Symbols, holidays and culture
Symbole, Feiertage und Kultur
After reading, you know the full name of Germany, the state symbols such as the flag, coat of arms and anthem, and the main holidays and customs.
The name and the state symbols
The full name of Germany is Bundesrepublik Deutschland. It is a republic made up of several states that together form one federal state.
The German flag has three horizontal stripes in the colours black-red-gold (schwarz-rot-gold). You see it on public buildings and on state occasions.
The animal on the coat of arms is the eagle (Adler). The eagle of the Federal Republic is called the Bundesadler. The coat of arms shows a black eagle on a gold background.
The Bundesadler is also displayed in the plenary hall (Plenarsaal) of the Bundestag. That is the symbol you see there.
The German national anthem (Nationalhymne) begins with the words "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit". This means unity, justice and freedom.
The third of October
The third of October is a public holiday. On this day people celebrate the Day of German Unity. It remembers the German reunification of 1990.
The key word of this day is unity (Einheit). The holiday does not belong to one city or one state. It belongs to the whole country.
Holidays and customs through the year
Many holidays in Germany have a Christian origin. Pentecost (Pfingsten) is a Christian holiday (christlicher Feiertag).
Each holiday has its own customs. The list below helps you match the holiday with the custom.
- Easter (Ostern): people paint eggs (Eier bemalen).
- Christmas (Weihnachten): people decorate a fir tree (Tannenbaum).
- Advent season (Adventszeit): the last four weeks before Christmas.
- Rosenmontag (Carnival Monday): people wear colourful costumes and masks.
The religion that shaped the culture
Many holidays in Germany are connected to Christianity (Christentum). It is the religion that shaped European and German culture.
This explains why Christmas, Easter and Pentecost are important holidays. People of other religions and people without a religion also live in Germany, but this question asks about the historical influence on the culture.
Population
The population of Germany changes over time. In this exam edition the correct answer is about 84 million, so learn the figure from the current version of the question. Germany has the largest population of the EU member states.