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Why Repentance Day is causing parents stress in Bavaria

You might not have the day off on Wednesday, but many people in Germany do - including schoolkids in Bavaria.

Published: 22 November 2017 10:46 CET

Why Repentance Day is causing parents stress in Bavaria

File photo: DPA.

The lesser known holiday of Repentance Day falls eleven days before the start of Advent; this year it lands on November 22nd. And while it is a public holiday for the entire state of Saxony, other states aren’t as lucky.

Whereas residents in Saxony – particularly Protestant Christians – might be making use of the day to reflect and pray, parents in Bavaria don’t have the day off despite the fact that their kids do.

First celebrated in 1532, Repentance Day was a public holiday all across Germany from 1934 to 1995, when it was cancelled in all states across the country except in Saxony in order to finance nursing care insurance.

Repentance Day being celebrated at a church in Munich in 2014. Photo: DPA.

In Bavaria, though the day of penance was abolished as a public holiday, it was kept as a day off from school – leaving parents in a bit of a rut.

They do have a bit of help though. In spite of many childcare facilities remaining closed on Wednesday, some parishes in Bavaria offer bible days or organize excursions. Many municipal centres are open too.

More and more companies have also recognized the issue and have been organizing children's programmes on Repentance Day. The children of employees of the ministry of education and cultural affairs in Bavaria are invited to go climbing and the state’s justice ministry offers a judo course or a visit to a fire brigade.

It will also be rather quiet in the south of Germany on Wednesday not only because prayer and worship services will be held all over Bavaria, but because dancing from 2am until midnight and sporting events are banned. Strict fines of up to €10,000 could be imposed if these laws are broken.

Still, the laws in most of the other German states including in Bavaria cite religious obligations and state that workers are entitled to take time off on Repentance Day if they wish to do so.

Regulations are also slightly different in Berlin; Protestant students in the capital city can decide for themselves whether or not to attend school on the day of prayer.

Living in Germany: Battles over Bürgergeld, rolling the 'die' and carnival lingo

Deadlock looms as debates over Bürgergeld heat up

Following a vote in the Bundestag on Thursday, the government’s planned reforms to long-term unemployment benefits are one step closer to becoming reality. Replacing the controversial Hartz IV system, Bürgergeld (or Citizens’ Allowance) is intended to be a fair bit easier on claimants.

Not only will the monthly payment be raised from €449 to €502, but jobseekers will also be given a grace period of two years before checks are carried out on the size of their apartment or savings of up to €60,000. The system will also move away from sanctions with a so-called “trust period” of six months, during which benefits won’t be docked at all – except in very extreme circumstances.

Speaking in parliament, Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) said the spirit of the new system was “solidarity, trust and encouragement” and praised the fact that Bürgergeld would help people get back into the job market with funding for training and education. But not everyone is happy about the changes. In particular, politicians from the opposition CDU/CSU parties have responded with outrage at the move away from sanctions.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz has even branded the system a step towards “unconditional Basic Income” and argued that nobody will be incentivised to return to work.

The CDU and CSU are now threatening to block the Bürgergeld legislation when it’s put to a vote in the Bundesrat on Monday. With the conservatives controlling most of the federal states – and thus most of the seats in the upper house – things could get interesting. Be sure to keep an eye out for our coverage in the coming weeks to see how the saga unfolds.

Tweet of the week

When you first start learning German, picking the right article to use can truly be a roll of the “die” – so we’re entirely on board with this slightly unconventional way to decide whether you’re in a “der”, “die”, or “das” situation. (Warning: this may not improve your German.)

How I decide which gender to use for words when I speak German: pic.twitter.com/EzgYBug2u7

— FatAndysIndustries (@DrewPortnoy) November 9, 2022

Where is this?

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Boris Roessler

Residents of Frankfurt am Main and the surrounding area will no doubt recognise this as the charming town of Kronberg, which is nestled at the foot of the Taunus mountains.

This atmospheric scene was snapped on Friday morning, when a drop in temperatures saw Kronberg and surrounding forests shrouded in autumnal fog.

After a decidedly warm start to November, the mercury is expected to drop into single digits over the weekend.

Did you know?

November 11th marked the start of carnival season in Germany. But did you know that there’s a whole set of lingo to go along with the tradition? And it all depends on where you are. First of all, the celebration isn’t called the same thing everywhere. In the Rhineland, it’s usually called Karneval, while people in Bavaria or Saxony tend to call it Fasching. Those in Hesse and Saarland usually call it Fastnacht.

And depending on where you are, there are different things to shout. The ‘fools call’ you’ll hear in Cologne is “Alaaf!” If you move away from Cologne, you’ll hear “Helau!” This is the traditional cry in the carnival strongholds of Düsseldorf and Mainz, as well as in some other German cities.

In the Swabian-Alemannic language region in the southwest of the country, people yell “Narri-Narro”, which means “I’m a fool, you’re a fool”. In Saarland at the French border, they shout “Alleh hopp!”, which is said to originate from the French language.

Lastly, if someone offers you a Fastnachtskrapfe, say yes because it’s a jelly-filled carnival donut. And if you’re offered a Bützchen? It’s your call, but know that it’s a little kiss given to strangers!

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