St. Nikolaus Day is on the 6^thof December. Nikolaus visits usually children in order to reward or punish them when being naughty. His story goes back on a legend. Nikolaus inherited prosperity from his parents, but he wasn’t satisfied and happy. Therefore he decided to give his life a deeper sense. While he was helping homeless people, he noticed, he has no pockets for giving food. Thus, he adapted a new style and filled his pockets with nuts, apples and mandarins. These became traditional presents for St. Nikolaus Day. He sacrifieced his old life and learned how to live in abstinence.

Here in Bavaria Nikolaus is accompanied by Krampus, a hairy and scary devil with horns. He punishes naughty children and together they represent the image of good and bad. Also at the end of the year Krampus casts out the evil souls.

In Bavarian families the parents usually hire a Nikolaus and a Krampus at the 6^thof December. In the evening the children sit waiting around the table and present a poem or song to Nikolaus showing respect.

Walking around Munich on St. Nikolaus day I found him in the most unexpected way, as I was boarding the train! His legend lives on during this special time of the year.

The tradition dates back to the mid-19^thcentury, when German Protestants lit candles and marked doors to count the days until Christmas. The word „Advent“ has a latin background, and means „Arrival“. The time of “Arrival”, before Christmas, should adjust our view on things like tranquility and reflection. The Kalender accompanies us during Christmas time. A german, Gerhard Lang, created our Adventskalender. He took the idea from his mother, who prepared him for the arrival of Christmas with 24 colored pictures attached to a piece of cardboard to count the days til Christmas. Well nowadays we know, that some pictures on cardboard don’t represent anymore the soul of our time. Adventskalender have developed to an all-around product with a lot potential. You can purchase a Kalender with some a wide assortment of fine chocolate, treats, toys, and other goodies. But of course the heart of a Kalender, the pictures, were kept. This year 22 Million Adventskalender found a new home. But not just in Germany. Other countries, even those which don’t celebrate Christmas, want a german Adventskalender.

As a person who followed this german tradition, I think it makes Christmas more special, exciting, and gives the feeling of appreciation for this time of the year. It produces its own charme and brings you back into your childhood.

Suchen Sie nach der Niederegger Lübeck Schokolade, wenn sie können. Das Marzipan ist das Beste! 

This city represents a lot of culture and tradition which forms not only an picture of Bavaria but Germany as a whole. The world knows about the food, the beer, and the Oktoberfest naturally. However, that only represents a bit of German society.

Munich is pulsating and constantly redefining itself. A mix of tradition and modernity have complimented each other over the years and settled into a city that hasn’t forgotten it’s tradition and pride throughout.

The understanding of making bread for instance has deep roots in Bavarian culture. Over generations recipes were handed to our time and have been interpreted creatively. The traditional bread product plays a tasty role in my favorite coffee shop Aran, and it’s conveniently located only one stop away from the Deutsch Akademie. Check it out for some good eats bread and cake!

So in order to not just scratch the surface of Munich but to also understand the pride and identity of the city, learning the language is the key. It turns you from a tourist to a child of Munich. The language is your “yes” to a new experience and discovery. It will bring you ahead, uniting you more with the city and the people. I’m happy to have the opportunity to learn German here at the Deutsch Akademie and sharing it with you guys!

All the best and enjoy Munich.

Servus!

I am an avid reader and have been into writing, though not very regularly. I made it a regular habit throughout the past 6 months.
Naturally, when I was asked if I could write for DeutschAkademi’s blog, I was more than excited!
Though it was just a means to share my views, it ended up becoming more than that. It worked as an outlet for my feelings about the beautiful and hard things of learning a new language, the places and things that I love and enjoy doing etc.
I discovered it actually makes sense to share feelings like this with somebody who can empathize with it. I started looking forward to penning down things which are close to my heart and those that I am and have been experiencing on a day-to-day basis.
One of the takeaways is that the more you share your feelings, the happier and lighter you feel.

When I first decided to move to Germany, I was excited and a little apprehensive at the same time.
I was excited about living in Europe, novelty and travels but was apprehensive about the weather, culture and missing my homeland.
Almost 10 months down the lane now, I am happy to say that I love being here. The travels that one can make to Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia in general and all over Germany itself in particular!
Munich is just my kind of place. Not too loud and not too subdued. I love the fact that it has a metropolitan culture where I can spot people from many nationalities and being not too noisy at the same time.
I also appreciate the richness the German language has and the arts and culture here – literature, drama, sports, lifestyle etc.
Although I am looking forward to a trip to my homeland in a few months, I am also very excited to get back here again!

This place is the perfect one when you want to actually feel laid-back and relaxed.
It’s not very far from Munich, with just a 2-hour train ride. It is covered under the Bayern ticket which is quite economical.
Once you get there, you can take the bus to the Walchensee Lake which is actually breathtaking!
If it is a sunny day, you’ll be able to enjoy a good swim and just lie in the sun. There is also a hill just next to the lake where people go trekking.
The restaurants and cafes are quite good and there’s a special cheese cake which is a must-try.
For some reason, the place is not very crowded even on sunny days. The lakeside is well-maintained and has a lot of activities to do as well. It is a great place to have some nature therapy and some instagram-worthy pictures!

Chiemsee is such an underrated day-trip. We came to know about this place from a friend in a casual conversation and we googled (if that’s a verb) for further information.
It is just a 1 hour journey from Munich and it’s a good idea to set off early.
Once you reach Chiemsee, you can choose from one of the packages for conveyance to the various islands – Herreninsel and Fraueninsel.
Herreninsel has this beautiful  palace built by Ludwig II called Herrenchiemsee while the Fraueninsel has a nunnery and shops which sell Cloister liquor and Marzipan.
The place is very scenic and the travels to and from the islands are a good experience too. It is a great trip to make in the summers but is fun and open in the winters too but with reduced opening times.
If you get a long weekend and see that the weather is good, you’re not going to repent taking this trip.

I visited Heidelberg in May, this year. The climate was just right, the cold almost left and it was a little warm.

It was a 2-day trip where we spent the first day in Mannheim and the second in Heidelberg. We stayed in an AirBnB where the host was super-friendly and was happy to offer directions and tips for our trip.
Mannheim was nothing compared to Heidelberg’s glorious castle and Old Bridge! The walk across the bridge is one that is a must-do if you want your mind to wander and get some peace while at it.
The walk up to the Castle Peak is just right – not too tiresome and not too light. The view of the whole city from the top is just scenic!
All-in-all, my opinion is that it is better to have a day trip from Munich to Heidelberg and skip Mannheim altogether. Do add it to your summer trips for sure!

I was not much of a football fan till I came to live in Germany. I think many people have similar feelings.
But watching a match along with thousands of fans, seeing the energy and hearing the cheers you kind-of give in and want to be a part of the fun too.

I went to the match between FC-Bayern and Manchester United in August at Alliance Arena. The place itself, which is deserted generally seems like it comes to life when there’s a match!

I actually found myself rooting for FC-Bayern halfway to the game and losing myself in the moment. And, we won!

However, the best part for me wasn’t over. By the time we reached the S-Bahn, there were so many people there that the lines extended till entrance of the station. Though there was so many people in a small place, there wasn’t any pushing or shoving. People, including kids respected other people’s space.
I was very much impressed with Müncheners, both during and after the match!

Oh, we’ve all been there! Whenever we don’t understand a word from a foreign language, we rub the Aladdin Lamp (not even thrice, just once actually) and we have the answer.

Well, it doesn’t work all the time, though. Some of the true-translation pitfalls I’ve come across: Telling somebody “Es ist halb-neun” when it’s 9:30 AM. It actually means 8:30.

Most common thing though, is when someone asks “How are you?” and you say “Ich bin gut”. You want to say “Es geht mir gut” whereas “Ich bin gut” actually means that you are a good person.

One more embarrassing mistake coming up – you introduce one of your friends (male/female) as “Er/sie ist mein freund/freundin”. It actually means he/she is your boyfriend/girlfriend. To be safe, say “Er/sie ist ein/eine freund/freundin von mir”.

The last might not be a blunder and people might understand what you say but it’s just not right. When you want to say “I came by train”, you should say “Ich bin mit dem Zug gefahren”. True-translation does not work here, sadly.

However, embarrassing yourself once in a while is okay. It is a much surer way to learn, have some laughs and save a great story for later!

Ankitha