German Halloween & Latex Party - bostero
🛑 ALLE INFORMATIONEN KLICKEN HIER 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
German Halloween & Latex Party - bostero
Ingrid Bauer, who is fluent in German, has been teaching and tutoring the German language since 1996. She has a teaching degree and an M.A. in German studies.
Bauer, Ingrid. "A Guide to Halloween Customs in Germany." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/halloween-in-germany-1444503.
Bauer, Ingrid. (2020, August 27). A Guide to Halloween Customs in Germany. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/halloween-in-germany-1444503
Bauer, Ingrid. "A Guide to Halloween Customs in Germany." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/halloween-in-germany-1444503 (accessed June 3, 2022).
Here's How Germany Celebrates Carnival
Als der Nikolaus kam: The German "Night Before Christmas"
Birthday Customs and Traditions in Germany
Learn More About Black History and Germany
Learn the German Lyrics to '99 Luftballons'
A List of Common German Names for Boys and Girls
English-German Glossary: In der Schule (School)
Using German Music in the German Classroom
ThoughtCo is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
Halloween, as we celebrate it commonly today, is not originally German. Yet many Germans embrace it. Others, especially those of the older generation, believe that Halloween is just American hype. Though the commercialism of Halloween does indeed stem from North America, the tradition and celebration itself had its origins in Europe.
Halloween has gained much popularity over the past few decades. In fact, this celebration now brings in an astounding 200 million euros a year, according to the Stuttgarter Zeitung , and it is the third most commercialized tradition after Christmas and Easter .
The evidence is all there. Walk in some of the larger German department stores and easily find Halloween themed decorations to match your gruesome tastes. Or go to a costumed Halloween party offered by many nightclubs. Have children? Then read through some popular German family magazine on how to throw a terrific, ghoulish party for your kids, complete with bat and ghost treats.
So how did Germans get so excited about Halloween? Naturally, the influence of American commercialism and media is key. Furthermore, the presence of American soldiers in the post-war WWII era helped bring about a familiarity of this tradition.
Also, because of the cancellation of Fasching in Germany during the Gulf War, the push for Halloween and its associated commercial potential was an attempt to make up for Fasching’s financial loss, according to Fachgruppe Karneval im Deutschen Verband der Spielwarenindustrie.
Trick-or-treating is the aspect of Halloween that is the least observed in Germany and Austria. Only in large, metropolitan cities of Germany will you see groups of children actually go door-to-door. They say, either " Süßes oder Saures" or " Süßes, sonst gibt's Saure" as they collect treats from their neighbors.
This is partly because just eleven days later, children traditionally to go door-to-door on St. Martinstag with their lanterns. They sing a song and then they are rewarded with baked goods and sweets.
Halloween specialty stores are increasingly popular in Germany. One interesting difference between Germany and North America with regard to costumes is that the Germans tend to indulge in more scary outfits than Americans do. Even kids. Perhaps this is due to the many other opportunities throughout the year that children and adults get to dress up for different celebrations, such as Fasching and St. Martinstag that is just around the corner.
October is also the time for other spooky happenings in Germany.
Halloween’s Origins and Traditions of Celebration in Germany
Halloween is when all demons and witches are out for the night hunting, and when there are pumpkins glaring out of the windows, and when it’s better to give a treat instead of being tricked…
Halloween is celebrated each year on October 31. It had its beginnings in an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead. The Celtic peoples, who were once found all over Europe, divided the year by four major holidays. According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding to November 1st on our present calendar. The date marked the beginning of winter. All Hallows’ Even, later shortened to Halloween, was observed on the evening of October 31st.
Halloween is for the Celtic peoples (Scotch, Irish, and part of the English) the eve of the festival of Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween), Lord of the dead. The Celtic year ended on October 31, the eve of Samhain, and was celebrated with both religious and agrarian rites. For the Druids, Samhain was both the “end of summer” and a festival of the dead. It was the period for threshing and food preparation for the winter season. People believed that on this day the spirits of the departed visited their kinsmen in search of warmth and cheering as winter approached.
It was the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld. People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables. They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. On that day all kinds of beings were present: ghosts, fairies, and demons – all of them part of the dark and dread.
The Christian Church tried to wipe out “pagan” holidays, such as Samhain, through its missionaries. The Druid festival of Samhain was meant to be replaced forever with Hallowmas, or All Saints’ Day, on November 1. This did not happen, but the status of the traditional Celtic deities diminished substantially. The Christian feast of All Saints was established to honor all saints, known and unknown. Thus, the festival of the pagan lord of the dead became the festival of the Christian dead, in memory of early Christians who died for their beliefs and to honor all those who died in the faith.
Anyway, All Saints Day, otherwise known as All Hallows (hallowed means sanctified or holy), continued the ancient Celtic traditions. The evening prior to the day was the time of the most intense activity, both human and supernatural. People continued to celebrate All Hallows Eve as a time of the wandering dead, but the supernatural beings were now thought to be evil. People continued to please those spirits by setting out gifts of food and drink. Subsequently, All Hallows Eve became Hallow Evening, which became Hallowe’en.
[Video] What is a Maibaum and why do Germans celebrate May Day?
10 romantic German terms of endearment to woo your Valentine
Most Googled: Why is New Year's Eve called Silvester in Germany?
Techno DJs in Berlin launch UNESCO World Heritage bid
How Christmas trees became a tradition: A story with German roots
Angela Merkel has been immortalised as a Räucherfigur
Court rules: Women must be allowed to compete for Fisher King title
Government rejects idea of distributing German flags to schoolchildren
For expats of all colours, shapes & sizes
Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram Newsletter
It might be dismissed by some as an imported, commercialised tradition, but many people in Germany embrace Halloween as eagerly as the Americans! Here’s what you need to know about the history of this autumn holiday, and how it’s celebrated in Germany.
Halloween is a tradition that dates back to the Celtic pagan festival of Samhain, which was held to mark the beginning of winter. On the night between October 31 and November 1, the veil between the lands of the living and the dead was said to be at its thinnest, allowing supernatural beings and the souls of the dead to enter our world.
But the real history of the holiday in Germany begins in 1991, when carnival season was cancelled in response to the outbreak of the Gulf War - at least, if you believe the word of a man called Dieter Tschorn, a former public relations consultant for the German Toy Industry, who claims to be the “Father of German Halloween”.
According to Tschorn’s story, after carnival was cancelled many toy and costume retailers in Germany were left with a massive hole in their finances, and so looked around for a way to recoup some of their lost revenue. Their solution was to bring Halloween to Germany.
At the time, the holiday was a largely alien tradition in the federal republic, bringing next to no value to the economy, despite being hugely popular in the US. Tschorn sent out his first press release to the German media on September 4, 1994, announcing the start of Halloween in Germany, and by the end of the 1990s, the holiday had already taken off. Today it creates a turnover of around 320 million euros per year.
These commercial roots mean that - like Valentine’s Day - Halloween is dismissed by some in Germany as a mere exercise in consumerism. This bone of contention is rubbed even rawer by the fact that it stands on the coattails of several other public holidays in Germany .
For starters, October 31 is already a holiday in parts of Germany, with very different roots: Reformation Day. On this day in 1517, Martin Luther is said to have nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation. The holiday is marked in Protestant regions of Germany, including Brandenburg , Bremen , Hamburg , Lower Saxony , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia .
The day after Halloween, November 1, is also a holiday. All Saints’ Day is observed in Baden-Württemberg , Bavaria , North Rhine-Westphalia , Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland .
Other people argue that Halloween is straying onto the turf of Saint Martin’s Day , a traditional German holiday that follows just under two weeks after Halloween on November 11. On this day, children parade the streets with homemade paper lanterns, and sometimes even call into people’s houses to sing songs in exchange for sweets.
So - as you can probably imagine - some people see no need to have yet another holiday over this period.
However, despite Germany’s rather ambivalent attitude towards Halloween, the growing number of themed events and parties that pop up all over the country every year suggests that this commercial holiday is here to stay. Indeed, Germany has even developed its own customs and traditions for marking Halloween. Here’s how to celebrate it, German-style.
Like many other countries around the world, Germany too has embraced the pumpkin ( Kürbis ) Halloween tradition and in some neighbourhoods, you might see a variety of carved pumpkin (Jack-O’-Lantern) decorations gracing the pavements on October 31.
You’ll certainly see pumpkins and other squashes popping up in German supermarkets from the beginning of autumn , but most of these will be intended for eating and likely too small for carving!
If you’ve ever been to carnival in Germany , you'll know that the Germans are not adverse to getting dressed up. However, the Halloween look in Germany might be slightly different to what you’re used to back home.
In the US, for example, there’s virtually no limits on what can be called a Halloween costume - princesses, dragons, clowns, cowboys - you name it. In Germany, however, those kind of cutesy costumes are best left for the “Silly Season” of Carnival. Instead, people’s Halloween outfits and makeup tend to trend towards the scarier side of things.
And, unlike in the US, it’s not very common for German people to wear costumes to work on Halloween. Primary and secondary schools may hold events for the children to dress up, play games, and eat snacks, but most companies will probably not observe the holiday. So, if you want to dress up, you should probably save your costume for an evening event!
Trick or treating (or um die Häuser ziehen - going around the houses), is not as common in Germany as in the US, but you may find that some children do wander from house-to-house in your neighbourhood, begging for sweets or playing pranks.
The German version of the classic Halloween phrase, “Trick or treat?” is “ Süßes oder Saures ” (“sweet or sour”) or the slightly more ominous, “ Süßes sonst gibt’s Saures ” (“Sweets or there will be sour things”).
If houses are covered in Halloween decorations or displaying a pumpkin outside, this is usually a good indication that they will be giving out sweets. If you don’t want to be bothered by people ringing your doorbell, it’s a good idea to turn out the lights.
While trick or treating isn’t super common in Germany, Halloween-themed parties are. Indeed, grab any popular German family magazine in the run-up to the holiday and you’re bound to come across ideas for how to throw a great party for the kids, complete with a spooky Halloween buffet of themed snacks, cupcakes, and even pizza!
Drinks often served on Halloween include hot apple punch (or Glühwein for the grown-ups) and cold “blood bunch” made from grape juice, blackcurrant juice and blood oranges. Germany also has its own popular Halloween snacks and dishes , including spicy deviled eggs and - of course - pumpkin soup.
If having a party at home doesn’t quite do it for you, there are also lots of events taking place across Germany in the run-up to the spooky season. Here are some of the most popular:
Granted, this festival isn’t directly tied to Halloween - it’s more about celebrating autumn - but if you’re after giant winter squashes and all kinds of pumpkin-related activities, then Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival is where you’ll find them. Located near Stuttgart , this is the world’s largest exhibition of pumpkins, featuring magical displays, pumpkin carving, and seasonal food from late August to the beginning of December.
Germany’s capital city also offers no shortage of spooky experiences and costumed parties in the run-up to October 31. If you’re looking to celebrate Halloween in Berlin , you should check out the horror event at Berlin Dungeon. A number of locations, including the Kulturbrauerei , Ava Club, Bebo Bar, Haus Ungarn and Club Ost also regularly host Halloween parties.
If you’re not in the capital this Halloween, you won’t miss out! Europapark, the biggest amusement park in Germany , also puts on some special Halloween events from October to November, decorating the park with eerie scenery and setting vampires and goblins loose!
If you’re looking for a bigger scare factor, you could head to one of the oldest and most famous Halloween events in Germany - the house of fright at Burg Frankenstein , near Darmstadt. Wander the ruins while actors dressed as ghouls, zombies, monsters and other creepy creatures try to scare you out of your wits!
Movie Park Germany also puts on its own devilishly frightening Halloween Horror Festival . On special evenings in October and November, the park is transformed into a terrifying setting, populated with 250 zombies, ghouls and beasts. You can try your hand at outrunning these nightmarish characters in the special horror mazes, or take a turn on the specially-decorated rides.
If you’ve got little ones in tow, you’ll find spooky thrills suitable for the whole family at Halloween at Legoland . The park gives its attractions a thrilling twist, with thousands of pumpkin decorations and funny-scare activities and treasure hunts.
Whether you’re staying at home with a scary movie, heading out for a spot of trick or treating, dancing it up at a club, or hosting your very own Halloween party, we hope you find a way to enjoy the spooky season in Germany. Happy Halloween!
Abi studied History & German at the University of Manchester. She has since worked as a writer, editor and content marketeer, but still has a soft spot for museums, castles...
EU reveals plans for easier, online Schengen visa application process
8 best routes to travel across Germany with your 9-euro ticket
Police called after 50.000 euros in cash rains from the sky in Mainz
June 2022: 10 changes affecting expats in Germany
Germany to suspend 3G entry rules for travel from June 1
Here is a selection of articles, news and features you may also like.
Find a job, rent out your room, win tickets and more...
Receive the IamExpat Weekly and Special Offers from our Partners
Freundin mit Dreier überrascht
Schwanzgeiles Mädchen bläst und wichst auf Knien
Shorty Mac versiegelt Jade Dreams weiche Pussy mit seinem BBC