The Christian festival that began with Palm Sunday and Easter ends with Pentecost. A mix of secular, religious and pre-Christian traditions in German speaking regions, from devotional processions and services to decorated oxen, villagers wearing birch branches and "Wickedness Night".

Germany is a "Bread Paradise". With over 3050 registered varieties, almost all available types of grain are used from wheat, rye, barley and oats to millet, corn, rice and potato starch. While bread rolls go under so many different names in the various regions it is easier simply to point.

Storks are among Germany's favorite wildlife. Harbingers of Spring, bringer of babies, stars of myth, superstition and a "theme route", their return to nests on cliff-ledges, rooftops, chimneys and purpose-built towers, after a winter in warmer climates, is reason to celebrate.

Every change of season is makeover time for Germany's flower boxes. A bizarre mixture sometimes, the carefully tended colorful plant filled containers are everywhere, a wonderful sight on door stoops, window ledges, trailing from apartment balconies and down ancient farmhouse walls.

Europe lay in rubble, and the winter of 1946/1947 was the coldest in living memory. Known in Germany as the time of "Weisser Tod", white death, and "Schwarzer Hunger", black hunger, hundreds of thousands died. Weihnachten was different that year and New Year and Spring held no promises.

Germany's reputation as one of the world's best kept countries is well earned, and the universal and regular cleaning of everything in sight even has a name, Putzanfall. So much a passion it's "enjoyable", leading to anxiety attacks when everything doesn't "sparkle" as it should.

The Life, Times and Music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Fun Facts. He made his first performance tours at six, wrote a first symphony at eight, kissed an Empress, was an inspired billiards player, spoke 15 languages, a popular marzipan candy is named after him...and there's more.

The unique "Bird's Wedding" is a January tradition for young children in Sorbian Lusatia, eastern Germany. Dressed in miniature wedding costumes, the bride is a Magpie, her groom a Raven, or bride a Thrush and groom a Blackbird, and everyone from guests to the chaplain are colorful "Birds".

Palm Bouquets, a 10th century German Easter tradition, are "Good Luck" charms made with decorated twigs, herbs and flowers. Carried in Palm Sunday processions and blessed in church, then kept for luck or decoration until next Ash Wednesday or added to Easter Sunday Fires. Story and "How To".

The foundations for a "New Germany" were laid by its Trümmerfrauen, Rubble Women. From 15 to 50 years old, and often hungry, they were post war Germany's heroines. With bare hands, and hard work, they cleared the rubble from the streets and buildings of their war torn cities.