“Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht” (known as “Silent Night” in English) is one of the best-known Christmas carols on the planet, and the definitive Christmas song in the German-speaking world. It was first performed on December 24, 1818 in a Roman Catholic church in Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg, with a melody by Franz Xaver Gruber and lyrics by Joseph Mohr. Since then, the original German text has been adapted into 320 languages and dialects worldwide.

Today, Cettina and Sabine are making "Pfälzer Fläschknepp,” a regional dish from the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. “Fläschknepp” means “meatballs” in the local dialect. These flavorful, savory meatballs are made from fresh ingredients, and are served with a pungent horseradish sauce. Enjoy!

Jan from Munich tells us a whimsical winter story — loosely adapted from the tales of Baron of Münchhausen, the “Baron of Lies” — and carries us off into the Baron's world of fantasy and exaggeration.

Learn about traditional East Frisian costumes, German greetings and codes of conduct, and amusing proverbs in Part II of Cettina’s video on customs and traditions.

What kinds of customs and traditions are characteristic of Germany? What are some common stereotypes about Germans? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this video. Enjoy!

How has the coronavirus outbreak changed life in Germany? Cettina gives a short overview of the various developments that have taken place over the past few months, and how she and her family are coping.

Could you point to the Rhineland on a map of Germany? Since when has the area officially been Rhineland-Palatinate? And why do tourists flock to it? In this video, you can learn all about the geography, demographics, and landscape of this federal state.

Yabla is an efficient and entertaining way to learn a new language! Learn about its features in this video.

"Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" ("My Whole Heart Is Yours") is a 1985 song by German rock singer Heinz Rudolf Kunze. In this video it is sung by SINGinKA, a chorus based in Karlsruhe.

Cettina reads Part 2 of "Das Aschenputtel," a fairy tale known in English as "Cinderella." (By the way, you'll notice that the German word for Cinderella is neuter – which means that "es/ihm" here translates to "she/her.")

Tina interviews Mirja Löhr, the director of the company Ekomo. The start-up has created a heating system that works using induction and can therefore be much more sustainable than heating with oil or gas.

Cettina tells the legend of how the pretzel got its shape and its lye glaze. Afterwards, Cettina and Sara compare a store-bought pretzel with one of the ones they made themselves.

Tina interviews Sven Siegrist, a professional photographer. Sven and his wife mainly do wedding photography, covering the preparations, the ceremony itself, a photo shoot with the couple, and the festivities.

Cettina talks about the German traditions that take place on Pentecost and Whit Monday.

Cettina and Sarah cook a very traditional Bavarian meal: pretzels made from scratch with sausages.