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GERMAN TRADITIONS

EXPLAINED: Why Germans get drunk on Ascension Day

In Germany, Christi Himmelfahrt is not just about honouring Jesus' ascent into heaven - it's also Father's Day, and sees a tripling of alcohol-related accidents. The Local explains why.

Cologne Christi Himmelfahrt
A group of men in floral outfits take a cart full of beers around Cologne. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Thomas Banneyer

On the 40th day of Easter, Catholic tradition says Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, thus why Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday – and we in Germany get to revel in a nice holiday from work. In 2023 the day falls on Thursday May 18th. 

But in Germany you’re more likely to see day-drinking debauchery than pious reverence for the holiday (unless you’re in Bavaria) and it’s not just because people are excited not to work.

Ascension Day in Germany is also Father’s Day (Vatertag), or Men’s Day (Männertag) as it’s called in some places, and the traditional way that Germans like to honour dear old Dad is with good old beer, and lots of it.

And that means you may spot some groups of men drinking beer on Thursday – or dads will get a day to relax in front of the telly at home.

This might be surprising for newcomers who see Father’s Day as a time for cheesy “World’s Best Dad” mugs and ugly neckties.

But the German way is more about celebrating manhood and going out into nature in “gentlemen parties” (Herrenpartien) while pulling along decorated Bollerwagen (handcarts) filled to the brim with food and booze.

Men with their Bollerwagen in Warendorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, on Father’s Day 2020 in Germany. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Guido Kirchner

The tradition dates back to the 18th century as a way to celebrate Jesus returning to the Holy Father. Men would ride into town on carts or carriages and whoever had produced the most children would be rewarded with a big slice of ham, according to Spiegel.

By the 19th century, though, religion become less relevant and the day became more and more about ‘being a man’ through drinking, smoking and hiking, especially in now former communist East Germany where the religious holiday was abolished and eager binge drinkers decided to take the day off anyway to indulge in tradition.

Nowadays, these often no-women-allowed groups wear coordinated costumes and go on bike rides, hikes and strolls with their Bollerwagen booze-carts in tow.

This has led to an annual threefold increase of alcohol-related traffic accidents on this day each year, making it one of the peak times of year for reckless intoxication, according to the Federal Statistics Office.

Men drinking on Vatertag in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia in 2017. Photo: picture alliance / Ina Fassbender/dpa | Ina Fassbender

The amount of drunkenness got so out of hand that in 2008, current President of the European Commission (then German Family Minister) Ursula von der Leyen begged in exasperation for an end to the inebriated ways of her countrymen, saying their age-old habits were “awful” and calling for a revolution.

“Men who want to be far away from their children are the final straw,” she said.

“A father should not be drunk in front of his children… I am in favour of reinventing Fathers’ Day as a day when they enthusiastically play with their children.”

READ ALSO: Why Germans are being warned not to cycle drunk on Father’s Day

Alas, her pleas have not quite yet been heeded.

That is of course until you go further south to more Catholic regions like Bavaria where towns continue on with religious parades that actually honour Jesus Christ on the sacred day – and give locals yet another reason to wear Lederhosen with funny hats.

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GERMAN TRADITIONS

From dancing bans to forbidden films: How strict are Germans over Easter?

Less than half of Germans are Christian, but dancing bans still apply on Good Friday - varying in severity between the country's 16 states. What are the rules, and how strictly are they followed?

From dancing bans to forbidden films: How strict are Germans over Easter?

Karfreitag (Easter Friday) is a controversial holiday in Germany. For many it is one of the most important days of the year, commemorating the suffering and death of Jesus.

For others, it is a day of outdated bans – after all, less than half of Germany’s population is Christian. And among those who are, it’s questionable just how religious they are.

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Karfreitag

In Germany, Sundays and public holidays are protected by law as “days of rest and spiritual elevation”. Hence, most shops remain closed.

But then there are also “silent holidays” such as Good Friday, for which there are usually strict regulations. What exactly applies on Easter Friday is defined by the laws of the different states.

READ ALSO: What’s open in Germany over Easter weekend?

Patchwork of rules

In Bavaria, for example, sporting events and “musical performances of any kind in rooms with bars” are prohibited, the state’s Ministry of the Interior told DPA.

Public entertainment events are only permitted “if the serious character appropriate to [the holy day] is maintained”. Holiday peace and quiet should not be disturbed in other ways, especially near churches.

Many states have similar rules, but they differ significantly in the details.

For example, breaking a rule in Bavaria can result in a fine of up to €10,000. In Berlin, violations are punished with a maximum fine of €1,000, but in most cases it is significantly less.

There are also big differences when it comes to the ban on dancing. In Bavaria, this applies from Gründonnerstag (Maundy Thursday) to Holy Saturday. In Berlin the rules are handled more loosely: the dancing ban only applies from 4 am to 9 pm on Easter Friday, as the Interior Senate administration announced.

In Hamburg, the dancing ban will be relaxed further this year. While last year there was a 24-hour ban on dancing starting from 2 am on Karfreitag, this year it applies from 5 am on to midnight – five hours shorter, as the Senate Chancellery announced. 

Dancing bans affect many discos

Dance bans generally affect many clubs.

So it comes as little surprise that the Association of German Discotheques (BDT) is fundamentally against dance bans: “A dance ban encroaches on the entrepreneurial freedom of the discotheque industry and forces it to restrict operations or shut down completely, even though there is demand,” the association told DPA.

The BDT added that the lack of nationwide uniform regulations is unfair to businesses in certain regions: “It should not be the case that some companies have to record massive losses in sales due to the dancing ban and others benefit from it.”

The Berlin Club Commission also suggests that dance bans are a “disproportionate restriction on freedom as cultural institutions”.

The BDT reports that the dance ban is enforced through random checks by the public order offices.

Private celebrations are not generally subject to the ban, but depending on the volume – and depending on the state regulations – they can ultimately be considered a violation of the holiday rules.

Bans on cinema

Additionally, certain films are not allowed to be shown in cinemas on silent holidays. However, there are no restrictions for television and streaming services, according to the Self-Regulatory Body of the Film Industry (FSK).

The FSK decides which film does not receive a so-called holiday release. “The regulations in the state laws go back to provisions from the Weimar Republic, so they come from a time when films could only be seen in cinemas,” said the FSK.

However, a lot has changed since then – in the films and the specifications. While in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s over half of all feature films were classified as “non-holiday-free”, the percentage fell continuously to a third in the 1980s and only 3.8 percent in the 1990s.

As of 2000, the proportion of feature films not released on public holidays was one percent or less.

“So far in 2024 there has not been a cinema film without a public holiday release,” said the FSK. In 2023, out of 643 films tested, only one (“Evil Dead Rise”) did not receive a holiday release.

Prominent examples of films that were not released include “The Life of Brian” (1980) and “The Knights of the Coconut” (1976).

a cross displayed as Easter service

Pilgrims follow the service on the cathedral square during the Erfurt diocesan pilgrimage. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Reichel

Respectful or outdated?

There are many Easter Friday rules and, different ones from state to state. Are so many complicated and unequal regulations still in keeping with the times, especially in view of the continuing decline in church membership?

For the Berlin Interior Senate administration, apparently yes: the rules correspond to a fundamentally Christian character, they say. In addition, the interests of different population groups are taken into account by limiting the duration of the bans and the possibility of exceptions.

In heavily Christian Bavaria, where the crucifix is ​​mandatory in public buildings, the Interior Ministry underlines the relevance of the rules: “Protection on Sundays and public holidays is a very important concern for the Bavarian state government.” 

The discotheque association sees it differently, dubbing the rules as “outdated and unfair”.

The FSK also considers film bans to be outdated: “From today’s perspective, the legal restrictions on films in cinemas on silent holidays are hardly understandable.”

So what’s on for Friday?

Quiet holiday or not, in some places Germans are defiant against dancing bans, even scheduling publicly promoted dance parties.

Many of Berlin’s clubs, for example, see the four-day Easter weekend as a chance to host parties for up to 96 hours. 

According to posts on Resident Advisor, Berlin’s infamous Berghain/Panorama Bar will be opening as usual on Friday night — as will KitKatClub for a queer kink rave.

Events at a few other clubs will even open as early as Thursday night, allowing attendees to potentially dance all the way through Friday and into the weekend.

In Munich, at least one party is scheduled to start on Friday at Rote Sonne from 11pm until 8am Saturday.

In Leipzig, an event at Elipamanoke will kick off at 11:59pm on Friday. 

Perhaps due to the legal restrictions, there are currently no parties posted on Resident Advisor for Friday in other major cities in Germany, including Cologne, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt – cities which have previously slapped fines on residents for breaking the ban. But in each city a handful of parties are planned for Saturday.

But even here, you can probably find a place to dance if you ask around.

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