Germany

Germans have a reputation for being industrial, thrifty, and methodical. They are characterized by a strong sense of regional pride, an aspect that the federal government recognizes and takes into account. Most of them have a solid traditional education due to the enormous cultural heritage that the country has in areas such as music, history, and other branches of art, and therefore they expect others to appreciate such heritage.

While German is the official language spoken in Germany, the German language taught in schools and used in the media is often not the German spoken in everyday life. In many places, the various dialects have a strong influence on the language. English is widely understood, and many Germans from the former East Germany speak Russian.

The most common way to greet each other is the handshake. The man waits for the woman to extend her hand before shaking hands, in mixed groups the man shakes hands first with women before men. In large groups, it is inappropriate for many people to shake hands at once because it is not proper to cross your arms in the middle of others. By tradition, only close friends and family members address each other by first name. Other people use the title and surname, although this is changing among the young.

Pointing the index finger to one’s own head is an insult to another person. Instead of crossing one’s fingers for luck, Germans squeeze the thumb between the index and the middle fingers. Only the thumb tip is between the fingers; allowing it to protrude is an offensive gesture. In some areas, public displays of affection are not appropriate. Germans wear their wedding rings on their right hand, not on the left.

In some areas when men reach the age of 30 and they still are unmarried they have to sweep the stairs of the city hall. His friends will throw rubble on the stairs and when the man is finished they will throw more rubble back onto the steps. This way every girl can see that this man has reached the age of 30 and is still unmarried (and that he can clean a house very well!).

Punctuality is appreciated, if guests are invited for dinner at 8 p.m., they will arrive at 8 p.m., but it is not an insult for guests to arrive a few minutes late. Dinner guests often bring an odd number of flowers to the hosts. Flowers are unwrapped before they are given. Guests usually stand when the host enters the room and remain standing until offered a seat again. It is also courteous to stand when a woman enters the room. Spontaneous visits, even between neighbors, are not very common. Arrangements are usually made in advance.

A member of the birthday person’s family wakes up at sunrise and lights the candles on the birthday cake. There are as many candles as the years of age of the birthday person plus one for good luck. The candles are left burning all day long. After dinner that night then everyone sings the birthday song and the birthday person blows out the candles. If all of the candles are blown out in one try then the wish of the birthday person will come true. Presents are then opened and the party starts.

Clothing styles are similar to those in the United States, but with a distinctively European flavor. Traditional regional costumes are often worn during festivals and celebrations. Cosmetics are worn sparingly. Sloppy or untidy attire is inappropriate in public.

While regional dishes vary among Germans, potatoes, noodles, dumplings, sauces, cakes, and pastries are common. Every region has its own kind of wurst (sausage). Ethnic foods, especially Turkish, Greek and Italian, and fast foods are popular. The main meal is traditionally served at noon and a lighter meal (Abendbrot) eaten in the evening, usually open faced sandwiches.

The continental style of eating is used. Hands are kept above the table with wrists resting on the edge. Potatoes and fish are not cut with a knife because this indicates they are not fully cooked. It is considered wasteful to leave food on the plate. Most Germans prefer their drinks without ice, as cold drinks are not considered healthy.

While regional dishes vary among Germans, potatoes, noodles, dumplings, sauces, cakes, and pastries are common. Every region has its own kind of wurst (sausage). Ethnic foods, especially Turkish, Greek and Italian, and fast foods are popular. The main meal is traditionally served at noon and a lighter meal (Abendbrot) eaten in the evening, usually open faced sandwiches.

The father is generally the head of the family. Both parents often work, more so in the east than in the west. Large families are not common, even in rural areas. The average family has only one or two children. While order, responsibility, and achievement are still traditional family values, a greater variety of lifestyles exists today, especially among those in the west. Most young people prefer to live away from home once they become wage earners or go on to university.

Boys and girls socialize with each other on a casual rather than a formal basis. Young people usually marry in their late twenties. It is common for people to live together before or instead of marriage. Legal marriages are performed and religious ceremonies are optional.

Germany is a world leader in tennis, track and field, cycling, and Formula One auto racing. Germany has many excellent sports facilities for both players and spectators.  For many years the German Sports Federation (Deutscher Sportbund) has sponsored physical fitness programs. Swimming is very popular and almost every town has a public Schwimmbad (swimming pool).

The national sport, soccer (Fussball), is played at thousands of amateur clubs, while professional matches are regularly attended by hundreds of thousands of spectators every week. Tennis is also popular, thanks to players such as Boris Becker and Steffi Graf.

In winter, skiers flock to the German Alps. Germany has many popular ski resorts that attract skiers from around the world. Germans excel at winter sports and have won Olympic gold medals for luge, bobsled, and speed skating.

The varied geography of Germany makes it possible for sports enthusiasts to enjoy almost any sport. The mountainous areas have hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails. On the lakes and rivers, windsurfing and sailing are enjoyed. Cycling is another popular sport in summer and winter

Most children will have a light breakfast before going to school. Foods include yogurt, fruit, breads, and granola. In the countryside, some children might have light chores with animals or other farm duties, but most work would be done after homework is finished. Germans are quite health conscious and ensure that good sleep and hearty meals go hand in hand with sufficient exercise.

Students often walk, ride bikes, or take advantage of the public transportation systems available throughout the country. These include buses, streetcars, and trains.

School buildings themselves may range from classic old buildings with great traditions and heritage to newly constructed buildings with the latest architecture. But they are always kept clean and are viewed as an important part of the local culture. Because of the cultural and governmental support given to schools, educational issues, in general, are not treated lightly. In the classrooms, teachers are highly regarded, but the teacher-student and teacher-parent relationship can be somewhat casual and relaxed. Computers play a big role in German education. Students are expected to use them to do homework, conduct research on the Internet, and may even learn to write their own programs in classes called “Informatics.”

School uniforms are not required for children in Germany. They wear whatever they want, similar to the dress code for most schools in the United States. Kindergarten is available for those who want it for children from age 3 to age 6. Grundschule (elementary school) begins at age 6 and lasts for 4 years. Although private schools are available, most children attend state-sponsored schools because they are free, and private schools require additional tuition and administrative costs. At age 10, a child has one of four basic educational options, depending on aptitude: Hauptschule (the least academic, it goes until grade 9), Realschule (until grade 10), Gymnasium (until grade 12 or 13; this is the primary track for students planning on university studies), or Gesamtschule (until grade 10, with all three of the other “tracks” available). Depending on the state, either the teachers or the parents in consultation with the teachers have the final say on which track each child should follow. After all but Gymnasium, students typically enroll in a vocational school where they are trained using a combination of on-the-job training and two days a week in class. Gymnasium is capped off by taking a test (called Abitur) that determines whether a student may continue on to university studies, which are also free to those who qualify to attend. The school year usually begins around mid-August and is divided into two semesters. Students typically have 12 weeks of holidays—6 in the summer, 2 at Christmastime, and the rest divided between spring (usually around Easter) and autumn (when children were often required to help with the harvest in days gone by). In some states, school is in session six days a week, Sunday being the only free day. School normally starts at 8:00 a.m. and is often finished by noon for the younger classes and by 1:30 for children over the age of ten. There is usually a 5-, 10-, or 15-minute break after each subject (usually taught for 45 minutes), but students do not move to another class for the next subject. Instead, they stay in the same “homeroom,” and the teachers rotate to the students. Some elementary schools begin teaching English as early as the first or second grade. At each secondary school, students usually study English for five years as a basic requirement. Some students will also study another language, depending on the state’s requirements. These other languages include French, Latin, Polish, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and ancient Greek. Because each state controls its own curriculum, moving from one state to another can be very difficult for children. Grading is on a 6-point scale, with 1 being excellent and 6 being failing, or insufficient. Students who get a 6 are often required to repeat the grade level (approximately 5% of the students each year).

Today’s parents are very busy. That fact, coupled with the shrinking size of families and the large numbers of immigrant families moving into the country, has reduced the chances for many children to engage in the kind of social experiences that used to come naturally with siblings and neighborhood children with common backgrounds. As a result, planned social time has become more important, from kindergarten to higher grade levels. Much of that time is occupied by clubs.

Unlike schools in the United States, most of the organized activities after school take place in clubs, called Vereinen. For example, team sports are not sponsored by schools; rather, kids join sports clubs and play against teams from other clubs. As a result, “school spirit” is lower in German secondary schools than in American junior high and high schools. Although there are more than 87,000 sports clubs in Germany, Vereinen are not restricted to just sports. Clubs are also organized around other pastimes and hobbies, such as chess, hiking, music, and so on. Children in Germany enjoy sports (such as the ever popular soccer, handball, inline skating, skateboarding, and basketball), going to movies, and, as they get into secondary schools, hanging out in cafés, shops, and discos. Youth discos are designed for kids under 16 and are only open until the midnight curfew. Germany is also very proud of its artistic heritage, its beautiful parks, and its cultural sites. All larger cities also have state-supported music schools, so anyone who wants to can learn to play an instrument. Germany has been home to some of the world’s greatest composers of instrumental and choral music, and children have a great opportunity to participate in and add to that heritage.

Children do not eat lunch at school; rather, they arrive home early enough in the afternoon to eat at home. Traditionally, if the father works close enough to home, he too will come home to eat with the family. The midday meal is often the main meal of the day. Since this meal is substantial, the evening meal more often consists of lighter foods such as breads, cheeses, and sausages. Because families are smaller now (90% of German families have two or fewer children) and the pressures of life so much greater, they spend much of their free time together. Thus, later evenings and weekends are usually considered family time.

Education is very important in Germany. It was one of the first, if not the very first, countries in the world to provide compulsory, free education to its children, beginning in the 18th century by command of the King of Prussia. Germany has a 99% literacy rate for people over the age of 15. Today, the schools are overseen primarily by the German states, with little federal government influence. Teachers are hired by the Ministry of Education and, once they prove themselves for a given time period, are essentially hired for life. The teachers participate in the administration of each school, and the local town hires the janitorial and secretarial staff. Students help to clean up the classrooms and surrounding grounds. In school, as in much of German culture, cleanliness and order are important. It is interesting to note that in September 2006, Germany disallowed families to home school their children.