Festivals in Germany

The festivals of Germany are a reflection of the spirited culture of the country. One can enjoy the enlivening atmosphere, food and  diverse fantastic traditions.  Merrymaking presents the land’s amazing dynamism. People of all ages come closer, strengthening the bond of humanity.

Reeperbahn Festival

  Source : arrivalguides.com   Reeperbahn Festival  is held in Hamburg in September. Budding musicians exhibit their  talent in live concerts, and are judged  on a gender-free basis making it a progressive festival. Movies, exhibitions, clubs and bars provide invigorating entertainment.

Munich Opera Festival

Source : discovergermany.com Munich Opera Festival  held from June to July is organized by  Bavarian State Opera. Broadway musicals, opera performances, ballets, premieres and first-time performances are a part of festivities.

Rock am Ring

Source : gettotext.com Rock am Ring is held in June in Nürburgring city and Rock im Park  is held simultaneously in Frankenstadion, in Nuremberg showcasing – electrifying pop-rock to punk to metal and rap music too.  Visitors shake a leg, stroll and explore  the medieval castle in vicinity. Rock im Park Festival ticket ensures free rides on buses and trams for cruising the city.

 

Bayreuth 

Bayreuth  is a summer opera festival founded in 1876 by innovative music composer Richard Wagner known for his Bavarian music dramas. Classical music lovers collect at the Wagner-designed theatre – Festspielhaus.

Karneval

Source : dw.com                                    Source : german-times.com                                                                                                                                                        Source: deutschland.de Cologne hosts Karneval on November 11  when streets look resplendent with colorful parades, bands, exotic costumes and terrifying masks welcoming Spring. Dance balls and floating boats on the Rhine river add to the beauty. Before Lent, a period of abstinence, people indulge elaborately in these celebrations.

Oktoberfest

Source : vistapointe.net Oktoberfest is held in Munich from September to October, celebrated first  in 1810 in honor of the marriage of  Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig. Revellers relish roasted chickens, grilled pork sausages and beer.

Wurstmarkt festival 

Source : tasteatlas.com Since 1832, sale of sausages marked the Wurstmarkt festival  and progressed to being world’s largest wine festival, in September at Bad Dürkheim with lip-smacking street food. The festival is organized  in front of the largest wine barrel – Dürkheimer Riesenfass.

Rhine in Flammen

Rhine in Flammen festival is held from May to  September. Cultural performances by international artists and children, vibrant display of  fireworks, illuminated ship parades on river Rhine, concerts, wine and amazing food make the event spectacular.

Frankfurt Book Fair

Source : Adaptemy.com Frankfurt Book Fair begun in 1454  with a unique theme every year is visited by book lovers in October every year. Publishing companies from countries showcase their literature, sort out rights and licences and hold seminars.

Mayfest

Mayfest is celebrated in May with people dancing around bonfires and maypole put outside the city hall and houses, believing it to usher Spring and  prosperity.

 Source : thelocal.de

St.Martin’s Day

St. Martin’s Day on  November 11 honors St. Martin, a Roman soldier who became a monk and patron of needy children. It also symbolizes the welcoming of harvesting season.  Children in procession, sing songs about the Saint, carrying lanterns from the church to bonfires.

Spargelfest

Source : kitchenproject.com Schwetzingen hosts the most famous Spargelfest in May near the Schwetzingen Castle, celebrating harvest of white asparagus in spring.

Onion festival

Source : besttripchoices.com Onion festival, a marketplace for onion traders, revers Weimar onions, participants sporting onion garlands plaited with lilac flowers. Beauty pageants are staged, onion-flavored casserole, cake, and ice cream are consumed.

German Unity Day

German Unity Day is a  national holiday on October 3, commemorating German reunification in 1990.  Posters depicting a demolished Berlin wall and the hoisted national flag can be seen. Music bands, plays, poetry and food kiosks  create an atmosphere of fun and frolicking. The lucky ones who get a chance to participate in Germany’s festivals feel rejuvenated and experience upliftment of spirit.