German traditions

thumb|upright=1.35|Dancing around the midsummer pole, in Åmmeberg, Sweden A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place.

thumb|160px|Boy holding a Schultüte A Schultüte (, "school cone"), also known as a Zuckertüte (, "sugar cone") in some parts of Germany, is a large cone-shaped, cornucopia-styled container made of paper, cardboard, or plastic.

traditional Christian feast marking the last Thursday before Lent, associated with the celebration of Carnival

Children and young people in central Europe dress as the Three Kings, walk from house to house, sing traditional and new carols, collect money for charity and bring the blessing for the new year to the people.

thumb|A molybdomancy kit includes a set of shaped lead ingots, to be melted over a candle flame in a spoon. thumb|A piece of molten lead after immersion in cold water

thumb|Drinking at a brüderschaft thumb|upright|Advertising poster, ; American magician Harry Kellar making a brüderschaft with the devil The ' ( in German) or ' () is a drinking ritual, or a rite of passage, to consolidate friendship. Two people simultaneously drink a glass of the same alcoholic beverage each, with their arms intertwined at the elbows. A "brotherly kiss" is customary after emptying the glasses, which then seals the ritual. Thence they are considered good friends and address each other informally.

Polterabend () is a German and to a lesser extent Polish, Austrian and Swiss wedding custom in which, on the night before the wedding, the guests break porcelain to bring luck to the couple's marriage. The belief in the effectiveness of this custom is expressed by the old adage: "Shards bring luck" (German: Scherben bringen Glück). The expression is derived from a time when the word "shard" referred to the unbroken clay pots of pottery makers, and not just the broken pieces. It was said that a full jar was a lucky thing to have, therefore the expression "shards bring luck".

thumb|Scheibenschlagen in Zams Scheibenschlagen (disk flinging) is a traditional event in Central Europe in which glowing wooden disks (10 x 10 cm / 4 x 4 inches) are flung from a long hazelnut stick off a mountain side into the valley below.

curtain hung in some churches during Lent

thumb|right|200px|Schäfflertanz in Neuhausen-Nymphenburg|Neuhausen, 2012 The '''Coopers' Dance''' () is a guild dance of coopers originally started in Munich. Since early 1800s the custom spread via journeymen and it is now a common tradition over the Old Bavaria region. The dance was supposed to be held every seven years.

thumb|Heißwecke from Czechia ("mazanec")

card game

marzipan candy in the shape of a pig