Aktuellism

Bierkastenrennen & Vatertag – new German rites – Part 2

I mentioned a Bollerwagen last week; this funny vehicle plays a significant role on the so-called Father’s Day (sometimes also called Men Day). It’s so important because it’s used to transport beer and is therefore the best indication on how much alcohol the Germans (German men) drink this day (they need to transport the alcohol on a cart, imagine!).

But first things first: Father’s Day is celebrated on Ascension Day (a Christian holiday 40 days after Easter) which this year is the Thursday of the current week (13^th of May). Men then gather in parks, organize trips, walks, hikes and barbecues or fishing escapades all accompanied by huge amounts of alcohol. It supposedly started as a kind of ‘rite of passage’ for boys and younger men who were to learn the ‘rules of masculinity’ from the older members of community.

My friends have a tradition of going to a city park, beerbecuing and playing soccer. Despite being a girl, I’m allowed to join them as Vatertag is most of all about fun, being together and enjoying the great outdoors if only the weather allows that.

To conclude let me quote some statistics after Wikipedia: on Father Day more alcohol is consumed than on any other day of year, reaching triple the average of a ‘normal’ day. So drink responsibly and have fun on Thursday if you’re in Germany!

Also, if  you have  a minute, check your knowledge on Germans and their beer!