10 Crazy Facts about Germany

Here are some crazy facts about Germany you wouldn’t expect from such a no-nonsense country. Usually represented as industrious and hardworking people, Germans do have their fair share of quirkiness. Now, if you take a look at 50 crazy facts about Japan you won’t believe, it makes sense, since Japan is, well, Japan, and very foreign to us. It is to be expected that some of their customs are strange to us, as I’m sure ours are to them. But Germany is a different matter. Up until World War I, German was the second most spoken language in the United States, right behind English. But despite the myth, it was never considered as a candidate for the official language, mainly because the United States of America don’t have the official language.  Germans are also the largest ethnic group in the US today, with some 50 million people claiming German origin. But despite those facts and familiarity, there are plenty of things that can surprise us about Germany.

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When you get down to it, what do we really know about Germany? 2 world wars, beer, cars and that’s about it. But there’s plenty more where that came from. The largest and the most populated country in Europe is also world’s 4^th largest economy. Made in Germany is a synonym for quality and durability. Germans take pride in their hard work. But despite working hard, every now and then Germans like to play hard as well, as witnessed by some items on our list. If you scratch the surface deep enough, there’s plenty of freaky stuff lurking under that serious and businesslike façade.

Some of these facts are just unexpected, some weird and some are downright crazy. Let’s check them out.

10. Oktoberfest, but not in October

Oktoberfest, held in Munich every year and one of the largest folk festivals in the world isn’t actually in October. It starts 16 days before the first Sunday in October, with a traditional “O’zapft is” cry (the keg is tapped) by Munich Mayor, who taps the first keg. Depending on the year, if you go to Munich in October, you may completely miss it.