Many of the holidays celebrated in the German culture are quite similar to those celebrated in the United States. However many are unique celebrations all their own. This small introduction will introduce two of the more commonly celebrated German holidays.

On the eighth of March the German holiday of International Frauentaug is celebrated. This most unique of German holidays is a celebration of women. It's origin can be attributed to recognition of working women in the United States around 1909. Clara Zetkin , a German socialist, help to bring about the very first International Frauentaug in 1911. As this German holiday evolved over the years it took on the cause of peace in addition to the rights of women. The United Nations eventually began to use International Frauentaug to bring more attention to the rights of women in developing nations as the women living there are more often then not treated as lower class citizens. Today this German originated holiday is celebrated the world over giving women must deserved appreciation.

The annual holiday of Groundhog's day has roots going far back into German culture. In the mid 1800's German immigrants who had settled into the Pennsylvania area brought with them their tradition of weather prediction using hedgehogs that were native to their homeland. Since no hedgehogs could be found in the area they had settled, the Germans adopted a woodchuck soon to be known as the groundhog. The holidays that followed over the years brought even more attention to the German born tradition. Every year people gather in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania to see if the groundhog will see his shadow or not, thus predicting whether of not the winter months will end early.

As you can see the two German holidays above have close ties to American holidays. In addition the German holidays of Easter and Christmas also both bare close similarities to celebrations that go on in the United States.