Mountain Province State Polytechnic College

A research work about

GERMAN CULTURE

In partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Subject Foreign

Language 1

Submitted by: Gaw-ay, Ineluz L.

Submitted to: Miss Giselle-Anne P. Lacaben

Submitted on: September 4, 2023

A. GERMAN CULTURE
a. Language
German Deutsch, official language of both Germany and Austria and one of the official
languages of Switzerland. German belongs to the West Germanic group of the Indo-European
language family, along with English, Frisian, and Dutch (Netherlandic, Flemish).
German exist in many dialect, High German or Low German dialect groups. Their main
difference is in the sound system, especially in the consonants.
*High German (Hochdeutsch), the language of the southern highlands of Germany, is the
official written language.
*Low German (Plattdeutsch or Niederdeutsch), is the spoken language of the lowlands of
northern Germany.
Augustyn, Adam. (2023). German language. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com?topic?
German-langauge

b. Religion
Christianity is the main religion in Germany with around two-thirds of population. Around half
of Germany’s Christians are from the Evangelical Church of Germany (a combination of
Protestant religions including Lutheranism and Protestant Calvinism) and half are Roman
Catholic. Around 2% of the country practice other Christian religions – mainly Orthodoxy,
including both Eastern and Oriental Orthodox.
More Catholics are encountered in the South and West of the country, including Bavaria,
Rhineland, Westphalia and Saarland while in the North and East of the country, more of the
population identify as protestant.
The biggest non-Christian religion practiced in Germany is Islam, with followers accounting for
about 5% of the population. Further religions practiced in Germany includes: Judaism,
Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Yazidi.
Religions in Germany. (2023). Retrieved from
https://www.expatrio.com/living-germany/german-culture/religions-germany#:-:text=What
%20is%20the%20main%20religion,%2C%20howe ver%2C%20is%20significantly%20l0wer

c. Values
These intrinsic values in German culture play an important role in daily life for many German
people:

 Older and organization: Germans are often considered highly efficient and matter-of-
fact people. They value punctuality, rules, and order.
 Privacy and space: Personal information is often kept private, and it is common for
Germans to keep a clear distinction between their personal and professional lives.
 Progress: Germany has one of the highest education levels worldwide and are
renowned for their productivity levels and technological development. (Ensign, Alison.
2023).
Ensign, A. (2023). German Culture, Traditions, and Values. Retrieved from
https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/german-culture#:~:text=German
%20Values&text=Order%20and%20organization%3A%20Germans%20are,their%20and
%20professional%20lives
 d. Cuisines
Germans are famous for their love of cheeses, breads, and sausage, famously featured in
Oktoberfest
Ensign, A. (2023). German Culture, Traditions, and Values. Retrieved from
https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/germanculture#:~:text=German
%20Values&text=Order%20and%20organization%3A%20Germans%20are,their%20and
%20professional%20lives

e. Clothing
In any perusal of German clothing, you’re likely to come across the words tracht and trachten
(the plural tracht). The original meaning of trachten was “something that is worn”. Trachten
identifies wearers as belonging to a certain social class, working in a given occupation, or
following a certain social religion. Sometimes a symbol of national unity. Today, trachten can be
a meaningful way to connect with one’s cultural heritage.
Dirndl is a dress consisting of a blouse, bodice, skirt, and apron. It was originally worn by
servants of peasants. They were typically made of sturdy cloth that would stand up to hard
work and repeated washings.
Lederhosen are breeches worn by men, typically made of leather from cows, goats, or deer.
They include suspenders worn over the shoulders and connected in the front by a decorative
crosspiece. They are often complemented by knee-high socks, leather shoes, checkered shirt,
and a jacket.
Bollenhut is headwear only worn on festive occasions which was originated in the Black Forest
area. It has a wide brim with pompoms on top. The pompoms are red for single women and
black for married women.
Goldhaube is an elegant hat painstakingly created from golden fabric and adorned with
embroidery, sequins, or other decorations.
Tyrolean hat, the quintessential tracht hat for men which may be decorated by a band, a
feather, a sprig of edelweiss, or even a Gamsbart which is a tuft of hair from an animal.
Grant, Kathryn. (2022). Let’s Talk Trachten: Traditional German Clothing. Retrieved from
hottps://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/traditional-german-clothing

f. Celebrations
 New Year’s Day (Neujahr) | January 1
 Three Kings Day (Heilige Drei Konige) | January 6
 Carnival (Karneval) | April 15
 Good Friday (Karfreitag) | April 15
 Easter Monday (Ostermontag) | April 18
 Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit) | May 01
 Mother’s Day (Muttertag) | May 08
 Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) | May 26
 Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag) | June 6
 Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) | June 16
 Assumption Day (Maria Himmelfahrt) | August 15
 Oktoberfest | September 17- October 3
 German Unity Day (Tag der deurschen Einheit) | October 3
 Day of Reformation (Reformationstag) | October 31
 All Saints’ Day (Allerheiligen) | November 1
  Christmas Eve (Weihnachten) | December 24
 Christmas Day (Weihnachstag) |December 25
 Boxing Day (Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag) | December 26
 New Year’s Eve (Silvester) | December 31
German Holidays and Celebrations_Expatrio. (2023). Retrieved from
https://www.expatrio.com/living-germany/german-culture/german-holidays-and-celebrations

B. GERMAN SPEAKING COUNTRIES

Six German speaking Countries Countries with Other parts of the

countries in Europe: where German German as minor world where German
is spoken language: is also spoken by a
outside Europe: small percentage of
the population:
Germany- more than 80 Kazakhstan Italy (Bolzano/ *The German diaspora(
million speakers Namibia Sudtirol) German communities
Austria- 8 million South Africa France (Alsatian) that emigrated during
speakers Czech Republic the first half of the 20th
Switzerland- 4.6 million Hungary century) has also
speakers Denmark brought the German
Belgium- 75.000 Poland (Silesia) language to areas of
speakers Russia the United States,
Luxembourg- 390.000 Romania Chile, Norway, Brazil,
speakers Slovakia Mexico, Austria,
Liechtenstein- 35,000 Vatican City Paraguay, Uruguay,
speakers and Venezuela.

German Speaking Countries List_Lingoda Online German Language School. (2023). Retrieved
from https://www.lingoda.com/en/content/german-speaking-countries/

C. DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS OF A GERMAN-SPEAKING NATIVE

1. Language Proficiency: German-speaking natives are fluent in the German language
and typically have a strong command of both spoken and written German.

2. Accent and Dialect: They may have a regional accent or dialect based on where they
grew up or currently live within the German-speaking world. Germany, Australia, and
Switzerland, for example, have distinct dialect.

3. Cultural awareness: German-speaking natives are often familiar with the cultural
nuances and customs of the German-speaking countries. They may celebrate traditional
festivals and be knowledgeable about local traditions.

4. Grammar and Syntax: Natives have an intuitive understanding of German grammar

and syntax, which enables them to speak and write in a grammatically correct manner.

5. Vocabulary: They possess an extensive vocabulary in German, including knowledge of

slang and colloquial expressions used in everyday conversation.

6. Idiomatic Expression: Natives are comfortable using idiomatic expressions and

colloquialisms that may not be immediately understood by non- native speakers.
7. Pronunciation: They typically have a native-like pronunciation, which includes correct
vowel and consonant sounds specific to the German language.

8. Cultural References: Natives are knowledgeable about the history, literature, music,
and pop culture of the German-speaking world.

9. Multilingualism: Many German-speaking natives are proficient in more than one

language, often including English or another foreign language.

10. National identity: They may have a strong sense of national identity tied to their
respective German-speaking country (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, etc.

German Native Characters. (2023). Retrieved from https://chat.openia.com/c/fd821856-

12b4-49bf-99f7-0db1c0dabf7c