Category: Holidays and Commemorative Days

Of Angels & Alphornists – Out & About in Oberammergau, Germany

We had merely set out on a routine errand to find a hair stylist and pharmacy in Oberammergau, Germany. Instead, we found ourselves pleasantly distracted by something quite out of the ordinary, at least for us: the soothing, foghorn-like sound of Alphorns, playfully known as ‘Ricola horns’.
Celebrating Saint Nicholas Day & Germany’s Christmas Market Season

On the eve of December 6th, when I was a child, I placed my shiniest shoes in front of my bedroom door, anticipating the arrival of St. Nicholas. The next morning, I eagerly popped out of bed, delighted to find my footwear stuffed with oranges, Christmas cookies, chocolates, and tiny trinkets. St. Nick didn’t visit…
Pumpkins, Proceratosaurus, and a Palace: Perusing the World’s Largest Pumpkin Festival

The Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival (Kürbisausstellung Ludwigsburg) feels like a quirky fairy tale. The setting is an 18th-century Baroque palace, and each year, the festival has a different theme. Over the years, organizers have paid homage to undersea critters, dinosaurs, and even Switzerland (where I imagine there might have been timepieces fashioned out of pumpkins). The…
Celebrating the International Day of the Girl

October 11th is the first-ever International Day of the Girl Child – a day dedicated to recognizing girls’ rights and advancing their lives and access to opportunities. In honor of this day, I encourage you to participate in your own way. Educate yourself about girls’ issues. (I highly recommend the powerful book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women…
Frohe Ostern – Easter Greetings From Germany

Every spring, Osterbrunnen — or Easter fountains — herald spring’s return to Germany’s Franconia (Franken) region. Wells and fountains in town centers are dressed with boxwood cuttings, ribbons, and delicately-painted pastel eggs. This custom celebrates water’s life-giving properties. The decorations typically spring up one week before Easter Sunday and then grace the fountains for a…
Happy Holi! Celebrating the Festival of Colors in Goa

If you were in India today, chances are that you would now be sporting rainbow hues from head to toe, because today is Holi, the Festival of Colors. Holi is a Hindu celebration that welcomes spring and bids farewell to winter. Originally, Holi commemorated successful harvests. As we prepared to take on streams of colorful…