Dean MeservyDec 24, 20203 minWhy do Americans say ‘Merry Christmas’?We have kept the old word “merry” from a day when Christmas was anything but a Silent Night
Stefan IsraelJun 24, 20202 minKaffeeklatschKaffeeklatsch, a very gemütlich, cozy gathering. It translates as ‘coffee chit-chat’
Stefan IsraelAug 5, 20193 minDutchland? Germany?The tribes that coalesced into Germans spoke 'the people’s/ popular language’ as opposed to Latin
Stefan IsraelJun 24, 20192 minThe Siegfried Idyll giftIn honor of his son's third birthday, Wagner wrote an Idyll. Learn the story behind its first performance.
Stefan IsraelJun 5, 20194 minThe Mystery of the Old "S" ExplainedWhat on earth is going on with those letters? The s looks like an f !It sure does. I hope you never need those last couple of sentences. Old
Stefan IsraelApr 22, 20193 minO du lieber AugustinThis simple song is said to date back to 1679 in Vienna, Austria - Marx Augustin was a cheery, popular balladeer and bag-piper of the time
Pamela IsraelSep 10, 20181 minWhen is October in September?Beer lovers and German fans can likely answer this riddle in a second. We are talking about Oktoberfest! September brings a nip in the...
Pamela IsraelDec 30, 20172 minTicket to a Year of HappinessOne of the fun things about digging through old family papers is discovering the whimsical pieces that someone has tucked away. Here's
Pamela IsraelDec 21, 20171 minDer Nussknacker (The Nutcracker) - so much fun to say!Nutcrackers, decorated trees and snow on the ground. Christmas must be right around the corner. We've seasonal Germantranslations to get
Pamela IsraelDec 16, 20171 minO Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) & More!Houses are adorned with festive lights, decorations and trees. We've some German translations to get you even more in the holiday spirit
Stefan IsraelDec 5, 20172 minSt. Nicholas - Bringer of GiftsMartin Luther, who grew up with the tradition of gifts on Nikolaustag, shifted gift-giving to Christmas, since saints were no longer a focus
Stefan IsraelDec 4, 20172 minSt. Nicholas's Bad Cop: KrampusWas zum Teufel? What the freaking devil? Santa. Krampus
Pamela IsraelNov 21, 20172 min…..And I Thought I Knew All About Those Grandparents!Sometimes you think you’ve heard almost every family story (often multiple times), but I’ve been so wonderfully surprised recently....and in