Customs of the Berliner

RELIGION

The German Basic Law guarantees full freedom of confession and freedom of worship. Thus, in theory, each German belongs to a church, and must pay a tax (Kirchensteuer) to the state, which redistributes it to the chosen cult. This tax is still equivalent to 8% of income tax. In case of default, the Catholic hierarchy refuses to give the sacraments. In order to avoid this tax, many Germans declare themselves atheists. They are almost 35% of the population. Catholics and Protestants are almost equally represented: about 30% of each denomination. Muslims make up 5% of the faithful. Less than 0.25% of Germans are declared Jews (over half a million in 1936).

THE GERMAN TRADITIONS

The « Schultüte » for the first day of school

The Schultüte is a tradition that was established during the 19th century. A Schultüte is a cone-shaped pouch made of paper or plastic. It is distributed by parents to their children on their very first day of school (after Kindergarten) to help them overcome the anxiety that usually accompanies this rite of passage. The Schultüten are usually filled with several small gifts, such as candy, clothes or stuffed animals.

Fireworks of the New Year

The Germans take their New Year’s fireworks very seriously. I have asked people in Berlin how their new year is going. When December 31 comes around, a lot of people in Berlin start lighting fireworks in all directions, all hours of the day, all hours of the night, and all over the city. These lights are so frequent that some Berlin residents prefer to spend the new year somewhere else.

Tanzverbot

Tanzverbot means « Not Allowed to Dance » and is a word employed to describe the fact that dance is forbidden by the regional governments during some public holidays. These blackout periods are mainly associated with Christian holidays such as Good Friday. They are also requested during certain commemorations, such as the Volkstrauertag which commemorates those who died during armed conflicts or because of oppression. This ban of dance relates to public dances. In Berlin, the clubs must keep their doors closed from 4am to 9pm on Good Friday.

Karneval

The German carnival season begins in November and reaches its peak at the Rosenmontag (“Rose Monday”) which falls in February or early March, two days before Ash Wednesday. In Berlin, I was able to attend the Carnival of Cultures, which is an important event and related to an entire weekend. I’ll speak more specifically to that in another article.

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS

There are no fundamental differences between German and French customs. However, the Germans are more disciplined than we are. Some of the Latin attitudes of the French, if they are not stopped, can amuse them or sometimes offend them.

Before my departure in Erasmus, I inquired about the peculiarities of German life and the things to know before arriving in Berlin.Tout d’abord, le thème du IIIe Reich avec un inconnu ou une connaissance trop récente est a évité. Les Allemands (même jeunes) restent très susceptibles sur ce point et préfèrent oublier cette partie de leur histoire.

Punctuality in Germany is very important even if I have not necessarily noticed it in my various courses. Indeed, teachers most often accepted delays, even significant ones.

Then, we don’t do “la bise”, which is a typically French custom and difficult to forget.

Germany is one of the countries whose national sports teams do not bear the colours of the flag (black-red-yellow). The traditional outfit consists of a white jersey, black shorts and white socks. In fact, it is the colours of the Prussian flag. On the emblem of the swimsuit, there is also the crowned eagle holding the scepter and the globe typical of the Prussian Empire.

So I introduced you to the most famous German customs. I will now tell you what I noticed and what surprised, amused and sometimes even shocked me:

First of all, the people of Berlin respect the pedestrian lights much more than the French. When the lights turn red, you have to stop. One time, I crossed over to the red and I was told that I was setting the wrong example. It is also possible to get a fine if done in front of police officers. Likewise, bicycles always respect the red lights found in the car.

Next, Berlin residents have confidence in public transit users. In fact, there are no terminals where you have to validate subscriptions or tickets to get to the metro or the bus. Admission is free but if, during a check, one is caught cheating, it is shame because almost no Berliner fraud.
Still in public transit, people are very quiet and respectful of others. No one speaks loudly and there is almost no noise.
In addition, when people come to ask for money in transportation, counting their history or making music, Berliners are very generous and always give food, money, … I have seen much more generosity from the people of Berlin than from the French.
Berliners are very liberated. They are very tolerant and accept each other’s differences. They assume their shifted sides. For example, in clubs, telephones are prohibited to allow everyone not to fear revealing themselves because of potential pictures.

FOOD SPECIALITIES IN BERLIN

German food is not as refined as French cuisine. However, some Berlin specialties are worth the trip. Here are the different specialties I tried during my stay:

Döner Kebab: Kebabs are everywhere in Berlin, they are a must.
Brunch: Germans love to have brunch on weekends, and especially in the summer when it starts to be very nice around noon. They are full brunch that vary according to the recipes proposed. The plates are so copious that it is very difficult to finish your dish.

Pellkartoffel: the Prussian potato that replaces bread at meals
CurryWurst: a simple sausage with curry powder and ketchup and served with fries. One of the biggest German specialties, yet so simple.

Eisbein mit Erbspüree und Sauerkraut: the classic boiled pork hock with pea puree and sauerkraut
Pellets: chopped pot-au-feu meat croquette, mixed with bread crumbs. Can be eaten hot or cold with potato salad.

Häckerle: a salad of salted herring, very finely chopped, with onions, pickles, hard-boiled eggs, capers, sometimes apples and served with sautéed potatoes.

SOURCES :

Customs of the Berliner

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