Kultur 10

In the first reading discussing "Dinner for Who?" I was genuinely surprised that such a tradition could exist amongst Germans, especially if the program was of english origin. If the article wasn't exaggerating, it is amazing that all Germans know about this obscure skit and practically everyone would bring it up in conversation. I don't think it is uncommon that they would expect every english speaker to be familiar with it much like Americans probably assume all Germans know of popular cultural contributions such as Rammstein. In reading the description of the skit, I was trying to gain an insight into the German sense of humor. Because Germans are stereotypically known for being very strict, it was surprising to see that the entire population fell in love with what seems to be no more than slapstick humor from another culture.

In the second reading discussing convenience in Germany, it was not surprising to me that business are rarely found open late, or on weekends. From my knowledge, a majority of European countries including France, Spain, Italy, and Greece are known for designating times where people just aren't found working. The fact that few Germans work on Sundays leads me to believe the laws are carryovers from the older Christian and Jewish ideals. Before reading this article I was aware that laws employing these ideals existed throughout Germany and initially found it shocking that such laws prohibited German truck drivers from driving on sundays because it would be considered work. As Americans we immediately see this as a strike against one's individual freedom, but perhaps Germans of the era when the law was put into effect saw nowt following such an ideal would be a strike against God's will.

In the final reading discussing Father's Day in Germany, I found it interesting that the Germans take the holiday very seriously. While in any country practices on any holiday will vary dramatically, in general I've found that Americans generally treat days such as Father's Day and Mother's Day as just another thing they must do. Like the article touched on, to Americans Father's Day is more about picking out the card and gift than actually celebrating one's father. It was very refreshing to see Germans so adamant about having a great time celebrating their dads. Perhaps the Germans' respect of Fathers is tied to Germany being known as the fatherland.

-Matt Willner