To celebrate these occasions, people send Glückwunschkarten (greeting cards) and Geschenke (gifts or presents). They might throw a party, and the German language has several words for ‘party’ - Party, Fest, Fete, and others.
A special type of Fest happens the evening before a Hochzeit, and is called a Polterabend. The verb poltern means ‘to rumble’ or otherwise make loud noises, and is familiar to English speakers in the term Poltergeist.
An old tradition calls for friends of the family to gather in front of the bride’s house on the evening before the Hochzeit and make lots of noise, often by breaking pottery (but not glass). Allegedly, this habit arose from an ancient superstition advising that loud noise would scare away evil spirits and thereby protect the Braut (bride) so that she could arrive safely the next morning at the Hochzeit. But in reality it’s simply a fun way for the friends to be laut.
Meanwhile, the Bräutigam (groom) is probably far away, drinking Bier with his friends.
On the day of the Hochzeit, most German couples will get married twice. There will be a government wedding at the Standesamt (registrar’s office), often located in the Rathaus (city hall). This makes them officially married for tax purposes.
Most couples will have a second wedding ceremony with family and friends, usually in a Kirche or in a Synagoge. Afterward, the Hochzeitspaar (bride and groom) typically celebrates in a restaurant, which has been reserved for the occasion so that no other customers are there, and the group takes over the entire place for meals and dancing.
Every year afterward, the Ehepaar (married couple) will celebrate that date as their Hochzeitstag or Jubiläum.
Das Ehepaar will celebrate a silberne Hochzeit or Silberhochzeit, which happens nach fünf-und-zwanzig Jahren.
Likewise, they’ll celebrate a goldene Hochzeit after fifty years.
When a child is born, the family and friends will often throw a party for the Taufe (baptism).
In addition to celebrating a person’s Geburtstag, some regions of Austria, Switzerland, and southern Germany also celebrate Namenstag. To find a person’s Namenstag, find a saint who has the same name, and then find the date which is the official holiday for that saint. The territories which celebrate Namenstag tend to be Roman Catholic regions; other parts of Germany and Switzerland are Lutheran or Calvinist, and tend not to observe Namenstag.
The famous professional soccer player Bastian Schweinsteiger, for example, was born on August 1, so that’s his Geburtstag. But the official holiday to celebrate St. Sebastian is January 20, so that becomes Schweinsteiger’s Namenstag.
The Geburtstagskarten which people receive on their birthdays often say Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag or Herzliche Glückwünsche zum Geburtstag.
The phrases Herzlichen Glückwunsch and Herzliche Glückwünsche are appropriate, not only for Geburtstage, but also for any other achievement or happy occasion.
Around the age of 13 or 14, a student will complete her or his religious instruction, and celebrate a Konfirmation.
Naturally, there’s a big Fest when students finish school. After completing the Grundschule, you’ll go on to one of three types of high school. If you’re graduating from a Hauptschule, your diploma is called a Abschlusszeugnis. If you’re graduating from a Realschule, your diploma is called a Mittlere Reifezeugnis. From the Gymnasium, you’ll get an Abitur. The word Abitur refers both to the test and to the diploma that you receive if you pass the test.
Der zweite Sonntag im Mai ist Muttertag in der Schweiz, in Österreich, in Deutschland, in Liechtenstein, und in den USA. Aber in Luxemburg ist Muttertag an dem zweiten Sonntag im Juni.
Der dritte Sonntag im Juni ist Vatertag in den USA. In Österreich ist Vatertag an dem zweiten Sonntag im Juni. In Luxemburg ist Vatertag an dem ersten Sonntag im Oktober. In Liechtenstein ist Vatertag immer am 19ten März.
The celebration of Ostern (Easter) can vary from mid-March to late April. Vierzig Tage nach Ostern ist Vatertag in Deutschland. This same date is also celebrated as Himmelfahrtstag (Ascension Day). Many schools get Ferien (vacation days) for Himmelfahrt.
Different regions have different dates for Vatertag in der Schweiz, so you have to ask which Kanton you’re in before you know when this holiday is.
When someone dies, the remaining family members, along with some friends, will place a Todesanzeige in the local Zeitung (newspaper) - an announcement of the person’s death along with comments and memories. As Zeitungen have become less common, these Todesanzeigen now appear online. The family will also mail printed cards with the Todesanzeige in special envelopes with black rims.
