Das Brauchtümer

I've been looking up info on German traditions and other interesting tidbits about german life. A rather interesting German tradition involves shattering a large number of dishes before the wedding and having the bride and groom cleaned it up. It is believed that the action of cleaning up the mass collection of broken dishes, which the family and friends have worked so hard to make, will help prepare the couple for their new lives together. Germans wear wedding rings on the right hand - the groom and the bride have normally identical rings. I was really surprised when reading about "Osterfeuer" because I grew up around Fredricksburg, Tx and they still celebrate this german tradition, however, I never knew it was from Germany until now. Germany people celebrate the end of winter with another ancient tradition with clear pre-Christian roots: the lighting of “Osterfeuer” (big community bonfires) on the Saturday before Easter. I was reading another blog writen by a Brit living in Germany, she had many interesting observations about weird little cultural differences. First she pointed out how many Germans especially over the age of about 35 wear shoes at all times. Bare feet are considered dangerous to your health because you could catch a cold. Also she says you will hear “es zieht” (literally “it pulls”), which means all windows must be buttoned down and that dangerously fresh air must be kept where it belongs - outside. She also says it is very easy to call in to work. "Kreislauf" (poor circulation) is a common ailment apparently affecting people of all ages and requires at least a day off work. The blogger also says that when she sprained her ankle and received 2 weeks off work from her general practioner. It seems odd to me that companies tolerate people taking off for unneccessary ailments. Germans are also said to keep their work relationships seperate from their private lives. They rarely make friends with co-workers. This seems strange- some of my best friends I met at work. If you want to read more observations from her blog go to http://charlotteotter.wordpress.com/2006/08/17/10-things-i-find-weird-about-germany/