Every morning on the train since I arrived in Munich, I would read the news on DW as well as The Straits Times to get some German and Singaporean news :P It is through DW that I discovered Meet the Germans, and as a non-local, these short 10min videos make you (or at least me!) feel less alone or laugh by sharing with you some fun facts about Germany from different perspectives on various topics like food, customs, etc. In fact there are so many things I already do without realising they are "German" traits/habits :P
It is the season for all the summer festivals, so you can start seeing all the dirndls and lederhosens being worn on various occasions. I actually considered getting a dirndl but due to the price, did not in the end. Even so, the whole experience of going in search for one was really fun (and eye opening/educational!). So price wise, they usually start at about 100euros because there are 3 parts to this outfit;- the blouse, the dress and the apron. There are so many materials and pattern/designs/cuttings, so I would never recommend just buying one online without trying it on first, because you need to make sure the blouse matches the dress, and also that they are FITTING.
The Kocherlball is the perfect opportunity to wear such a traditional outfit and the story behind this event that began in the 19th century, was that the servants or kochers=cooks, used to meet really early like 6am and enjoy themselves before returning to work, hence the early timing of this event. Also, ahead of Oktoberfest, is the Munchen Brauertag 2022, which honours new brewers and this ceremony is now 150 years old! It was really fascinating to see all the horses dressed up and the famous beer companies in Munich come together;- and also that after 1.5 years in Munich, to realise I've actually tried and am aware of all them :P
The Magdalenfest is also another historic market/fair from the 18th century, and is now held at the Hirschgarten with rides, games and many snacks/food and small store holders. It's a family friendly type of fair, so there are rides for smaller kids as well. As usual, I'm happy as long as I find my gebrannte mandeln :P Another historic fair going on in July is the Kaltenberg festival and this is truly something unlike anything I've seen before. It honours the medieval times, and the different sub-groups like "celtics", "vikings", etc. People at this event dress up as authentically as possible and portray the lives and times of the people from the medivial times. There are little booths for crafts and foods and the highlight is the knights tournament at night where there is a play and also the knights on horses doing stunts and fighting like in ancient times in an arena!
I feel incredibly lucky to experience these events which were non-existent during COVID times, and be able to immerse myself in the local culture at such settings. You can learn about the origin of certain traditions and how they shape the culture of people today.
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