Schöne Feiertage/Frohes Fest/Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch! : Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Last night was kind of the main event here. On Heiligabend (Christmas Eve) we traded gifts (Bescherung) and had a lovely meal. In fact here, the 25th and 26th are both part of the Christmas holidays. I've had students and colleagues explain it to me as somewhat necessary as people usually have to visit more than one set of family members and therefore it's easier when there are two holidays for that. This year Christmas happens to fall on a Sunday, which is kind of unfortunate for some who cannot take the week following the holiday off. However, as a teacher I tend to get breaks when students get breaks, so that's kind of nice.
The last few weeks have been relatively busy for me. I am teaching a couple classes at a university. The semester ends in February and I have to prepare the final exams and I've been pretty occupied with that, in addition to other lessons. But as of Friday I submitted everything and now reserve the right to chill for a week until after the new year! At the end of each lesson I had (the last lesson before the break I mean), most would use this expression, "Schöne Feiertage und einen guten Rutsch!" or at least ask me what the equivalent is in English.
If you were to translate literally, guten Rutsch is like have a nice slip, from the verb rutschen (slip, skid). The intended meaning of the expression is that when someone wishes you einen guten Rutsch, they hope that you come safely and happily into the new year. Some claim the word choice of this common holiday expression has to do with the weather, given that in this time of year it can be very cold and icy, hence an increased potential for slipping. So in this case you wish someone a nice slip, one that brings them well into the new year. Others claim the etymology lie in the wishes of the Jewish New Year Rosch ha-Schana (Hebrew: Head of year) by Yiddish-speaking Jews as "Gut Rosch," which over time was borrowed into German.
In any case, it's a way of wishing a happy new year, which I do to you! Below are just a few pictures from the last week. Enjoy your holiday!
Last night was kind of the main event here. On Heiligabend (Christmas Eve) we traded gifts (Bescherung) and had a lovely meal. In fact here, the 25th and 26th are both part of the Christmas holidays. I've had students and colleagues explain it to me as somewhat necessary as people usually have to visit more than one set of family members and therefore it's easier when there are two holidays for that. This year Christmas happens to fall on a Sunday, which is kind of unfortunate for some who cannot take the week following the holiday off. However, as a teacher I tend to get breaks when students get breaks, so that's kind of nice.
The last few weeks have been relatively busy for me. I am teaching a couple classes at a university. The semester ends in February and I have to prepare the final exams and I've been pretty occupied with that, in addition to other lessons. But as of Friday I submitted everything and now reserve the right to chill for a week until after the new year! At the end of each lesson I had (the last lesson before the break I mean), most would use this expression, "Schöne Feiertage und einen guten Rutsch!" or at least ask me what the equivalent is in English.
If you were to translate literally, guten Rutsch is like have a nice slip, from the verb rutschen (slip, skid). The intended meaning of the expression is that when someone wishes you einen guten Rutsch, they hope that you come safely and happily into the new year. Some claim the word choice of this common holiday expression has to do with the weather, given that in this time of year it can be very cold and icy, hence an increased potential for slipping. So in this case you wish someone a nice slip, one that brings them well into the new year. Others claim the etymology lie in the wishes of the Jewish New Year Rosch ha-Schana (Hebrew: Head of year) by Yiddish-speaking Jews as "Gut Rosch," which over time was borrowed into German.
In any case, it's a way of wishing a happy new year, which I do to you! Below are just a few pictures from the last week. Enjoy your holiday!
Last day of the Christmas market
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