German Traditions: Studying Abroad is More Than Just Studying!

When students come to Germany to attend high school, they are not only integrating into the German culture at school and in classes, but also in the family life, community and way of life. Like many countries, Germany is rich in tradition and customs and our inbound students have ample opportunities to experience these while living and studying in Germany with DFSR.

Here's a look at just a few traditions and customs: 

A German Tradition: Kaffee und Kuchen

1. Kaffee und Kuchen- What's more pleasant than a relaxing afternoon of drinking coffee and eating cake? Both cafes and private homes provide an atmosphere for this indulgence. In addition to mouth-watering pastries, German cafes provide large assortments of cake - Käsekuchen (cheesecake), Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, (Black Forest Cake) and Butterkuchen (Butter Cake) to name a few. Around 3pm or 4pm, it is very common to find many Germans indulging in a cup of hot coffee or cappuccino and a large slice of heavenly kuchen. Students, enjoy your host family's cooking of these delectable treats!

2. Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Markets) - German Christmas markets are famous around the world. In most towns in Germany, whether small or large, Christmas markets are annual traditions that start at the beginning of Advent. Vendors set up stalls and sell homemade ornaments, gingerbread and many, many other treats. If you are visiting Germany during late November and early December, make sure to find your way to this German tradition.

3. Christmas Eve- In Germany, it is custom to share gifts with family members on Christmas Eve and not Christmas morning. Of course, each family may be different, but for most German households, Christkind, an angelic child, delivers gifts to children on Christmas Eve. For most families, the Christmas Tree, or Tannenbaum, is put up and decorated on or near Christmas Eve and not weeks before.

4. Tracht (Traditional Dress)- When a foreigner thinks of Germany, traditional dress often comes to mind, namely the Dirndl and Lederhosen. Many small villages and regions have traditional dress that is worn for festivals, holidays and other special events. Many Germans are proud of their heritage and some Bavarians even wear their Lederhosen for Sunday lunch. Mainly, however, you can spot this tracht at Oktoberfest in Munich!

Traditional Trachten: Dirndl and Lederhosen

5. Birthday- Did you know that in Germany it is bad luck to wish somebody happy birthday before the actual day? In North America, it is very common to say "Happy Early Birthday" if you are not going to see someone on their actual birthday. In Germany, this is bad luck! Birthdays are never celebrated early.


6. New Year's Eve- An interesting New Year's Eve tradition is the "Bleigießen" or "Lead Pouring" where a lead figure is melted over a candle and then  poured into a bowl of water. A new figure or shape is seen in the water and predicts what the coming year will bring. For instance, the shape of a ball may represent good luck rolling your way.

Have you experienced other German customs and traditions? Please share them with us in the comment section below!

High School Germany: 30 Students Arrive for Orientation!

Inbound students pose for a photo with their new shirts!

The DFSR headquarters is lively as ever today as we welcome thirty inbound students from all over the world. The students have traveled from Canada, Ecuador, Japan, the USA, Brazil, Mexico, Macedonia, and Italy, and are living at the DFSR headquarters here in Heppenheim, Germany for two weeks while attending intensive German courses and orientation. After the two weeks, the students will travel throughout the country to meet their host families and start high school. The orientation period gives the students time to develop a support network, in addition to the one that they already have from DFSR. The students will live in different cities throughout the country, but will always have connections and friendships that they make through this two week orientation program.

For the next two weeks, the DFSR coordinators have planned exciting outings for the students. In addition to German lessons every day, the students will be able to go swimming, shopping, to the zoo and visit nearby cities such as Heidelberg and Frankfurt.  Here are a few photos from the first days of orientation!

The group gathers for a photo in front of DFSR

Frankie the owl adorns all shirts!

With the temperature at a toasty 34° C  (94° F), students enjoyed cooling off by the fountain.

Trying to beat the heat with some fountain splashing!

Using new German skills to order ice cream

Enjoying some Eis (Ice cream) in the Heppenheim Marktplatz

Students enjoying lunch in the DFSR garden

Students borrow these DFSR bikes to explore Heppenheim.

Welcome BBQ: Host Families and Exchange Students Gather for Dinner

American Scholarship winners meet for the first time!

On Saturday evening, we welcomed ten inbound students and their host families, including four American scholarship winners and six Canadian participants of the European Classroom. The welcome party was held at the DFSR headquarters in Heppenheim, Germany and provided an opportunity for the students to meet each other and for the host families to interact.

The weather was perfect for the evening festivities that started with mingling and then a delicious dinner of chicken, Thai kebabs and various salads. The flags of many countries created a mosaic backdrop for the garden area and students made new friends as they met their fellow Canadians, Americans and each other's host families. The evening ended with a presentation from DFSR. In four different languages (German, English, French and Spanish), the participants representing a host mother, student, coordinator and DFSR staff, described the effect that the students will have on their German community. In the end, the purpose of the presentation was to share that not only will the the student be affected and changed, but that the German communities will forever be changed from the student's positive cultural imprint.

The Canadian students are studying in Germany for five months as part of the European Classroom Program.   The students will attend German lessons here at DFSR twice a week and also learn about different European countries. Through the study of Ireland, Italy and France, the students will gain a better understanding of a popular European city before actually visiting it together as a class. All together, the students will travel to Dublin, Paris and Venice and experience the food, people and culture of each city and country. The first trip is scheduled to Dublin at the end of September. The American scholarship winners are studying here in Germany for one year and you can learn more about their journey in this blog post.

Here are some photos from the welcome BBQ:

Canadian students with their host families

Enjoying dinner in the garden

Dinner time!

Mingling in the garden

A warm welcome to our Canadian students - the Inuksuk lives in our garden

Meeting new friends in the DFSR garden

 The students each received a bag of coffee beans as a reminder that, like the coffee beans placed into water, they are being placed into a new environment. The coffee beans do change from the impact of the water, but still remain a bean. The water, however, changes into something new because of the bean. This was correlated to the student and Germany. The students will change during their abroad experience, but still remain themselves; the environment that they live in will forever be changed by their cultural imprint. As cultural ambassadors, the students leave lasting impressions on the community that they become a part of.

American Scholarship Winners Arrive in Deutschland!

On Friday afternoon, we welcomed four American students here to Heppenheim as part of our high school program. The students, Emily, Emily, Dyani, and Quinn, are from all over the United States and applied for the Founder's Scholarship last year which provides a year of cultural exchange here in Germany. They were chosen by our parent organization, CETUSA for their belief in cultural exchange and eagerness to share their open minds with a new community and culture. These students will be joined by the fifth winner, Trenton, next week. All of the American students will live with host families and attend high school in the area of Heppenheim, Germany where the headquarters of DFSR is located.

The students were welcomed at the Frankfurt airport by their anxious host families and two DFSR representatives. We are so excited to welcome these students to our city and look forward to a year of cultural immersion, new friends, and many lifelong memories! Check out the photos below of the students' arrivals, and read about our Welcome BBQ here.

10th August 2012 - American students arrive at the Frankfurt airport

On Friday, 10th August, three excited host families from Bensheim, Heppenheim and Zwingenberg drove to the Frankfurt airport to pick up their new family members Emily, Quinn and Dyani, three of our

scholarship students from America. The DFSR Team jumped from one gate to another to record all the emotional welcomes.

Gate B2  - Emily's Arrival

The host family arrives at Frankfurt Airport to welcome Emily from the USA...

So excited to meet the new family member.

Finally...the doors open and Emily steps out of the gate

Warm welcome

Emily can't wait to see her new home in Germany.

Gate C  - Quinn's and Dyani's Arrival

The host family created a lovely poster for their host student Quinn...

The tension increases...

At long last Quinn arrived safe and sound...

...what an awesome moment!

Obviously Quinn is excited about his host family!

A few steps away at the same gate....

Our third family is waiting for Dyani to arrive...

Here she is...happy and relieved!

We are sure Dyani will have an amazing time in Germany.

Heading towards home

Make sure to follow or 'Like' this blog to follow these students' experiences during their High School Year in Germany!

Welcome to our Inbound Blog!

Welcome to our new DFSR Inbound Blog! Are you thinking of studying abroad during high school? You are in the right place! Here you will find up-to-date news about your high school year in Germany, new programs offered here at DFSR, events and everything else you need to know about your time abroad. 

We are excited to share with you what life is like in Germany and the experiences of our current inbound students. What can you expect when you come abroad? Your experience will surely be unique to anybody else, but we hope to at least give you a glimpse into what could be the best year of your life!

Have you studied in Germany with DFSR in the past? We also welcome you to share your experiences with us and other students from around the world. We are looking forward to receiving numerous exciting reports, photos, videos and much more. Enjoy and stay tuned...