If you only know German culture with free tuition for domestic and foreign students, it is really a big mistake. Germany has many strange cultural features that you may be surprised when you come here to study! 

Let’s explore these unique German cultural features with My Career to understand more about the culture of this country with the strongest economy in Europe.

1. “Peaceful” Sunday

If in Vietnam, Sunday is always the right time to go shopping, have fun, fix up the house, mow the lawn, etc., then you might be a bit shocked because in Germany you cannot do these things on Sunday. In this country, Sunday is considered a “peaceful day” for people to rest and relax after a hard week of work.

This means that retail stores and restaurants will be closed on this day. You can still clean your house if you want, as long as it is not loud enough to disturb your neighbors. This unwritten rule also applies to major holidays in Germany.

2. The wind from the window is… poisonous!

If you are someone who likes to “chill” in an airy space with windows always open and a gentle breeze blowing, you will feel a bit stuffy when studying in Germany because people here have the habit of closing all the windows in the house. Germans believe that the wind blowing through the window can make them sick. This is truly a “unique” culture that we rarely know about in Vietnam.

3. Wishing a happy birthday early is bad luck.

This German cultural quirk is actually quite understandable. It’s best not to send a birthday wish to a German before their actual birthday, if you don’t want to receive an angry look or even rage from them. 

Germans believe that wishing a happy birthday early is bad luck. They often invite friends to their home for dinner the night before their birthday. Only when the clock strikes midnight does the main character officially receive the congratulations from his friends. 

4. People under 18 can drink alcohol, legally.

In a store or supermarket, you may see some German teenagers buying and drinking beer. And don’t be too surprised about this, this is a legal case.

In Germany, you can buy some alcohol at 16, giving German teenagers a two-year advantage over their peers in most other European countries. Although hard liquor is still illegal until age 18, 16-year-olds can buy wine and beer and drink them without adult supervision.

5. Can I drink beer anytime?

German culture has been talked about quite a bit by My Career in his articles about German traditions and tastes. Germans love to drink beer and are the second largest beer consumers in the world (after Ireland). 

Beer is so popular in this country that it is cheaper to buy beer than to buy… water. They even have a huge beer festival called Oktoberfest which takes place every October in Munich. 

So don’t be surprised if they offer you a beer at lunch. Drinking beer while working and while the sun is shining is a German cultural trait that you won’t find anywhere else.

6. Habit of saying what they think

In the East, you may find a culture of beating around the bush, but in Germany this is not the case. There is no such thing as euphemisms or white lies. Even if you don’t ask for advice, there is still a risk of receiving direct criticism or complaints if you accidentally break some of their rules. 

Germany is a country of many laws, some of which are unwritten, so it’s hard to avoid breaking the law without knowing it. If you accidentally use the lawnmower on a Sunday or let your dog bark during a break, expect complaints from your neighbors. If the situation persists, you may even get a letter from the authorities. 

7. Leather shorts, crop top and knee high socks

From the description you would probably think this is a women’s outfit but no, this is the famous traditional men’s outfit of Lederhosen ? leather pants ? which form part of Germany’s national heritage as part of the Tracht national costume . 

The most famous version of this outfit also comes with a crop top, knee-high white socks, and a blazer. The whole look actually looks pretty cool, and your best bet for seeing it would be Munich’s annual Oktoberfest , where you’ll stick out like a sore thumb in casual clothes.

8. Christmas came early

Like some other countries in Europe, Germans start their Christmas celebrations before Christmas Day. While in the UK or the US children don’t open presents until December 25, Germans get there on Christmas Eve. 

On December 24th, most German homes finish decorating and in the evening, host a family dinner. It may not be a lavish feast ? taking place a day later ? but in the Christian calendar, Heiligabend (Christmas Eve) marks the end of Advent and the beginning of the Christmas season.

9. Hang lost items on a tree

Speaking of this German culture, we have to admit that Germans are also friendlier and more sophisticated than other Nordic countries, where the norm is to keep to yourself. In Germany , people actually tend to look out for each other. 

If you happen to lose your mittens in the cold and bleak winter, rest assured that when you retrace your steps to look for them, they will most likely be impaled on a tree branch. Doing so when encountering an item that appears to be lost is common in German society so that it can be seen when the owner comes looking for it.

10. “Cross your fingers” means to lie

In American and British culture, crossing your index and middle fingers means “good luck”. In Germany, this action shows that you are not true to your word. If you make a promise to someone and “cross your fingers”, they will understand that you do not really want to keep that promise.

11. There is a word for everything. Everything.

German precision may be a stereotype, but it’s hard not to be amazed by the German culture’s take on the language. Since in German, individual words can be combined to form a longer word that expresses a more complex idea, precision of expression is really something. 

Take, for example, Arbeiterunfallversicherungsgesetz ? a single word you use to describe your employees’ accident insurance. The longest word officially recognized by Duden is Kraftfahrzeughaftpflichtversicherung ? liability insurance for vehicles. You can come up with all sorts of interesting compound words to express completely silly ideas, but luckily Germans understand…

12. Germans are very kind and generous

Although Germans are a bit strange, it is simply because German culture is unique and different from other European countries. They may be different, but that does not mean they are bad people. Being principled and straightforward are basically very good qualities. 

Don’t be shy or afraid to make friends with Germans. Once you become close to them, they will be your truest friends because Germans always put family and friends first.

The cultural relationship between Germany and Vietnam also has a special tradition.

Cultural relations between Germany and Vietnam

The cultural relations between Germany and Vietnam have a special tradition. As early as 1955, the first young Vietnamese ?? Moritzburger ?? came to the former GDR to stay. About 70,000 Vietnamese were educated or worked there, including 7,000 scholars, forming a bridge between Germany and Vietnam that is unique in Asia.

Vietnam is a priority country for Germany’s internationalisation campaign as a university location. Approximately more than 7,500 Vietnamese students are currently studying at German universities (2019 data from Tien Phong Newspaper). 

In 1997, the Goethe-Institut Hanoi began its work, with a commitment to conveying a modern image of Germany and German art and culture as well as to learning the German language. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has had its own branch office since October 2003. 

The Central Office for Schools Abroad (ZfA) has been operating in Vietnam since early 2008 within the framework of the Federal Foreign Office’s partner schools initiative.

Thus, My Career and you have discovered many strange but equally interesting German cultural features. And to experience the most realistic and beautiful German cultural features, follow My Career immediately to get clear advice on your journey to learn German and study abroad in Germany!

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