German Autumn Holidays


Michaelmas

This day is the official beginning of winter. It is on September 29th, when livestock are sent to graze on the stubble of harvested fields. After a few days, before the first freeze, the ground is harrowed and plowed for winter crops. Then there is a feast of meat and apples.

All-Hallow's Eve

The night of ghosts and spirits and when ancestors come to walk the earth, and candles are kept lit all night long in most places, and prayers are offered for the dead. On the last day of October, fires are lit surrounding villages and fields to ward away the evil spirits that appear. Legends of dragons that soar above the Alps and devils walking the earth this night abound.

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