Germany

The German’s favourite sport is certainly soccer, which is also the most popular sport in our region. Other favourites include jogging, biking, swimming, volleyball and, in the southern regions, winter sports. There are many fitness centres and the Germans like to organize their sporting activities in associations.
The Germans are ambitious and always want to be the best in sports. There is no second place. Competitive sports are promoted.
Sports shows on television belong to many people’s daily evening routine.
Unfortunately, however, it must be stated that our population’s majority does too little sport of their own. This tendency has been increasing in the past years.

The year’s most important holiday, usually spent with the family, is Christmastime. Germany is known for the large Christmas fairs in its cities. In southern Germany in particular, carnival is an important festivity. Another German holiday is Ascension Thursday, which many spend outside in the country.
The largest festival in the north-east is the Hanse Sail which takes place every year in Rostock. On a European scale, it is the largest sailing event for traditional sailing ships in the Baltic.
The German national holiday is the German Unification Day.

Punctuality, trustworthiness and industriousness are highly regarded virtues in Germany. Not trying to fulfil these will diminish one’s acceptance.
The German populace enjoys a relatively broad legal entitlement to social security. Still, there are problems in Germany. These are particularly visible in metropolitan areas.
No-one likes to get old.  Mentally, age is associated with diminished performance, need for care and social descent. Compared to other countries, the cohesion within families is rather low.
The consumption of hard drugs is socially discouraged. Alcohol and nicotine, on the other hand, are largely accepted. There is, however, a relatively new ban on smoking in public institutions and restaurants.
All forms of extremism are politically taboo. This is especially true for extreme right and nationalistic ideas.

Fine feathers make fine birds. Many people in Germany do not put an emphasis on special clothes, but there are also many Germans who see their choice of clothing as a mark of belonging to a certain social circle. Especially young people attach great importance to modern clothing. The choice of clothing is rarely motivated by tradition. Cleanliness is important. Apart from that, everything is allowed in daily life and the style of clothing is very diverse. Above all, clothing has to be practical. This is true for women as well as for men.
In a business environment, the Germans value “correct clothing”. For men, this means a suit or jacket and tie. Woman may wear a suit or a trouser suit.

Don’t talk about money! Don’t show that you have any!
Don’t spoil the environment!
Be friendly and polite, but not too open or trustful with other people.
Be reliable, meet appointments and keep promises!

The Germans show a very demanding buying behaviour. In general, cities have large and modern shopping malls, often at an American standard. The abundance of goods leads to price competition. In Germany, many high-quality goods are offered for very low prices.
Saturday is the week’s shopping day for the whole family. Among the goods bought are convenience goods, but also clothing and entertainment goods. To “go shopping” is a popular pastime for many Germans.
Recreational activities are different in different generations and correspond to those common in Western and Central Europe. Youths frequent cinemas and discos. Sport is important for different generations. Older generations often have their own garden for the weekends.
Germans spend a lot of time in the country, which has lead to a steadily growing environmental consciousness in Germany.
In the winter time the people in Germany meet each other less. Free time is then often spent in front of the television or the computer.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is a rural region that is greatly influenced by its situation at the Baltic Sea. A lot of people come here for recreation. The landscape offers fields and forest with lakes. There are many seaside resorts and touristically utilized beaches along the coast.
Typical German peculiarities are found in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well: black bread, knuckle of pork and sauerkraut, bratwurst, liquorice and döner kebab shops.
In Germany, there is a deposit on a lot of packaging material, like bottles and cans.
Even though the reunion took place a long time ago, for many Germans it has not mentally happened yet. A distinction is made between the so-called “Ossis” (people from the east) and “Wessis” (people from the west).

Germany has a temperate climate. The climate and weather in the north are strongly influenced by Baltic and North Sea. The summer rarely gets really warm. The winter rarely gets really cold. There is hardly any snow. Spring is often short and already relatively warm. In general, there is more wind here than in other regions and the weather changes frequently. Apart from autumn storms or thunderstorms in summer, there is no extreme weather. The last year, however, showed repeated floods along rivers.