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One tradition that Germans follow is hiding a pickle in their Christmas tree. Whoever finds the pickle gets to open the first gift.

Germans greet each other with a handshake.

It is customary to bring a bottle of alcohol as a gift when you are staying in someone's home.

Germans have outdoor shoes and indoor shoes. You should never wear outdoor shoes inside.

Germans shut their doors, especially when no one is in the room.

Germans eat a large, hot lunch and small dinners.

Exercise and being outside are a German way of life.

Germans never call anyone by their first name unless they are good friends. Even people who work together for many years might still address one another as Mr. or Mrs. (this depends on the industry)

Germans expect everyone to be on time.

Germans celebrate the Christmas season over a twenty-five day period.

Germans do not smile superficially or make small talk with strangers.

Germans drink a lot of beer.

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9y ago
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12y ago

On Christmas Eve they put a pickle in the tree, and whoever finds it first, gets to open their presents first.
There are a lot for example, a lot of foods(mostly pastries)that we eat are German or have come from German traditions a long time ago.

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12y ago

i don't know how you understand "family traditions", but traditions in Germany are mostly:

- carneval in february (dt. Fasching, Fastnacht, Fasenacht, Karneval), also called the fifth season

- easter april/may (dt. Ostern) - traditionally the kids search some painted eggs and candys in the garden. The parents tell them, that the easter-bunny (dt. Osterhase) gots some gifts for them - of course, the parents hide them...

- along the summer you can find a lot of regional fests and traditions

- On 11 November St. Martin is celebrated with various regional customs (Martin's). Throughout Germany, the children celebrate with parades Martin, where they prefer singing with lanterns through the streets.

- Nikolausday at 6. December (Sankt Nikolaus) - the kids put their biggest boots out of the doorstep on the evening of the 5. dec and in the morning of the 6. dec they find some nuts, candys and tangerines in their boots. Often the kids celebrate that day in kindergarten. Nikolaus and "Knecht Ruprecht" (the evil one) come and give the kids some little gifts or candys. Knecht Ruprecht should punish the kids, if they were "bad" - but today Knecht Ruprecht is just a cypher which the parents use for threat the kids if they did something bad.

- Christmas Eve (24. dec - dt. Heiligabend) the most celebrate it with their family and a christmas tree. The clause is on the same evening before midnight and traditionally the gifts are not from Santa but the "Christkind".

At 25. and 26. of dec. the most germans visit related, friends and acquaintance and eat with them.

- New Year's Eve (dt. Silvester)-traditions: Molybdomancy, firecrackers/fireworks and at 0:00 opening a bottle of sparkling wine

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12y ago

There are a lot for example, a lot of foods(mostly pastries)that we eat are German or have come from German traditions a long time ago.

Some common German American foods are of course the "hot dog" or "frankfurter", "sauerkraut", "some sausages" (bratwurst, knockwurst), "liverwurst", and "Hamburgers" (loosely German).

It is common to say "Gesundheit" after someone sneezes which is German for "good health". Other German words in the American lexicon are "angst", "schadenfreude", "ersatz", blitz", and "uber". These are just a couple of examples; American English is full of German words.

Christmas has many German traditions; trees, wreaths, and Santa Claus as well as Christmas songs like "O Tanenbaum" known as "O Christmas Tree" in English.

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15y ago

Germans put a pickle in their Christmas tree, and whoever finds it first, gets to open their presents first .

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11y ago

they put a glass pickle on their christmas tree and then who ever finds it first will get to open their presents first.

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Q: What are Germany's traditions and customs?
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