tage oder Wochen nach der Geburt._____________4. Fünfzig Jahre nach der Hochzeit._____________5. Ein wichtiges Dokument für die Universität._____________6. Renate wird dann sechzehn. Ein Jahr später wird sie siebzehn._____________7. Ein besonderes Ereignis für Monika vor der Hochzeit. Rolf und Monika geben

dem Partner einen Ring._____________8. Annelieses Großmutter ist am Dienstag gestorben. Es steht heute in der

Zeitung._____________9. Am Hochzeitstag gehen sie vor der Kirche zu diesem Büro._____________10.Sie bekommen das nach der Hauptschule._____________11.Dieser Tag ist ungefähr sechs Wochen nach Ostern.

Persönliche Fragen: Beantworte die Fragen in ganzen S ä tzen. 1. Wann hast du Geburtstag?___________________________________________________________________2. Wie alt wirst du? __________________________________________________________________________

3. Was für ein Geschenk möchtest du zum Geburtstag bekommen? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4. Wird dich jemand (someone) zum Geburtstag besuchen? Wer? ________________________________________________________________

5. Wie feierst du normalerweise deinen Geburtstag? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6. Gibt es hier in den USA auch Traditionen, die man macht, bevor man heiratet? oder nach dem Schulabschluss? Beschreibe unten!________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________