paragraph on birthday in german
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World’s Largest Folk Festival: Oktoberfest
People celebrating in beer pavilion on Oktoberfest-fest in Munich
People celebrating in beer pavilion on Oktoberfest-fest in Munich
Celebrated in Munich, Oktoberfest is one of the most famous festivals in Germany. Beer enthusiasts from around the country, and the world, gather to celebrate the Bavarian beer festival, along with food and cultural events and performances. A beer lover’s passion for this fermented drink gets amplified on Oktoberfest as Bavaria has the highest-quality beer and several thousand litres of beer flow at the Oktoberfest annually. It is a very scenic setting with vibrant and colourful parades, exciting rides, music, and concerts providing the background to Munich’s best breweries selling beer from tents.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Oktoberfest
2. Celebrations That Date Back To 190 Years: Karneval, Fasching Or Fastnacht
Celebration of German Karneval, fasching or fastnacht
Rosenmontagszug, Street carnival on Rose Monday in Mainz, Germany
If you enjoy a costume party, then this one is for you. Except that it’s larger than life because this party goes on for six days. When you hear the crowds cheering out aloud, “Kölle Alaaf“(a phrase used since the 16th century as a cheer to rally up the crowds), you know it’s the sign for the party to get started. Celebrated in February, people give into indulgences with kölsch (local beer) and krapfen (doughnuts) being consumed in huge amounts.
Whether you’re from the United States, from Poland or from Brazil – celebrating your birthday in your home country surely comes with a variety of different and interesting traditions.
Obviously, Germany also has a lot of customs and rituals to celebrate your or someone else’s special day. Some will look quite familiar, and some of them might be a bit more on the quirkier side.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the traditions that you might encounter when celebrating your or a friend’s birthday in Germany!
Before You Wish Someone a Happy Birthday in German…
When I first came to the US, I was shocked by how many times people would wish me a happy birthday in advance, even if my birthday was still days away.
You see, in Germany wishing someone a happy birthday before his or her actual birthday is considered rude and supposedly brings bad luck. Some Germans get extremely offended about it – even though they’re not superstitious otherwise.
Where this fear of a premature birthday wishes comes from is not exactly clear, although it might simply have to do with the overall tentativeness and caution that’s so specific for German culture.
As sinister as it sounds, while someone’s birthday might only be days or hours away, you never know what might happen during the hours in between — better safe than sorry!
(So before you get ahead of yourself and wish someone a happy birthday in German, just make sure you double-check the date.)
Now that we got this important detail out of the way, let’s look at some of the birthday traditions and rituals you might encounter when celebrating in Germany!
How to Say “Happy Birthday” in German
When looking at the differences in language between English and German, the phrase “Alles Gute zum Geburtstag” (Happy Birthday) will certainly strike you as being significantly longer than its English equivalent.
But not only that, the translation is equally different: it means roughly “All good for your birthday”.
Another expression is “Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag” (Heartfelt congratulations on your birthday).
You could also say “Alles Liebe zum Geburtstag” (Everything nice for your birthday).
Some random trivia: next to the German version of the song “Happy Birthday”, which is called “Zum Geburtstag viel Glück” (All the Best of Luck for your Birthday), the English version is also widely recognized and sung.
Birthday Traditions in Germany
There are numerous traditions and rituals to celebrate someone’s birthday in Germany and depending on where in Germany you are, these might vary slightly.
There are, however, a few things that are custom throughout the whole of Germany.
Throw Your Own Party
You’ve read that one correctly – when it comes to celebrating your birthday in the land of Apfelschorle and Elfmeterschießen, you are expected to throw the big party yourself, if you would like one (!).
Whether it comes to your kid’s birthday bash or celebrating your 50th birthday with your closest friends, it is expected that the birthday boy/girl shows some initiative and plans the party and all of its details.
That is not to say that surprise birthday parties thrown by close friends aren’t a thing, but generally speaking, the “responsibility” of celebrating your birthday and finding a venue to do so is on the person whose special day it is.
Bring Your Own Cake
Just as with celebrating your birthday, it is expected from the birthday boy/girl to bring cake or other sweet goods either to school or to the office for those who are not celebrating their birthday to enjoy. Sounds pretty weird? It kind of is.