Today is German-American Day

@Rollo1 (16676)
Boston, Massachusetts
October 6, 2015 8:11am CST
I honestly didn't know there was one. I know that communities across the US with a large German population often hold an Oktoberfest, but I didn't realize that this is an actual holiday. On October 6, 1683, thirteen German families settled in Philadelphia. If you are from Pennsylvania or have been there, you will see that those first families multiplied and many of the place names in PA are of German origin. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared October 6 as German-American Day, making it an official holiday. So, Happy German-American Day to anyone who is an American of German extraction, or anyone in Philadelphia or anyone who just needs an excuse to eat a German Chocolate Cake today. Did you know about this holiday?
5 people like this
7 responses
Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
6 Oct 15
This is totally new to me as well. I was aware that many German people emigrated to the colonies, as did people from several other European countries, but in most cases they tend to celebrate the National holidays of their ancestral origin.
2 people like this
Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
6 Oct 15
@Rollo1 St Patrick's day is possibly celebrated by more people in America than in Ireland due to the large population.
2 people like this
AnjaP
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
6 Oct 15
@Asylum Quite honestly, people who are not even the tiniest bit Irish wear green on St Paddy's Day. It's almost a sin to not be Irish. I think that the Irish in America take much more delight in their Irish heritage than do the Irish in Ireland. It may be because they faced such discrimination when they first began to arrive here. Signs like "No Irish Need Apply" on shops and in job listings were a reality.
AnjaP
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
6 Oct 15
St Patrick's Day is big with Irish Americans across the country and HUGE in Boston. That's the only other holiday I know of that seems specific to any group here.
1 person likes this
Sharon
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
6 Oct 15
I've never heard of it before. I will have to let my brother know. We have different fathers and his father was German.
2 people like this
AnjaP
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
6 Oct 15
I never knew of it, either. But perhaps if I lived in PA, I would have.
2 people like this
Sharon
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
9 Oct 15
@Rollo1 Yeah, we probably would know about it if we lived in PA.
Anna
@LadyDuck (502491)
• Italy
6 Oct 15
This is the first time I hear about the German-American day, if I knew I prepared a Black Forrest chocolate cake.
Marie
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
6 Oct 15
I didn't know this either.
Jekca
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
7 Oct 15
There appears to be a day for everything
Fleur
@Fleura (35037)
• United Kingdom
6 Oct 15
No never heard of it. A good American friend is of German extraction, she traced her German relatives and last year she went to Germany and met up with the extended long-lost family.
1 person likes this
MARILYN
@Marilynda1225 (91116)
• United States
6 Oct 15
I like the idea of celebrating with some German chocolate cake!! Yes, Octoberfest is very big here in Pennsylvania