ruclips.net/video/br69qM03SQU/видео.html 👈Check out my new TRACHTEN GUIDE video where Ben and I show you, how to wear Lederhosen & Dirndls, how to style them, & where to get authentic Lederhosen in the US! :)
Traditionally speaking, what would the difference between being single or a virgin? Weren't they one and the same back in the day? I stumbled upon this video doing research for a German class I'm teaching next week. When I was a foreign exchange student, my host family told me that the socks (maybe just the ones worn by women) indicated whether you were Catholic or Evangelical. I think the ones with the red ribbon running around the top of the socks were for Catholics and blue was for Evangelicals, but I don't remember for certain. Do you know anything about that? Do you know if the practice was just regional (I lived in Schwaben.)? I want to give the right info.
In my (U.S.) high school I took a couple of years of German. We had a day where all the kids in language classes were encouraged to wear "native" clothing of the language we were learning. Most of my male German classmates said "no way", but I thought "why not?". The teacher sent a lederhosen design and my mom (who was a pretty good seamstress) made a reasonable facsimile for me. Yeah, I got a lot of looks and laughs that day, but it was just one day - I survived!
I wore a Pope costume to my high school around Halloween for a day and had a severe allergic reaction to the fabric. I’m telling you this story because I wore it to my German class and the teacher loved it!
@@dawsynasay4841 The icing on the cake would have been if someone went as Martin Luther so you could have lay the blame for your allergic reaction on him. 🙃
if you wear this here in the north of Germany.... maybe you get strange looks or some rude comments...if you are lucky.... if you be unlucky, beaten up and left for dead in the curb!
@@quiricomazarin476 You’re own comment is immature by pointing out something as ludicrous as what you just said. Not every body is Christian, and guess what? Everyone deserves to be made fun of. Stop taking everything seriously, amigo.
A German friend very much from the North (Bremen) brought a Lederhose to Scotland for my older brother back in the 1960s. It was exactly the same as her nephews wore in Germany. As you say, indestructible.
I had one I inherited from my cousin and before her it had been worn by other 3 girls in the family. It was red and the pockets had the shape of a heart. Loved them. Best trousers to play outside with. My brother had the classic ones that cover the knee, looked great in them. I of course for family gatherings always had my Dirndl and Dirndljackerl. We usually wear Tracht for those occasions. My dad still wears Tracht to go to the Opera or to church and other formal occasions. I'm from Munich, like Feli, but was born in 1976.
As an adult, I am wearing mine for work in the garden. It's a pair made for work. Think of a pair of leather shorts. Just a belt. No braces/suspenders.
I come from Hessen and I get asked all the time about the Lederhose and Dirndl. I only seen people wearing Tracht in small villages and for festivals. I always tell people Bavaria is like whole other country, kinda like Texas...here in America we are all not Cowboys either. That seems to make sense to people. When my daughter was little she got an original Dirndl and Lederhose from Germany (my Mom lived many years in Bavaria).
I was a U.S. soldier in Germany and i went to Oktoberfest in 1986. Learned you do not go to get drunk. You go to watch others get drunk. Their is where the entertainment is at!😁
I'm from Austria, and my grandparents used to live in an area where pretty much everyone wore "Tracht" on Sundays. Men didn't wear Lederhosen to church though, they had a suit called a "Trachtenanzug", which was like a normal suit, but usually a lighter colour (grey or beige) with a different cut of the collar (like a stand-up band collar or something) than regular men's suits. The Ausseer Dirndl is still part of the culture of that area, although you don't see it quite as often as 30 years ago. Our neighbour used to wear her everyday Dirndl about half of the time, and otherwise wore rather plain work dresses or smocks. She had a Sunday Dirndl in a slightly different design. In most of Austria, aprons used to be tied in the back regardless of relationship status, but we've adopted the Bavarian system now. Children and waitresses also have the bow in the back.
I'm from the Netherlands and I think you missed a particular type of 'tracht' that is still fairly common to see in Germany: "die Zunftkleidung". I think it's an important part of culture because it also contributes to the appreciation of craftsmanship.
Henri, great idea, why don't you make a video showing the carpenters garb, bakers, and other similar outfits. I would watch that. Be sure to go into details, like jewelery, history of the Guilds, etc. Explain the "walz" and so forth.
you cant get it into a brain of the avg American.... some think Germans speaking Dutch... i cant, but still like to travel to the Netherlands, been to Holland, too...lol! German btw!
@@Arltratlo Well one could say I'm almost German: I live about 10 km from the German border, been there on many holidays, watched German TV almost all my life and even lived in Germany for a year during militarily service. I was in Germany just yesterday. As a kid I even wore a lederhose from Austria.
I was in Munich in 2016, about two weeks before Oktoberfest. I went to the department store (2nd floor, where the Tracht was) and tried on and purchased Lederhosen and a nice shirt. There were many others there, mostly local mothers buying their older sons theirs in anticipation of Wiesn. It was fun as I would come out, and all the mothers would yay or nay the pants/shirt combo I had on, until I came up with the winning set. Still have them.
I am from Northern Germany and normally have nothing to do with Bavarian Tracht, but ahead of my first visit to Oktoberfest (in September) I asked a friend from Munich if I should get a Lederhosen... his answer was the best: you wanna sit on a beer-covered bench with a pair of jeans or Lederhosen? So I bought one.
There's a city in Washington State called Leavenworth. It has no ties to Bavaria, but the merchants decided to model their town on Bavaria ... or what they imagined Bavaria to be like. Some have studied the region pretty thoroughly, and I think a few of the merchants there now actually hail from Germany. Anyway, it's a fun place to visit. ... I got a pair of lederhosen and was shocked to find how heavy they are.
The language is standard German which is the High German found all over Switzerland but the local language is Swiss German, which is an Alemannic dialect that’s not related to High German. If you come from a German speaking country, you can get by but you may find it difficult to understand locals in German Switzerland.
I’ve heard from members of my family (🇬🇷) living in Germany for years and know German as good as Hellenic, that the Swiss German is not German😂😂😂 I don’t know if people of Germany and Switzerland have a controversy about the German of Switzerland..??😂
@@Kolious_Thrace I mean, it's not a controversy, it's really just that Swiss German is an entire language of its own, and Germans that aren't from the border region will have a very hard time understanding it, if they understand it at all.
@@leDespicable that’s what they told me pretty much. We were taking and I said in Switzerland they speak French and German and they told me ehhh no! Don’t compare the German German with the Swiss German. We from Germany we cannot understand them! And I was like they sound kinda the same so how different they are and they told me it’s almost like they don’t speak they same language… I’m not from there so I cannot really understand the difference!
When I lived in Munich in the mid 80s, it was not uncommon to see professionals of all ages dress in a more formal tracht for work in banks and offices. You didn't mention that there is more to tracht than just Lederhose, as there are very nice men's suits in the Bavarian style in dark green, gray, and black.
@@johnNJ4024 Never call someone Fräulein, please. It’s a diminishing term for a woman, Frau, and is not used any longer in Germany. 1971 it was eradicated from use in offices, legal papers etc.
@@claudiakarl7888 Thank you for letting me know. The few people that I can speak German with are in their 80s and came to the U.S. in the late 40s and haven't returned. They never mentioned it to me. I wasn't aware it's not acceptable now. Sorry, I've edited my comment. I meant no disrespect.
@@claudiakarl7888 What is an acceptable term to refer to a young woman if you're paying her a compliment, or is there none and you simply refrain? Just wondering. Thank you for your help. :)
@@claudiakarl7888 The diminutive form expresses sympathy, not arrogance. If you find something cute, the diminutive form (-CHEN. -LEIN) is usually chosen. For example take the famous German "EichhörnCHEN" aka squirrel. No one would say "Eichhorn". Or take the term "MädCHEN" aka girl. No one is using "Maid" today. Women who demanded to forbid the traditional expression for an unmarried young woman were only showing their lack of self-confidence.
I like the Drindls and Lederhosen. It's understood that it's not everyday wear in modern times. I'm from the US and I love history. I wear Buckskin Pants when I attend encampments portraying life in the 1700s & 1800s. Trachten is part of Southern German/Austrian History and I'm happy Trachten has been preserved. We, here in PA have a German Family that sell all type of Trachten and accessories. No inexpensive, however; quality merchandise. Good video. Best Wishes.
Trachten are existing in every Country and they are different in every Region. In North of Bavaria (Franken, where I am from) the Tracht isn't like in Munich. I will never wear this "South-Bavarian-Style".
@@lordnelsonmc.billionberg9166 Good to hear from you. I don't know how common the name Becker is, however; I've been trying to trace my ancestors to determine where, in Germany, my family originated. Best Wish Charlie Becker
@Tim Willemsen Thank you for your response. I'm hoping to trace my ancestors using Ancestry on Line. I appreciate the information you provided. Best Wishes
@@angelikapreu9323 I remember attending a wedding where the dress code was Tracht, if you had one (I didn't). Pretty many people wore Lederhosen and Dirndl, BUT the bride's brother turned up in Franconian (Northern Bavarian) Tracht, with breeches, red-and-white chequered shirt, felt jacket and a cocked hat. Just to remind people that Tracht is much more than what Feli describes.
Thanks for the education, Feli! My first night visiting Munich, I went to a Bavarian restaurant and saw a couple guys wearing Lederhosen. At first I thought, the uniforms here really do authentically match the restaurant’s decor! And then I realized they were customers, when a half dozen other young men in their 20s came in with nearly identical outfits and it was a group of friends or a social club going out for the evening. It’s then that I learned that wearing traditional clothing isn’t really like wearing a “costume.” I had to laugh out loud when Feli talked about tourists coming in cheap costumes.
I bought my Lederhose imported to the US from a store in a small Germantown near Portland called Mt. Angel (Engelberg originally). They're not exactly traditional but definitely quality and beautiful. They were not cheap and I bought a dirndl for my girlfriend from the same store. The total came out to about $700 for the two. My American girlfriend lived in Germany as an exchange student and speaks German fluently but has no ancestry. After learning German from her, spending time together in Germany, and becoming really interested in the culture, I just learned that ironically I have Bavarian ancestry through a great-great-grandparent that I had no idea about before, which is really cool. It makes me feel a lot more valid for loving German culture and less like an impostor.
My mom has a picture of herself and my uncles when they were very young (4,5, and 6) from the late 50's, and they have lederhosen and a drindl. Back in the early 90s when I was in Germany, my mother's uncle would wear lederhosen on some weekends. One time when I was with him, we were stoped by Japanese tourists who wanted a picture with him. The family does live in a very small, semi rural town.
I absolutely love this video. I agree with you about authenticity in the clothing. It is disrespectful to wear cheap knock-off clothing. When visitors come to Texas I always try to point them to real cowboy items. Good hats are expensive but they wear well and will last a long time. Most sellers will custom shape the hat at no charge. Look at a real Texas rancher and copy them.
Yes, i can confirm about the longevity of a real hat! I have mine since 1991. Well, it's now quiet out of shape, because i used it to fan the fire and sat on it, but i still wear it!
Loved the video. I'm from Ireland with a bavarian name and a very old East Prussian history. Here in Ireland you can buy very old traditional German and Austrian tracht in vintage shops. It comes in with the street clothing and it's cheap to buy.
I see these traditional costumes when I attend the local Sommerfest and Oktoberfest held by the Lancaster Leiderkrantz in Lancaster County, PA. Love the food, music and dancing.
I went to that many years ago and it was very memorable. Unfortunately it was sweltering hot with nary a breeze to be found, so I couldn't stand to stay very long.
Greetings from Passau. My wife and i wear tracht for our wedding and we used our wedding cloth for almost every Wiesn, Gäubodenfest, Dult and smal Volksfest we are on, cause its a shame to just use it for one day.
After WW2 a german family moved into my neighborhood in St.louis mo. and their son was my age we clicked as i helped him with english and i picked some german as well, HE had a pair of those shorts with the shoulder straps and i thought they were awesome.
I love your channel and energy. I was fortunate to live in Germany on two occasions. The first time in the Eifel and the second time in Pfalz. Just before COVID 19 hit my wife and I visited a dear friend in Nord Rhine Westphalia. Part of me will always be part of Germany. This video post on traditional dress reminded me of my wife's Drindl, She bought it to wear to Octoberfest along with a close friend. Sadly work did not allow her to go but she treasured the Drindl nonetheless. Your channel helps keep me connected and educates me in nuances about culture, customs and historyy
Fun Fact: When Bavarian poet Oskar Maria Graf lived in New York after fleeing Nazi Germany, he obstinately wore his short Lederhosen, Lodenjanker (loden jacket) and Bavarian hat there all the time.
I have lived in Bavaria since the early 1990s, in particular, in Franconia. The traditional male dress where I live doesn't include Lederhosen. The classic local Tracht includes red or dark colored woolen breeches (knee length pants), though - as you mention, Feli - they are now ubiquitous at almost any beer festival. My father-in-law, who grew up in a rural village on the Thuringian-Saxon border in the 1930s-40s. Most boys in his village wore Lederhosen as their "everyday" pants (durable, easy to care for) and "proper" cloth pants for Church or other festive occasions. Other than beer festivals, most Schützenvereine/ "gun"-clubs wear their traditional dress for special occasions.
Agreed - it is most unusual to see Lederhosen worn in Franken. Indeed, I wore Lederhosen to the Sandkirwe in Bamberg and people commented on my "Bavarian" outfit. A true Frank doesn't consider himself Bavarian. "Gott sei Dank, i' bin a Frank" as they say... (or "Frei statt Bayern")
Thank You so much for deep research in the origins of the tracht. Its refreshing to see that you dont shy away from the more difficult bits of german history. 😊👍❤️🇸🇪🇩🇪
My wife bought a Dirndl when she was backpacking through Germany and Austria in the early’ 90s. She wears it every Halloween. BTW your English is nearly flawless.
I have two pair of lederhosen from when I was a small boy. My heritage is 1/2 Deutsch. My new wife is 100% Deutsch and I definitely want to see that “Dirndl” for her to wear! Great Video. Thank You
Tracht is worn in everyday life down in Garmisch-Partenkirchen!! It’s not about everyone wearing it but LOTS of people do. It’s also the most common clothing for children to wear for school photos.
The handful of times I was in Bavaria the only people, by and large, that I saw wearing tracht were waiters and waitresses or clerks in souvenir shops.
@@solicitr666 I was mostly in the cities. The only Alpine villages (or close enough) that I spent much time in were Berchtesgaden and Hohenschwangau. But even then I was mostly in the areas that were more for tourists. It's not like I was out canvasing farms and what not. rofl.
You probably didn't visit on a public holiday. On these days we wear Tracht as well, like Maibaumaufstellen, Kirchweih, St. Martin, St. Georg, ... And as she already mentioned to Dorffesten, weddings and funerals.
One article of Tracht which really is still worn as an everyday garment is the woolen Strick-Jacke, with ordinary street clothes. One sometimes sees Janker worn the same way.
When my son got married in Innsbruck to an Austrian girl the bride's mother, sister , and a little neice all wore drindl. It was beautiful ! Lovely to keep such traditions alive and to be proud of your identity.
I think it was more common when I would stay with my Oma & Opa as a child (60s&70s). I had several and when we went through my mom’s things after she passed away, she had a ton including accessories! Great video. The only Octoberfest I have been to was in Leavenworth, WA and saw many of the (cringe) Halloween costume outfits!
I agree. When we were in Germany in 1973, it was fairly common to see Germans in Lederhosen, at least doing vacationy type things. I was a child, so don't remember the exact context, but it was still a thing then.
German here. In the 60s and early 70s a leather shorts was actually common for boys and girls all over Germany. But they weren’t seen as part of a Tracht. I guess we had them because they were really sturdy and weren’t easy to destroy while playing outside. Kids in my area - Cologne - didn’t wear them in school, just for playing outside.
Here in Hellas🇬🇷 our traditional clothes are more common I think. In bigger cities they don’t like to wear them because they see themselves as superior and traditional clothes are for farmers… and other inferior rural people… but not all of them. Our bigger cities are full of people from villages and they are not ashamed to wear the traditional clothes of their family! In villages and especially in my area Thrace🇬🇷, we wear our traditional clothes in church, at big ceremonies in church and celebrations. In Baptisms and weddings and in weddings in particular we have a whole weak of traditions and customs that they take place with everyone wearing traditional clothes! It’s very common the clothes to passed down through generations and someone can have an apron from their great-grandmother or more commonly piece of jewellery like necklaces with golden coins and pearls and headpieces of pure silver or gold are from 5-6 generations back! Usually our grandmothers are making us our first traditional set and while we’re growing we get knew ones! Many people in Thrace they are still getting married in a full-Hellenic-traditional-way! Till this day our grandparents are wearing their traditional clothes! Not all of them but the majority of them especially in villages and rural areas. I remember my great-grandmother, she was around 104-5 when she died. She asked to be buried with her traditional clothes that she especially prepared for that day! She told my grandmother not to make any joke and bury her with “European modern clothing” because when she’ll go to the Heavens, her family would not recognise her if she will wear “foreign clothing” We also have a lot of “unwritten laws” when it comes to who to wear your traditional clothes. Back then, when we don’t had our identity cards, your clothes were kinda like your identity. Someone could tell about your family and family status by looking at you! First, where you are from! Hellas had hundreds and hundreds of different clothes because each area has a different style and within this area each village has different style to be differ from the village next to that! In Thrace in particular, from our clothes someone could understand from exactly what village you are from. How rich is your family If you are a virgin (single) girl, a married woman, a married woman with children, a widow… etc Here is a video of a traditional Thracian wedding🇬🇷 Even though Thrace was one the first areas of Hellas converted to Orthodoxy✝️ our customs and our traditions has a lot of pagan rituals from the Old Ethnic Religion (The Olympian Gods). Thrace was the birthplace of Dionysus, Hecate and Ares! ruclips.net/video/z9Eo2YOhfNE/видео.html
I have my lederhosen from Munich, and love to wear them here in Columbus, Oh! One small note (your English is amazing and this is an easy one to miss). Plaid shirts, the word Plaid is pronounced Plad (no I sound), rhymes with glad, not laid
I went to Germany back in 2019. I actually found a pair of lederhosen in Triberg in the Black Forest. I absolutely love mine and definitely recommend checking out a shop called Moden Stadl if you ever find yourself in Triberg.
My family is from a village next to Triberg. And yes, the Lederhosen are traditionally also from this area but there are slight differences to the Bavarian style. You see an even greater difference between the women’s dresses.
Black Forest Tracht is very unique. Those hats are awesome. Bollenhut: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Bollenhut-Gutach.jpg/220px-Bollenhut-Gutach.jpg
@@uliwehner Yes I love them. My american partner just thinks they look very silly haha! I don't own one but have photos of my grandmother as a young woman wearing her Tracht, all complete with the red Bollenhut for unmarried women. The Bollenhut is only worn in the Kinzigtal area in the southern black forest. They're actually very protective of the local aspect and the Bollenhut makers will only make those for women from those villages and their children. But the other parts of the black forest all have their own, very interesting Trachten. Almost every village has their own take, some with other extravagant hats and head accessories.
I wasn’t sure what to wear to Oktoberfest but the locals strongly encouraged me my wife and I to wear tracht. It is a big part of the festival economy and I think it showed respect by trying to honor the customs. Once I got to the event I actually felt way more comfortable as I fit in better in tracht.
I'm an American of Scots heritage (among others) so I've worn a kilt more than once. In Highland games I did OK with the caber toss (throwing around telegraph poles). I wore tighty whities, not traditional commando. I wore a plain khaki shirt, I've never owned the doublet, but wore hose.
i am from middle of germany and don´t really like the german traditional clothings, i would never buy a lederhosen for example. but i really like the scottish kilt, looks awesome! :)
It would have been good to learn more about German costumes in general. There were costumes everywhere in Germany up until World War II. I happened to see one from the north, it looked very gothic. The person who wore it said that they were banned from wearing traditional costumes because of the bad image caused by WW2. I only know the Bavarians, those from the Black Forest and the Sorbians from East Germany
Not the "bad image" the Nazis destroyed the culture and banned the various cultural clothes...Becaus they want to form a united "German tribe" there where no place for so many different cultural clothes.... So after the WW2 the wearing of cultural clothes was just not continued...
They are mostly the same story. 19th century national romanticism. Nationalists invented fantasy peasants costumes. In the north, protestantism dominated, so the darker colours and more "modest" cuts dominated. There are still some Trachten-groups, but it's not really important or a generally accepted token of identity. They are mostly seen as cringe by most. I personally live and let live. The difference between the non-bavarian Trachten and Dirndl and Lederhosen is that the bavarian Tracht (in its modern form, Pesendorfer invented for the Nazis) was heavily promoted by the Nazis as some kind of all-german uniform and spread all over Germany as national kitsch, which often overshadowed local Trachten. Up until today, you keep seeing small groups of (usually conservative) couples wearing bavarian Tracht to northern german festivals. I personally see that as scat tissue left over from the Nazis attempt to implant their ideal of german culture, based on bavarian culture. But if anyone tells you "they were banned from wearing Tracht", they are talking bullshit. It's completely legal. It's practiced freely by those who want to and if you visit w Volksfest, you may actually find someone who does it. There is no law or cultural taboo. It's just seen as a bit cringe by many. Which has to do with the type of person you described.
I think this is the 1st sponsored youtube video I've seen where the sponsor bit not only doesn't feel like a transactional plug for money, but actually adds to the subject/content of the video. Perfect fit for your channel and this video.
I lived in the village of Ramstein back in the 50's. It was very common to see boys wearing lederhose for everyday wear. Some of the pairs looked to be very well used and had the reputation of being indestructible and most likely passed down from one generation to the next.
The dirndls and lederhosen look amazing and although they´re probably waaaay out of my price range, I imagine lederhosen would make for a nice outfit for when Oktoberfest rolls around here in Norway (our Oktoberfest is on a much smaller scale than its German counterpart but still massively popular), the Trachten look amazing on the people wearing them! I´m actually in Bavaria with my parents right now, we´ve been staying at this golf hotel in Bad Griesbach and today we´re gonna drive to Munich and check out the city, can´t wait! 🤩😍
I didn’t know you had an Octoberfest in Norway! In which areas to you celebrate that? We’ll be there for a month this autumn, maybe we should bring our Trachten! 😄
You mentioned how tracht doesn't really reflect how peasants of the time really dressed. I'd be very much interested in how peasants, and even those of other social classes, dressed in earlier centuries. It's honestly been hard for me to find reliable information on this topic due to the flood of modern tracht that overshadows and buries it x.x Do you have any information references you could refer me? Or maybe consider making a video on the subject? 🙏💕
I just want to mention that the term "Dirne" originally refered to an "unmarried woman/maiden" and also to an "maidservant" and the diminutive form "Dirndl" was used for "the young girls and female kids"...and those meanings are still in dialect use at the rural countryside BUT in general colloquial speech outside of the countryside the term "Dirne" refers to an "Prostitute" it is the short form of the term "Lustdirne" = literally "lust maiden". So never ever call a woman/girl a "Dirne" outside of the rural countryside unless you want to get slapped in your face...and in the countryside just say "Dirn" which is the dialect form in order to don´t mean "Dirne/Prostitute" And "Dirndl" for the skirt is actually just the short form of the term "Dirndlkleid" = literally "Dirndl´s/maiden´s skirt" Well in those movies like you mentioned "Sound of music" + "Zum Weißen Rössl" there is no "bavarian Tracht" to see .....in both movies they are wearing "traditional austrian Tracht" and in particular variations of "traditional Salzburger Tracht" because both locations where those movies took place are in Salzburg/Austria and because in general "traditional Trachten" (not those "modern haute cotour ones") are always representative to the local regions and therefore look different in behalf of shapes and colours and the pattern of the stiches no matter if Lederhos´n or Dirndl or hat in order to get recognized from where those actually are ..That´s the reason to make "Trachtenumzüge/Trachten Parades" where people are representing proudly their traditional local Tracht...if those would were all "bavarian" then all those Trachten would look like basically the same and the "Oktoberfest Trachten Parade" would be totally unvaried and dull and useless....So you simply can´t call them all "bavarian" because those in the from you mentioned movies simply aren´t.
It's not a big distance either, because Europe is as big as the USA. But for a country like the Netherlands, Belgium or Denmark, 200 miles (320 km) is a long distance
@@inotoni6148 depends on how you look at it. Including much of Russia it is about the same size, if you look at just the EU, it is only half as big as the US.
@@uliwehner I didn't even consider Russia. However, the distances are similar in Europe because there are many more bodies of water in Europe. For example, from Naples to Tromsø it is about 4360 km (2725 miles, south-north) and from Brest to Donetsk 3640 km (2280 miles, west-east). These places aren't even the southernmost, northernmost, westernmost, or easternmost.
@@inotoni6148 He doens't mean the actua distance, he means that if you travel 200 miles in europe you might end up in a different country, a different culture. That's whats meant with long distance
Some of my older german friends here in USA own the green boiled wool jackets that are part of tyrolean tracht. They are worn to cocktail parties, for apres ski or yacht club social events. They look comfortable and make a statement, but are probably expensive. It's tempting, but I'm not sure I am ready to buy one.
They also exist in other colours like dark blue, gray and brown. Very comfortable to wear. You could ask someone if you can wear his for a few minutes and see how you feel with it 😊
Hi Feli! I recently started following your channel and came across the video where you were explaining your greeting "Servus". I'm a history buff and know that a common expression in the UK in the 18th and at least early 19th century was "Your servant sir" or madam or just "Servant sir" usually as a parting expression. This probably came from the common closing in letters of "Your humble servant". Perhaps there's a similar history in German?
I was born and raised in Munich and we only said servus when parting kinda like see ya. You wouldn't say see ya as a greeting but that was the 60s and 70s.
You're right. It originates from latin "servus humillimus" ("your humble servant"). However, it's not a thing in all of Germany but rather in South-Germany and in the area of the former Austro-Hungarian empire. In the rest of the country "Tschüss" is used for good-byes and in some regions also "adé", both forms are derived from french "adieu".
servus is the lation translation of words like "slave" or "servant". Thus, people speaking the education elite's language latin operated with that term. Sticking to latin survived a bit longer in the catholic south than in the protestant north.
My mother is from Nuremberg, sometimes you remind me of her. As a native of Chicago, now living in Fort Worth Texas, I do miss all the German culture of my home town, not that its not in Texas, just not in Fort Worth.
When I was in Germany with the Army, I purchased a German Hat that has lots of pins of places I went and a small brush. I forgot what it's called, however when I came home and went to a local German fest and wore the hat, it was the talk of the fest, it was like did I really go to those places and some old timer Germans talked about what I was wearing.
Yeah. You wear pins as trophied of places you've traveled to. From my childhood, i know them primarily from my dads walking sticks. We went hiking, he got a metal plaque/pin and hammered it into the stick.
Thank you for a very interesting video. I'm glad that your traditional clothing was able to survive the political stigma it acquired during the 30's and 40's.
Servus Feli! During the course of your presentation, you made a reference to the Wittelsbach, the royal family of Bavaria. This made me understand why some male royals regularly wear Trachtensakkos. The ex-king of Romania, an member of the Belgian royals, for example, all being cousins related to the Wittelsbach.
When Americans try to pronounce the menswear in this video, it usually comes out "Liederhosen". Also, if we had 𝑪𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒕, what would it consist of?
I beg to differ. I’ve been working in Bavaria, Munich, for more than two years and I saw people in lederhosen every day but mostly in restarauts and in bierstubes. Thrue though is that it isn’t something people have on at work, unless they work in restaurants or bierstubes. It’s not common in the norden parts of Germany according to my colleagues and friends there though. At last I can wear my outfit at the October fest this fall. The pandemic has cancelled the fest for the latest two years so I’m really looking forward to it. I ❤️ Munich!
I´m glad you're talking about BAVARIAN tradition. Me, as a Northrhinewestphalian (western and most populous federal state of Germany) am really annoyed when always hearing these prejudices about Dirndl, Oktoberfest and so on when thinking of German culture. I don't own one, don't know anybody who owns a real one and when we have parties like "Oktoberfest" here, we dress up like costumes, feels kind of Bavarian Carnival to us, because we have no tradition in wearing Trachten. (Another example: I have never eaten a Weißwurst yet, and I´m older than 40 ;-) ) So, yes it's a great tradition in Bavaria and I appreciate holding these up, but it's not a German thing at all. It's Bavarian, like all Americans always wear texan hats, ride horses and carry a gun all day. And Feli, your research and processing is really great and very interesting. I have learned a lot about Bavarian tradition today ;-)
I'm also a German over 40 and have never been to an Oktoberfest just doesn't appeal to me. It's mostly commercial anyway and 2. reflects primarily Bavaria. In Texas you can probably get more bang for your buck with clothes, good food, and maybe some ranching experience with horses, etc.
NRW Prinzessin hat keine Tracht. Schau dich mal um und frag dich durch, da findet sich gewiss einiges. btw. Bei uns gibt´s selten Carnival, aber immer Fasching. Tini hat doch bestimmt schon frisches, kühles, Bayerisches Bier versucht. Mit einer frischen (fast noch warmen) Brezn müsste das mit der Weißwurst doch zu machen sein. Unbedingt süßen Senf dazu. Für Veganer serviere ich gern einen OBATZTEN und RADIESERL zur Brotzeit. An guatn Appetit.
I would love to hear your honest take on Oktoberfest as a local. I grew up in Germany and even lived in Bavaria for a few years. I have never been to the Oktoberfest in München. No one in my extended family wanted anything to do with Oktoberfest in Munich. We would go to local ones, but I was always told the one in Munich was horrible because it was overrun by drunken, obnoxious American and British tourists. I have tried to warn Americans I know that their concept of what Oktoberfest is may be shattered by their actual experience.
I am from Munich originally, but moved away after school in 1996 and haven't been to the Oktoberfest since 1999. But my parents still go even now in their 80ies. But they go early lunchtime, have some Steckerlfisch, Hendl and one beer together outside, never inside. They'll also go to Teufelsrad and Schichtl, that's just tradition, stroll around, maybe my dad shoots something, they'll get some Magenbrot, gebrannte Mandeln and go home before the masses arrive. When I was a kid we wouldn't wear Tracht to go to the Wiesn, because it could get dirty. Nobody wore it there back then, it was more worn at marriages, birthdays, for church and such. Wearing Tracht for partying became a thing around the time I left.
My drag mother is from a mountain village in Austria and told me stories about her mother wearing dirndl all summer. Years later I was in Germany for work and found a shop selling them. Of course I had to get some for myself and her. I was very excited to find it on account of having a little exposure to the tradition. Now I can't wait to see her in it. I was really struck by how very flattering dirndls are. They look good on everyone, and the ones I found were very practical. They where just below the knee, very nicely made. Solidly constructed. I see why the tradition has endured. I love them!
I live in Munich* so I've been to the Oktoberfest, but to be brutally honest: it is ridiculously expensive (a Maß (liter of beer) costs basically twice what it costs normally) and tickets to get into the tents are super expensive as well (last time I went: 60 Euros for entry, a tiny bit of food and two beers. Each additional beer will set you back 15 Euros at least - and this was one of the less fancy tents). Don't expect to party all night at the tent either. It's all over by 11 pm. You can continue the party in the city though, where bars are open basically all night. If you're going to come to Munich especially for it, fine, it's likely once in a lifetime so why not, splurge for this one time. But don't get yourself taken advantage of. A cheap Lederhosen can be as little as 50 Euros. Don't go for the high quality ones, including hat with feather and the traditional shoes. They will set you back hundreds of Euros and you're only going to wear them once or twice. It is perfectly fine to wear just the Lederhosen and sneakers. *I've been living here for 20 years now, so I am a 'Zugroasta' ('travelled to Munich'), an outsider. A person is only considered being from Munich if their family have been here for 100 years at least. Trying to speak Bavarian as a Zugroasta is frowned upon, unless you clearly do it in jest. But then, the Munich accent isn't even considered real Bavarian by the rest of Bavaria. Each village have their own variation of Bavarian and believe me, they are far from being mutually understandable. Someone from near the Austrian border will not understand someone from near the Czech border ('Hindawoidla' / 'from behind the forest' ie from really far away and culturally somewhat primitive). Don't get me wrong, I love it here and I love the traditions/oddities, but this country sure should come with a manual as thick as a dictionary ^^
My parents were missionaries to Germany from Iowa and went there in 53. Me and my 3 sisters were born and raised in Munich I went to Octoberfest every year and we never had to pay to get into a beer tent and everything was pretty inexpensive. A long time ago.
Hmh. Opening times of tents: The tents open up early in the morning. And also the "party" starts early. And they close early in the evening, as you said. The Oktoberfest is a family party (somehow, but with a lot of alcohol :( ) and nothing else. Entry fee: There is no entry fee. Only if you want to have a reservation of a table seat, you have to pay a "Mindestverzehr". But: If you come late (and late means sometimes noon!), you won't get entry into a tent, because it is overcrowded there very soon. But normally there are tables outside around the tents you can sit at if the tent is closed. Expensive experience: Definitely. Cheap stuff: Why? If you can't afford or do not like proper Bavarian clothing, just do not wear it. It is totally ok (more ok from my perspective, then to wear the cheap Chinese stuff. It has something to do with respect for the local traditions. Oktoberfest is no Fasching, where you have to wear a costume).
There is no entry fee for the tents. You can get in for free. To reserve a table, though, you will have to buy vouchers of around 40 euros for food and drinks in advance. Price of beer: At Frühlingsfest, a miniature Oktoberfest, that is taking place right now, a beer in the tent cost 12,80.
Big fingers crossed on Oktoberfest this year, just got plane tickets and hotel but all refundable in case it's cancelled again!!! Your channel will be the bible for all things German until then!!!
You mentioned Austria and Italy, but what about Switzerland? How much connection is there between Switzerland and Bavaria? I'm used to seeing Bavarian tracht in traditional Swiss representations and always assumed that they were indelibly linked.
Although Swiss people share common "Alpine" traditions, they (and their dialect) are not related to Bavarians but to Swabians, who are inhabitants of South-West Germany and of Alsace, France (before they forgot their German heritage and became French).
In 1985 I accepted a position with a large company in Bavaria as a Senior R&D Engineer. Another engineer & I arrived late Friday with only an address where we were to stay, and the company office address for Monday. We had the weekend to figure out where everything was in our part of town, and set off to find a restaurant for dinner. We were far from the tourist part of town. We found a cozy little corner pub and went in, only to hear the music playing ... It was Cowboy Night every Friday. I had offers to buy my shiney black cowboy boots, and they made us feel as much at home as possible.
Bavaria and Austria share a long history, so they do have a lot in common. But to be fair, Bavaria has been part of Germany for quite a while now as well, so that also had a big impact. I would say there is more and more of a divide.
I'm from Bosnia with Sudeten heritage from my grandmother, but I'm in love with dirndls. I prefer the longer ones, and I wear them both summer and winter, a super versatile piece, easily found in second hand stores. I always get compliments on my dresses, too. Absolutely fantastic history behind tracht, too.
@@Veronica-hp6ul I find the very short ones to also be very costume-y. I dress ''cottagecore'' mixed with vintage, so I always look for historical inspiration and accuracy. :)
I was in Dawson City, Yukon (Canada) one day in March, and saw a couple of guys wearing lederhosen. It was about -35C outside at the time, so this surprised me more that they were wearing it in that kind of cold! Of course, being in the far northwest of Canada well before tourist season.....
A lot of Bavarians wore calf warmers when it was cold. Kinda like socks with no foot part. Also there is a long version of lederhosen that goes down past the knee and has a strap to tighten around the upper calf usually worn with long wool socks in cold weather.
Es macht Spaß, Dir zuzuhören! Man bekommt richtig gute Laune, welche Du mit Deiner Persönlichkeit versprühst!!! Danke dafür!!! Und ich finde, es wird Zeit für einen Kommentar auf deutsch. Lieben Gruß von etwas südlicher Deiner Heimat München, aus Miesbach. Otto
Immer wieder fällt es mir auf: Du bist die einzige, die englischsprachige Videos macht, die ich nahezu vollständig verstehen kann. Vielen Dank dafür. Vielleicht kann ich ja durch Schauen deiner Videos lernen.
Ironically, it is also a stereotype to think that most Americans actually think that Germans where Lederhosen and Dirndls regularly. Ummm, no. That’s a German stereotype about Americans.
Plus many who settled here in the U.S and assimilate into American society kept most of their German heritage kept some of their traditions too. I think that's also everywhere Germans Migrated to besides the U.S.
I was in Bavaria in September of 1987. We saw a lot of people wearing it at Octoberfest. We also saw a few middle age and older people wearing it in smaller towns. It's possible that they were given to special events like a wedding.
Super interesting! We just got back from Germany. I loved seeing people wearing Tracht in Munich, including at Palm Sunday Mass. It reminds me of when we stayed in a small Bavarian village and everyone wore Tracht to the village Fall Festival.
I'm first born in the USA. If you ever get near Rochester NY you should check out the swan market. Its just like visiting a small German meat store combined with a beer garden. The place is packed for lunch. It's big tables and you sit wherever you fit. Met a wonderful couple from cats elbow about a mile from where my aunt lived. Lol
We visited Regensburg in May of 2004, where I saw a random older man wearing Tracht. Didn't seem to be any festivals going on at the time, but I guess he could have been on his way to somewhere else. As usual, great video. Thanks Feli!
@@MsSunshinelena As a Regensburger (someone living in Regensburg) I agree that that’s the most likely reason. But could also have been a wedding or a similar occasion.
Also, if you're in Munich or anywhere where Dirndls and Lederhosen are worn as Tracht and you want to wear one without actually buying one, there are also places to rent Trachten 😊
I am Mexican but I was born in USA. 🇺🇸 I used to love to wear Laderhose for Halloween 🎃 I think your Dirndl dresses are so beautiful for German style. ❤
I live in Bad Reichenhall and the hotel by us employs a “Jägr” to do general caretaking. That dude wears Lederhosen all the time! It’s actually really funny to see him driving the lawnmower or motoring around on his quad bike with lederhosen, an AC/DC t-shirt and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth! He also doesn’t speak of a word German. Bayrisch oder nix! Cool guy!
I was looking at the thumbnail after watching the October fest video and was like she was single when the two on the left were taken but with someone when the one on the right was. I would have never realized the knot had significance without your videos.
I remember my great Tante (Aunt) still wore a traditional German dress on a daily basis in a small town in a rural area of Hessen Germany in the late 1980s. She is the only German woman I recall that was doing this on a daily basis. I never saw a man wearing lederhosen on a daily basis.
In one of my past novels, I write of an entirely fictitious work of fiction called THE LEDERHOSEN IMPERATIVE, something that's passed off as a Cold War-era political thriller centered on West Germany. Feli, you are not the only person in the world who can make Germany sound sinister...
I grew up in California, and my folks used to take us to Solvang every 1-2 years. It was founded by Danish settlers in the Napa valley, and it still has a lot of the “old world “ charm. I’ve since moved out of state, but last time I was there (1990) it had a lot of Scandinavian inspired shops, where you could get cuckoo clocks, cooking supplies, those intricate clockwork toys, traditional decorations, even dirndl and lederhosen! It might have changed since then, but I hope not!
My tracht, the haferlschuh, goes back to 1803 in the Allgau of Bavaria, where it was created by Franz Schratt. The most famous brand is Haferl and they’re still made there.
ruclips.net/video/br69qM03SQU/видео.html 👈Check out my new TRACHTEN GUIDE video where Ben and I show you, how to wear Lederhosen & Dirndls, how to style them, & where to get authentic Lederhosen in the US! :)
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Traditionally speaking, what would the difference between being single or a virgin? Weren't they one and the same back in the day? I stumbled upon this video doing research for a German class I'm teaching next week. When I was a foreign exchange student, my host family told me that the socks (maybe just the ones worn by women) indicated whether you were Catholic or Evangelical. I think the ones with the red ribbon running around the top of the socks were for Catholics and blue was for Evangelicals, but I don't remember for certain. Do you know anything about that? Do you know if the practice was just regional (I lived in Schwaben.)? I want to give the right info.
In my (U.S.) high school I took a couple of years of German. We had a day where all the kids in language classes were encouraged to wear "native" clothing of the language we were learning. Most of my male German classmates said "no way", but I thought "why not?". The teacher sent a lederhosen design and my mom (who was a pretty good seamstress) made a reasonable facsimile for me. Yeah, I got a lot of looks and laughs that day, but it was just one day - I survived!
I wore a Pope costume to my high school around Halloween for a day and had a severe allergic reaction to the fabric. I’m telling you this story because I wore it to my German class and the teacher loved it!
@@dawsynasay4841 The icing on the cake would have been if someone went as Martin Luther so you could have lay the blame for your allergic reaction on him. 🙃
if you wear this here in the north of Germany.... maybe you get strange looks or some rude comments...if you are lucky....
if you be unlucky, beaten up and left for dead in the curb!
@@dawsynasay4841 the Papal person is Holy office & person....don't be immature by thinking it's OK to dress up as one for Halloween
@@quiricomazarin476 You’re own comment is immature by pointing out something as ludicrous as what you just said. Not every body is Christian, and guess what? Everyone deserves to be made fun of. Stop taking everything seriously, amigo.
When I was a kid in Bavaria about 50 years ago, I wore lederhosen as play clothes. (this was not all that unusual back then). Indestructible.
Born 1963 we even wore them for play in Cologne, but they didn’t look like traditional Tracht. I remember having one in red.
some older farmers still wear them for work, if made well they can last a lifetime
A German friend very much from the North (Bremen) brought a Lederhose to Scotland for my older brother back in the 1960s. It was exactly the same as her nephews wore in Germany. As you say, indestructible.
I had one I inherited from my cousin and before her it had been worn by other 3 girls in the family. It was red and the pockets had the shape of a heart. Loved them. Best trousers to play outside with.
My brother had the classic ones that cover the knee, looked great in them.
I of course for family gatherings always had my Dirndl and Dirndljackerl. We usually wear Tracht for those occasions.
My dad still wears Tracht to go to the Opera or to church and other formal occasions.
I'm from Munich, like Feli, but was born in 1976.
As an adult, I am wearing mine for work in the garden. It's a pair made for work. Think of a pair of leather shorts. Just a belt. No braces/suspenders.
I come from Hessen and I get asked all the time about the Lederhose and Dirndl. I only seen people wearing Tracht in small villages and for festivals. I always tell people Bavaria is like whole other country, kinda like Texas...here in America we are all not Cowboys either. That seems to make sense to people. When my daughter was little she got an original Dirndl and Lederhose from Germany (my Mom lived many years in Bavaria).
Ei Gude wie?
Haha, das sage ich auch immer. Komme aus dem LaDaDi!
@@planbakadaniela wa?
LaDaDi = Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg (That was new for me, and I am from HG)
@@ernstellert229 ah...
I was a U.S. soldier in Germany and i went to Oktoberfest in 1986.
Learned you do not go to get drunk.
You go to watch others get drunk.
Their is where the entertainment is at!😁
I'm from Austria, and my grandparents used to live in an area where pretty much everyone wore "Tracht" on Sundays. Men didn't wear Lederhosen to church though, they had a suit called a "Trachtenanzug", which was like a normal suit, but usually a lighter colour (grey or beige) with a different cut of the collar (like a stand-up band collar or something) than regular men's suits.
The Ausseer Dirndl is still part of the culture of that area, although you don't see it quite as often as 30 years ago. Our neighbour used to wear her everyday Dirndl about half of the time, and otherwise wore rather plain work dresses or smocks. She had a Sunday Dirndl in a slightly different design.
In most of Austria, aprons used to be tied in the back regardless of relationship status, but we've adopted the Bavarian system now. Children and waitresses also have the bow in the back.
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Danke, faszinierend!
Probably in the minority here, but I appreciate the historical background research for this video. Great job 👍
Maybe a minority but not alone. I love history
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I'm from the Netherlands and I think you missed a particular type of 'tracht' that is still fairly common to see in Germany: "die Zunftkleidung". I think it's an important part of culture because it also contributes to the appreciation of craftsmanship.
Henri, great idea, why don't you make a video showing the carpenters garb, bakers, and other similar outfits. I would watch that. Be sure to go into details, like jewelery, history of the Guilds, etc. Explain the "walz" and so forth.
@@uliwehner I would love to but first of all I'm not a vlogger, and second I'm not that well educated on the subject.
Very true!!!
you cant get it into a brain of the avg American.... some think Germans speaking Dutch...
i cant, but still like to travel to the Netherlands, been to Holland, too...lol!
German btw!
@@Arltratlo Well one could say I'm almost German: I live about 10 km from the German border, been there on many holidays, watched German TV almost all my life and even lived in Germany for a year during militarily service. I was in Germany just yesterday. As a kid I even wore a lederhose from Austria.
I was in Munich in 2016, about two weeks before Oktoberfest. I went to the department store (2nd floor, where the Tracht was) and tried on and purchased Lederhosen and a nice shirt. There were many others there, mostly local mothers buying their older sons theirs in anticipation of Wiesn. It was fun as I would come out, and all the mothers would yay or nay the pants/shirt combo I had on, until I came up with the winning set.
Still have them.
That sounds awesome!
Bet it's not everybody who can have that experience! 😁
A good Lederhosn lasts a lifetime :)
@@synapsolustv4026 If you you always stay in the same shape🙈
Yea or nay
I am from Northern Germany and normally have nothing to do with Bavarian Tracht, but ahead of my first visit to Oktoberfest (in September) I asked a friend from Munich if I should get a Lederhosen... his answer was the best: you wanna sit on a beer-covered bench with a pair of jeans or Lederhosen? So I bought one.
There's a city in Washington State called Leavenworth. It has no ties to Bavaria, but the merchants decided to model their town on Bavaria ... or what they imagined Bavaria to be like. Some have studied the region pretty thoroughly, and I think a few of the merchants there now actually hail from Germany. Anyway, it's a fun place to visit. ... I got a pair of lederhosen and was shocked to find how heavy they are.
Always love the history part on your videos. They're so interesting. Didn't know they had so many types and colors of Drindls and Lederhosen.
I agree, I also like how she also explains the etymology of the words and breaks them down. It makes it easier to remember.
Side note: Switzerland has a mix of French, Italian and German culture. Some Swiss also wear the dirdl on special occasions like holidays or festivals
The language is standard German which is the High German found all over Switzerland but the local language is Swiss German, which is an Alemannic dialect that’s not related to High German. If you come from a German speaking country, you can get by but you may find it difficult to understand locals in German Switzerland.
I’ve heard from members of my family (🇬🇷) living in Germany for years and know German as good as Hellenic, that the Swiss German is not German😂😂😂
I don’t know if people of Germany and Switzerland have a controversy about the German of Switzerland..??😂
@@Kolious_Thrace I mean, it's not a controversy, it's really just that Swiss German is an entire language of its own, and Germans that aren't from the border region will have a very hard time understanding it, if they understand it at all.
@@leDespicable that’s what they told me pretty much.
We were taking and I said in Switzerland they speak French and German and they told me ehhh no! Don’t compare the German German with the Swiss German. We from Germany we cannot understand them!
And I was like they sound kinda the same so how different they are and they told me it’s almost like they don’t speak they same language…
I’m not from there so I cannot really understand the difference!
@@Kolious_Thrace To native speakers the two languages definitely don't sound alike at all
When I lived in Munich in the mid 80s, it was not uncommon to see professionals of all ages dress in a more formal tracht for work in banks and offices. You didn't mention that there is more to tracht than just Lederhose, as there are very nice men's suits in the Bavarian style in dark green, gray, and black.
Feli you always do that dirndl justice!! 😍😍
Feli looks absolutely amazing and gorgeous in a Dirndl!!!
@@johnNJ4024 Never call someone Fräulein, please. It’s a diminishing term for a woman, Frau, and is not used any longer in Germany. 1971 it was eradicated from use in offices, legal papers etc.
@@claudiakarl7888 Thank you for letting me know. The few people that I can speak German with are in their 80s and came to the U.S. in the late 40s and haven't returned. They never mentioned it to me. I wasn't aware it's not acceptable now. Sorry, I've edited my comment. I meant no disrespect.
@@claudiakarl7888 What is an acceptable term to refer to a young woman if you're paying her a compliment, or is there none and you simply refrain? Just wondering. Thank you for your help. :)
@@claudiakarl7888 The diminutive form expresses sympathy, not arrogance. If you find something cute, the diminutive form (-CHEN. -LEIN) is usually chosen.
For example take the famous German "EichhörnCHEN" aka squirrel. No one would say "Eichhorn". Or take the term "MädCHEN" aka girl. No one is using "Maid" today.
Women who demanded to forbid the traditional expression for an unmarried young woman were only showing their lack of self-confidence.
I like the Drindls and Lederhosen. It's understood that it's not everyday wear in modern times. I'm from the US and I love history. I wear Buckskin Pants when I attend encampments portraying life in the 1700s & 1800s. Trachten is part of Southern German/Austrian History and I'm happy Trachten has been preserved. We, here in PA have a German Family that sell all type of Trachten and accessories. No inexpensive, however; quality merchandise. Good video. Best Wishes.
Trachten are existing in every Country and they are different in every Region. In North of Bavaria (Franken, where I am from) the Tracht isn't like in Munich.
I will never wear this "South-Bavarian-Style".
My last name is also Becker and I'm from Germany 🌞
@@lordnelsonmc.billionberg9166 Good to hear from you. I don't know how common the name Becker is, however; I've been trying to trace my ancestors to determine where, in Germany, my family originated. Best Wish Charlie Becker
@Tim Willemsen Thank you for your response. I'm hoping to trace my ancestors using Ancestry on Line. I appreciate the information you provided. Best Wishes
@@angelikapreu9323 I remember attending a wedding where the dress code was Tracht, if you had one (I didn't). Pretty many people wore Lederhosen and Dirndl, BUT the bride's brother turned up in Franconian (Northern Bavarian) Tracht, with breeches, red-and-white chequered shirt, felt jacket and a cocked hat. Just to remind people that Tracht is much more than what Feli describes.
Thanks for the education, Feli! My first night visiting Munich, I went to a Bavarian restaurant and saw a couple guys wearing Lederhosen. At first I thought, the uniforms here really do authentically match the restaurant’s decor! And then I realized they were customers, when a half dozen other young men in their 20s came in with nearly identical outfits and it was a group of friends or a social club going out for the evening. It’s then that I learned that wearing traditional clothing isn’t really like wearing a “costume.” I had to laugh out loud when Feli talked about tourists coming in cheap costumes.
I bought my Lederhose imported to the US from a store in a small Germantown near Portland called Mt. Angel (Engelberg originally). They're not exactly traditional but definitely quality and beautiful. They were not cheap and I bought a dirndl for my girlfriend from the same store. The total came out to about $700 for the two. My American girlfriend lived in Germany as an exchange student and speaks German fluently but has no ancestry. After learning German from her, spending time together in Germany, and becoming really interested in the culture, I just learned that ironically I have Bavarian ancestry through a great-great-grandparent that I had no idea about before, which is really cool. It makes me feel a lot more valid for loving German culture and less like an impostor.
Wobei Sneaker mit der Lederhose schon grenzwertig ist. :D
Right! I find it disgusting.
Ich gar nicht. 😂 Finde diese Kombi sogar ziemlich sexy. Wie schön, dass man alles darf und die Geschmäcker so verschieden sind!!!
My mom has a picture of herself and my uncles when they were very young (4,5, and 6) from the late 50's, and they have lederhosen and a drindl. Back in the early 90s when I was in Germany, my mother's uncle would wear lederhosen on some weekends. One time when I was with him, we were stoped by Japanese tourists who wanted a picture with him. The family does live in a very small, semi rural town.
I absolutely love this video. I agree with you about authenticity in the clothing. It is disrespectful to wear cheap knock-off clothing. When visitors come to Texas I always try to point them to real cowboy items. Good hats are expensive but they wear well and will last a long time. Most sellers will custom shape the hat at no charge. Look at a real Texas rancher and copy them.
In the mid 80's I bought a $15 dollar hat in Texas .I liked it - until I was in El Paso and attended a rodeo. After that I never wore the hat again.
Yes, i can confirm about the longevity of a real hat!
I have mine since 1991.
Well, it's now quiet out of shape, because i used it to fan the fire and sat on it, but i still wear it!
Loved the video. I'm from Ireland with a bavarian name and a very old East Prussian history. Here in Ireland you can buy very old traditional German and Austrian tracht in vintage shops. It comes in with the street clothing and it's cheap to buy.
I see these traditional costumes when I attend the local Sommerfest and Oktoberfest held by the Lancaster Leiderkrantz in Lancaster County, PA.
Love the food, music and dancing.
Same up here in Syracuse.
Liederkranz from the German "Lied". Also a technical term in English, same spelling
I went to that many years ago and it was very memorable. Unfortunately it was sweltering hot with nary a breeze to be found, so I couldn't stand to stay very long.
Greetings from Passau. My wife and i wear tracht for our wedding and we used our wedding cloth for almost every Wiesn, Gäubodenfest, Dult and smal Volksfest we are on, cause its a shame to just use it for one day.
After WW2 a german family moved into my neighborhood in St.louis mo. and their son was my age we clicked as i helped him with english and i picked some german as well, HE had a pair of those shorts with the shoulder straps and i thought they were awesome.
I love your channel and energy. I was fortunate to live in Germany on two occasions. The first time in the Eifel and the second time in Pfalz. Just before COVID 19 hit my wife and I visited a dear friend in Nord Rhine Westphalia. Part of me will always be part of Germany. This video post on traditional dress reminded me of my wife's Drindl, She bought it to wear to Octoberfest along with a close friend. Sadly work did not allow her to go but she treasured the Drindl nonetheless. Your channel helps keep me connected and educates me in nuances about culture, customs and historyy
Fun Fact: When Bavarian poet Oskar Maria Graf lived in New York after fleeing Nazi Germany, he obstinately wore his short Lederhosen, Lodenjanker (loden jacket) and Bavarian hat there all the time.
So glad I found your new channel, Feli from Germany 🇩🇪 my wife and I find your content enjoyable and informative. Blessings
I have lived in Bavaria since the early 1990s, in particular, in Franconia. The traditional male dress where I live doesn't include Lederhosen. The classic local Tracht includes red or dark colored woolen breeches (knee length pants), though - as you mention, Feli - they are now ubiquitous at almost any beer festival. My father-in-law, who grew up in a rural village on the Thuringian-Saxon border in the 1930s-40s. Most boys in his village wore Lederhosen as their "everyday" pants (durable, easy to care for) and "proper" cloth pants for Church or other festive occasions.
Other than beer festivals, most Schützenvereine/ "gun"-clubs wear their traditional dress for special occasions.
Agreed - it is most unusual to see Lederhosen worn in Franken. Indeed, I wore Lederhosen to the Sandkirwe in Bamberg and people commented on my "Bavarian" outfit. A true Frank doesn't consider himself Bavarian. "Gott sei Dank, i' bin a Frank" as they say... (or "Frei statt Bayern")
Thank You so much for deep research in the origins of the tracht. Its refreshing to see that you dont shy away from the more difficult bits of german history. 😊👍❤️🇸🇪🇩🇪
When I lived in Munich, I had a dirndl and got a lot of compliments whenever I wore it, which was only very special occasions.
My wife bought a Dirndl when she was backpacking through Germany and Austria in the early’ 90s. She wears it every Halloween. BTW your English is nearly flawless.
I have two pair of lederhosen from when I was a small boy. My heritage is 1/2 Deutsch.
My new wife is 100% Deutsch and I definitely want to see that “Dirndl” for her to wear! Great Video. Thank You
Tracht is worn in everyday life down in Garmisch-Partenkirchen!! It’s not about everyone wearing it but LOTS of people do. It’s also the most common clothing for children to wear for school photos.
The handful of times I was in Bavaria the only people, by and large, that I saw wearing tracht were waiters and waitresses or clerks in souvenir shops.
In cities, that would be quite correct. It's a little different in the Alpine villages
@@solicitr666 I was mostly in the cities. The only Alpine villages (or close enough) that I spent much time in were Berchtesgaden and Hohenschwangau.
But even then I was mostly in the areas that were more for tourists. It's not like I was out canvasing farms and what not. rofl.
You probably didn't visit on a public holiday. On these days we wear Tracht as well, like Maibaumaufstellen, Kirchweih, St. Martin, St. Georg, ... And as she already mentioned to Dorffesten, weddings and funerals.
It's usually worn for festivities. My father wears Tracht to go to the opera and we wear it for marriages, family gatherings.
One article of Tracht which really is still worn as an everyday garment is the woolen Strick-Jacke, with ordinary street clothes. One sometimes sees Janker worn the same way.
When my son got married in Innsbruck to an Austrian girl the bride's mother, sister , and a little neice all wore drindl. It was beautiful ! Lovely to keep such traditions alive and to be proud of your identity.
I think it was more common when I would stay with my Oma & Opa as a child (60s&70s). I had several and when we went through my mom’s things after she passed away, she had a ton including accessories! Great video. The only Octoberfest I have been to was in Leavenworth, WA and saw many of the (cringe) Halloween costume outfits!
I agree. When we were in Germany in 1973, it was fairly common to see Germans in Lederhosen, at least doing vacationy type things. I was a child, so don't remember the exact context, but it was still a thing then.
German here. In the 60s and early 70s a leather shorts was actually common for boys and girls all over Germany. But they weren’t seen as part of a Tracht. I guess we had them because they were really sturdy and weren’t easy to destroy while playing outside. Kids in my area - Cologne - didn’t wear them in school, just for playing outside.
Love the background. Looks like you're blasting beauty and cuteness rays out of your head while you're talking.
Wait, you DON'T just sit around the house in your dirndl??? Well, I'm disillusioned! 🙂 Great video, Feli!
No, at home she wears short Lederhosn :-)
Here in Hellas🇬🇷 our traditional clothes are more common I think.
In bigger cities they don’t like to wear them because they see themselves as superior and traditional clothes are for farmers… and other inferior rural people… but not all of them.
Our bigger cities are full of people from villages and they are not ashamed to wear the traditional clothes of their family!
In villages and especially in my area Thrace🇬🇷, we wear our traditional clothes in church, at big ceremonies in church and celebrations. In Baptisms and weddings and in weddings in particular we have a whole weak of traditions and customs that they take place with everyone wearing traditional clothes!
It’s very common the clothes to passed down through generations and someone can have an apron from their great-grandmother or more commonly piece of jewellery like necklaces with golden coins and pearls and headpieces of pure silver or gold are from 5-6 generations back!
Usually our grandmothers are making us our first traditional set and while we’re growing we get knew ones!
Many people in Thrace they are still getting married in a full-Hellenic-traditional-way!
Till this day our grandparents are wearing their traditional clothes! Not all of them but the majority of them especially in villages and rural areas.
I remember my great-grandmother, she was around 104-5 when she died.
She asked to be buried with her traditional clothes that she especially prepared for that day! She told my grandmother not to make any joke and bury her with “European modern clothing” because when she’ll go to the Heavens, her family would not recognise her if she will wear “foreign clothing”
We also have a lot of “unwritten laws” when it comes to who to wear your traditional clothes.
Back then, when we don’t had our identity cards, your clothes were kinda like your identity. Someone could tell about your family and family status by looking at you!
First, where you are from!
Hellas had hundreds and hundreds of different clothes because each area has a different style and within this area each village has different style to be differ from the village next to that!
In Thrace in particular, from our clothes someone could understand from exactly what village you are from.
How rich is your family
If you are a virgin (single) girl, a married woman, a married woman with children, a widow… etc
Here is a video of a traditional Thracian wedding🇬🇷
Even though Thrace was one the first areas of Hellas converted to Orthodoxy✝️ our customs and our traditions has a lot of pagan rituals from the Old Ethnic Religion (The Olympian Gods).
Thrace was the birthplace of Dionysus, Hecate and Ares!
ruclips.net/video/z9Eo2YOhfNE/видео.html
You look great in this traditional outfit. It is very cute and girly 😊
I have my lederhosen from Munich, and love to wear them here in Columbus, Oh!
One small note (your English is amazing and this is an easy one to miss). Plaid shirts, the word Plaid is pronounced Plad (no I sound), rhymes with glad, not laid
I went to Germany back in 2019. I actually found a pair of lederhosen in Triberg in the Black Forest. I absolutely love mine and definitely recommend checking out a shop called Moden Stadl if you ever find yourself in Triberg.
My family is from a village next to Triberg. And yes, the Lederhosen are traditionally also from this area but there are slight differences to the Bavarian style. You see an even greater difference between the women’s dresses.
@@linibellini that’s awesome!
Black Forest Tracht is very unique. Those hats are awesome. Bollenhut: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Bollenhut-Gutach.jpg/220px-Bollenhut-Gutach.jpg
@@uliwehner Yes I love them. My american partner just thinks they look very silly haha! I don't own one but have photos of my grandmother as a young woman wearing her Tracht, all complete with the red Bollenhut for unmarried women.
The Bollenhut is only worn in the Kinzigtal area in the southern black forest. They're actually very protective of the local aspect and the Bollenhut makers will only make those for women from those villages and their children. But the other parts of the black forest all have their own, very interesting Trachten. Almost every village has their own take, some with other extravagant hats and head accessories.
Oh, I've been to Triberg, too ... the waterfalls were amazing! You saw them? o_O
I wasn’t sure what to wear to Oktoberfest but the locals strongly encouraged me my wife and I to wear tracht. It is a big part of the festival economy and I think it showed respect by trying to honor the customs. Once I got to the event I actually felt way more comfortable as I fit in better in tracht.
I'm an American of Scots heritage (among others) so I've worn a kilt more than once. In Highland games I did OK with the caber toss (throwing around telegraph poles). I wore tighty whities, not traditional commando. I wore a plain khaki shirt, I've never owned the doublet, but wore hose.
i am from middle of germany and don´t really like the german traditional clothings, i would never buy a lederhosen for example. but i really like the scottish kilt, looks awesome! :)
Has anyone noticed, Feli is super cute and she is a great teacher!!!!
I just love her smile, and she cheers me up!!!!
It would have been good to learn more about German costumes in general. There were costumes everywhere in Germany up until World War II. I happened to see one from the north, it looked very gothic. The person who wore it said that they were banned from wearing traditional costumes because of the bad image caused by WW2.
I only know the Bavarians, those from the Black Forest and the Sorbians from East Germany
Not the "bad image" the Nazis destroyed the culture and banned the various cultural clothes...Becaus they want to form a united "German tribe" there where no place for so many different cultural clothes.... So after the WW2 the wearing of cultural clothes was just not continued...
@@m.s.3041 Ok, thanks
For that you have to get in contact with Vereine or local museums. Note that even single places had/have their own Trachten or variants of them.
They are mostly the same story. 19th century national romanticism. Nationalists invented fantasy peasants costumes. In the north, protestantism dominated, so the darker colours and more "modest" cuts dominated. There are still some Trachten-groups, but it's not really important or a generally accepted token of identity. They are mostly seen as cringe by most. I personally live and let live.
The difference between the non-bavarian Trachten and Dirndl and Lederhosen is that the bavarian Tracht (in its modern form, Pesendorfer invented for the Nazis) was heavily promoted by the Nazis as some kind of all-german uniform and spread all over Germany as national kitsch, which often overshadowed local Trachten.
Up until today, you keep seeing small groups of (usually conservative) couples wearing bavarian Tracht to northern german festivals. I personally see that as scat tissue left over from the Nazis attempt to implant their ideal of german culture, based on bavarian culture.
But if anyone tells you "they were banned from wearing Tracht", they are talking bullshit. It's completely legal. It's practiced freely by those who want to and if you visit w Volksfest, you may actually find someone who does it. There is no law or cultural taboo. It's just seen as a bit cringe by many. Which has to do with the type of person you described.
I think this is the 1st sponsored youtube video I've seen where the sponsor bit not only doesn't feel like a transactional plug for money, but actually adds to the subject/content of the video. Perfect fit for your channel and this video.
Also, hi from northern KY!
I lived in the village of Ramstein back in the 50's. It was very common to see boys wearing lederhose for everyday wear. Some of the pairs looked to be very well used and had the reputation of being indestructible and most likely passed down from one generation to the next.
You do such a great job playing the ukelele at the beginning of your videos, Feli! You're so talented.
The dirndls and lederhosen look amazing and although they´re probably waaaay out of my price range, I imagine lederhosen would make for a nice outfit for when Oktoberfest rolls around here in Norway (our Oktoberfest is on a much smaller scale than its German counterpart but still massively popular), the Trachten look amazing on the people wearing them! I´m actually in Bavaria with my parents right now, we´ve been staying at this golf hotel in Bad Griesbach and today we´re gonna drive to Munich and check out the city, can´t wait! 🤩😍
I didn’t know you had an Octoberfest in Norway! In which areas to you celebrate that? We’ll be there for a month this autumn, maybe we should bring our Trachten! 😄
@@linibellini They can be found in our biggest cities although they're on a much smaller scale than Oktoberfest in Germany.
@@DidrickNamtvedt Thanks! I guess then my chances don't look too good, I'll be up in Vesterålen area. Enjoy your stay in Bavaria!
You mentioned how tracht doesn't really reflect how peasants of the time really dressed. I'd be very much interested in how peasants, and even those of other social classes, dressed in earlier centuries. It's honestly been hard for me to find reliable information on this topic due to the flood of modern tracht that overshadows and buries it x.x Do you have any information references you could refer me? Or maybe consider making a video on the subject? 🙏💕
I just want to mention that the term "Dirne" originally refered to an "unmarried woman/maiden" and also to an "maidservant" and the diminutive form "Dirndl" was used for "the young girls and female kids"...and those meanings are still in dialect use at the rural countryside
BUT in general colloquial speech outside of the countryside the term "Dirne" refers to an "Prostitute" it is the short form of the term "Lustdirne" = literally "lust maiden".
So never ever call a woman/girl a "Dirne" outside of the rural countryside unless you want to get slapped in your face...and in the countryside just say "Dirn" which is the dialect form in order to don´t mean "Dirne/Prostitute"
And "Dirndl" for the skirt is actually just the short form of the term "Dirndlkleid" = literally "Dirndl´s/maiden´s skirt"
Well in those movies like you mentioned "Sound of music" + "Zum Weißen Rössl" there is no "bavarian Tracht" to see .....in both movies they are wearing "traditional austrian Tracht" and in particular variations of "traditional Salzburger Tracht" because both locations where those movies took place are in Salzburg/Austria and because in general "traditional Trachten" (not those "modern haute cotour ones") are always representative to the local regions and therefore look different in behalf of shapes and colours and the pattern of the stiches no matter if Lederhos´n or Dirndl or hat in order to get recognized from where those actually are ..That´s the reason to make "Trachtenumzüge/Trachten Parades" where people are representing proudly their traditional local Tracht...if those would were all "bavarian" then all those Trachten would look like basically the same and the "Oktoberfest Trachten Parade" would be totally unvaried and dull and useless....So you simply can´t call them all "bavarian" because those in the from you mentioned movies simply aren´t.
Yes, you are right.
This guy lederhoses
Typical, complete, german detailed explanation with 100% correctness :)
i´m from germany too & i also know the term "Dirne" only as a very old and now unused word for prostitute
"that might sound pretty old" reminds me of a saying that"In America 200 years is a pretty long time, in Europe 200 miles is a pretty long distance."
It's not a big distance either, because Europe is as big as the USA. But for a country like the Netherlands, Belgium or Denmark, 200 miles (320 km) is a long distance
@@inotoni6148 depends on how you look at it. Including much of Russia it is about the same size, if you look at just the EU, it is only half as big as the US.
@@uliwehner I didn't even consider Russia. However, the distances are similar in Europe because there are many more bodies of water in Europe. For example, from Naples to Tromsø it is about 4360 km (2725 miles, south-north) and from Brest to Donetsk 3640 km (2280 miles, west-east).
These places aren't even the southernmost, northernmost, westernmost, or easternmost.
@@inotoni6148 He doens't mean the actua distance, he means that if you travel 200 miles in europe you might end up in a different country, a different culture. That's whats meant with long distance
@@jbsuckssooo That's correct
Some of my older german friends here in USA own the green boiled wool jackets that are part of tyrolean tracht. They are worn to cocktail parties, for apres ski or yacht club social events. They look comfortable and make a statement, but are probably expensive. It's tempting, but I'm not sure I am ready to buy one.
They also exist in other colours like dark blue, gray and brown. Very comfortable to wear. You could ask someone if you can wear his for a few minutes and see how you feel with it 😊
@@helgaioannidis9365 Many thanks !
Hi Feli! I recently started following your channel and came across the video where you were explaining your greeting "Servus". I'm a history buff and know that a common expression in the UK in the 18th and at least early 19th century was "Your servant sir" or madam or just "Servant sir" usually as a parting expression. This probably came from the common closing in letters of "Your humble servant". Perhaps there's a similar history in German?
I was born and raised in Munich and we only said servus when parting kinda like see ya. You wouldn't say see ya as a greeting but that was the 60s and 70s.
You're right. It originates from latin "servus humillimus" ("your humble servant"). However, it's not a thing in all of Germany but rather in South-Germany and in the area of the former Austro-Hungarian empire. In the rest of the country "Tschüss" is used for good-byes and in some regions also "adé", both forms are derived from french "adieu".
@@VoodooMcVee and "Auf Wiedersehen " is also said a lot
@@danpals7678 i am from southeast bavaria and we use servus both ways - as greeting for coming and going.
servus is the lation translation of words like "slave" or "servant". Thus, people speaking the education elite's language latin operated with that term.
Sticking to latin survived a bit longer in the catholic south than in the protestant north.
My mother is from Nuremberg, sometimes you remind me of her. As a native of Chicago, now living in Fort Worth Texas, I do miss all the German culture of my home town, not that its not in Texas, just not in Fort Worth.
When I was in Germany with the Army, I purchased a German Hat that has lots of pins of places I went and a small brush. I forgot what it's called, however when I came home and went to a local German fest and wore the hat, it was the talk of the fest, it was like did I really go to those places and some old timer Germans talked about what I was wearing.
The brush is a Gamsbart....it comes from the rough of a Chamois...a kind of antelope from the Alps.
Yeah. You wear pins as trophied of places you've traveled to. From my childhood, i know them primarily from my dads walking sticks. We went hiking, he got a metal plaque/pin and hammered it into the stick.
Feli, have you been to Frankenmuth Michigan. It’s a great little town and the two main restaurants they wear Dirndl and Lederhosen
Thank you for a very interesting video. I'm glad that your traditional clothing was able to survive the political stigma it acquired during the 30's and 40's.
Servus Feli! During the course of your presentation, you made a reference to the Wittelsbach, the royal family of Bavaria. This made me understand why some male royals regularly wear Trachtensakkos. The ex-king of Romania, an member of the Belgian royals, for example, all being cousins related to the Wittelsbach.
When Americans try to pronounce the menswear in this video, it usually comes out "Liederhosen". Also, if we had 𝑪𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒕, what would it consist of?
It would certainly involve Bengal tiger stripes.
I beg to differ. I’ve been working in Bavaria, Munich, for more than two years and I saw people in lederhosen every day but mostly in restarauts and in bierstubes. Thrue though is that it isn’t something people have on at work, unless they work in restaurants or bierstubes. It’s not common in the norden parts of Germany according to my colleagues and friends there though.
At last I can wear my outfit at the October fest this fall. The pandemic has cancelled the fest for the latest two years so I’m really looking forward to it.
I ❤️ Munich!
I´m glad you're talking about BAVARIAN tradition. Me, as a Northrhinewestphalian (western and most populous federal state of Germany) am really annoyed when always hearing these prejudices about Dirndl, Oktoberfest and so on when thinking of German culture. I don't own one, don't know anybody who owns a real one and when we have parties like "Oktoberfest" here, we dress up like costumes, feels kind of Bavarian Carnival to us, because we have no tradition in wearing Trachten. (Another example: I have never eaten a Weißwurst yet, and I´m older than 40 ;-) ) So, yes it's a great tradition in Bavaria and I appreciate holding these up, but it's not a German thing at all. It's Bavarian, like all Americans always wear texan hats, ride horses and carry a gun all day.
And Feli, your research and processing is really great and very interesting. I have learned a lot about Bavarian tradition today ;-)
I'm also a German over 40 and have never been to an Oktoberfest just doesn't appeal to me. It's mostly commercial anyway and 2. reflects primarily Bavaria. In Texas you can probably get more bang for your buck with clothes, good food, and maybe some ranching experience with horses, etc.
NRW Prinzessin hat keine Tracht. Schau dich mal um und frag dich durch, da findet sich gewiss einiges. btw. Bei uns gibt´s selten Carnival, aber immer Fasching. Tini hat doch bestimmt schon frisches, kühles, Bayerisches Bier versucht. Mit einer frischen (fast noch warmen) Brezn müsste das mit der Weißwurst doch zu machen sein. Unbedingt süßen Senf dazu. Für Veganer serviere ich gern einen OBATZTEN und RADIESERL zur Brotzeit. An guatn Appetit.
The Little Black Dirndl suits you very well. Absolutely beautiful. You should consider sending Erika a shot of that video to use in her Gallery.
I would love to hear your honest take on Oktoberfest as a local. I grew up in Germany and even lived in Bavaria for a few years. I have never been to the Oktoberfest in München. No one in my extended family wanted anything to do with Oktoberfest in Munich. We would go to local ones, but I was always told the one in Munich was horrible because it was overrun by drunken, obnoxious American and British tourists. I have tried to warn Americans I know that their concept of what Oktoberfest is may be shattered by their actual experience.
I am from Munich originally, but moved away after school in 1996 and haven't been to the Oktoberfest since 1999. But my parents still go even now in their 80ies. But they go early lunchtime, have some Steckerlfisch, Hendl and one beer together outside, never inside. They'll also go to Teufelsrad and Schichtl, that's just tradition, stroll around, maybe my dad shoots something, they'll get some Magenbrot, gebrannte Mandeln and go home before the masses arrive.
When I was a kid we wouldn't wear Tracht to go to the Wiesn, because it could get dirty. Nobody wore it there back then, it was more worn at marriages, birthdays, for church and such. Wearing Tracht for partying became a thing around the time I left.
I believe she has a video on Oktoberfest on her channel!
My wife wore her Dirndl when we got married in North Carolina. She's Bavarian as well and I wouldn't trade her for the world.
Great video! I love the “deep dive” into the traditions and evolution of the clothing.
My drag mother is from a mountain village in Austria and told me stories about her mother wearing dirndl all summer. Years later I was in Germany for work and found a shop selling them. Of course I had to get some for myself and her. I was very excited to find it on account of having a little exposure to the tradition. Now I can't wait to see her in it. I was really struck by how very flattering dirndls are. They look good on everyone, and the ones I found were very practical. They where just below the knee, very nicely made. Solidly constructed. I see why the tradition has endured. I love them!
I live in Munich* so I've been to the Oktoberfest, but to be brutally honest: it is ridiculously expensive (a Maß (liter of beer) costs basically twice what it costs normally) and tickets to get into the tents are super expensive as well (last time I went: 60 Euros for entry, a tiny bit of food and two beers. Each additional beer will set you back 15 Euros at least - and this was one of the less fancy tents).
Don't expect to party all night at the tent either. It's all over by 11 pm. You can continue the party in the city though, where bars are open basically all night. If you're going to come to Munich especially for it, fine, it's likely once in a lifetime so why not, splurge for this one time.
But don't get yourself taken advantage of. A cheap Lederhosen can be as little as 50 Euros. Don't go for the high quality ones, including hat with feather and the traditional shoes. They will set you back hundreds of Euros and you're only going to wear them once or twice. It is perfectly fine to wear just the Lederhosen and sneakers.
*I've been living here for 20 years now, so I am a 'Zugroasta' ('travelled to Munich'), an outsider. A person is only considered being from Munich if their family have been here for 100 years at least. Trying to speak Bavarian as a Zugroasta is frowned upon, unless you clearly do it in jest. But then, the Munich accent isn't even considered real Bavarian by the rest of Bavaria. Each village have their own variation of Bavarian and believe me, they are far from being mutually understandable. Someone from near the Austrian border will not understand someone from near the Czech border ('Hindawoidla' / 'from behind the forest' ie from really far away and culturally somewhat primitive).
Don't get me wrong, I love it here and I love the traditions/oddities, but this country sure should come with a manual as thick as a dictionary ^^
My experience also. I have seen Oktoberfest ruined by the commercialization of the
Tents and unreal costs.
My parents were missionaries to Germany from Iowa and went there in 53. Me and my 3 sisters were born and raised in Munich
I went to Octoberfest every year and we never had to pay to get into a beer tent and everything was pretty inexpensive. A long time ago.
Hmh.
Opening times of tents: The tents open up early in the morning. And also the "party" starts early. And they close early in the evening, as you said. The Oktoberfest is a family party (somehow, but with a lot of alcohol :( ) and nothing else.
Entry fee: There is no entry fee. Only if you want to have a reservation of a table seat, you have to pay a "Mindestverzehr". But: If you come late (and late means sometimes noon!), you won't get entry into a tent, because it is overcrowded there very soon. But normally there are tables outside around the tents you can sit at if the tent is closed.
Expensive experience: Definitely.
Cheap stuff: Why? If you can't afford or do not like proper Bavarian clothing, just do not wear it. It is totally ok (more ok from my perspective, then to wear the cheap Chinese stuff. It has something to do with respect for the local traditions. Oktoberfest is no Fasching, where you have to wear a costume).
There is no entry fee for the tents. You can get in for free. To reserve a table, though, you will have to buy vouchers of around 40 euros for food and drinks in advance.
Price of beer: At Frühlingsfest, a miniature Oktoberfest, that is taking place right now, a beer in the tent cost 12,80.
Big fingers crossed on Oktoberfest this year, just got plane tickets and hotel but all refundable in case it's cancelled again!!! Your channel will be the bible for all things German until then!!!
You mentioned Austria and Italy, but what about Switzerland? How much connection is there between Switzerland and Bavaria? I'm used to seeing Bavarian tracht in traditional Swiss representations and always assumed that they were indelibly linked.
Switzerland has their own traditional Tracht, as most countries do
Parts of Switzerland are German and parts are French .
Although Swiss people share common "Alpine" traditions, they (and their dialect) are not related to Bavarians but to Swabians, who are inhabitants of South-West Germany and of Alsace, France (before they forgot their German heritage and became French).
In 1985 I accepted a position with a large company in Bavaria as a Senior R&D Engineer. Another engineer & I arrived late Friday with only an address where we were to stay, and the company office address for Monday. We had the weekend to figure out where everything was in our part of town, and set off to find a restaurant for dinner. We were far from the tourist part of town.
We found a cozy little corner pub and went in, only to hear the music playing ... It was Cowboy Night every Friday. I had offers to buy my shiney black cowboy boots, and they made us feel as much at home as possible.
Bavaria seems to have more in common with Austria than the rest of Germany.
I‘m from Cologne and believe me: if they show TV shows that take place in Bavaria I always yearn for subtitles. 😉
Bavaria and Austria share a long history, so they do have a lot in common. But to be fair, Bavaria has been part of Germany for quite a while now as well, so that also had a big impact. I would say there is more and more of a divide.
Thanks for your analysis. I’ve been to Munich and Bavaria once including Neuschwanstein castle. Very beautiful area of Germany.
The region of Bavaria I'd say. Franken probably has more in commen with areas that border it.
@@claudiakarl7888 Once when I was in Germany I saw an interview with a Bavarian farmer on TV and it had German subtitles - Ha Ha.
I'm from Bosnia with Sudeten heritage from my grandmother, but I'm in love with dirndls. I prefer the longer ones, and I wear them both summer and winter, a super versatile piece, easily found in second hand stores. I always get compliments on my dresses, too. Absolutely fantastic history behind tracht, too.
@@Veronica-hp6ul I find the very short ones to also be very costume-y. I dress ''cottagecore'' mixed with vintage, so I always look for historical inspiration and accuracy. :)
I would have assumed that kind of thing was only worn for festivals and for the German equivalent of hipsters.
I was in Dawson City, Yukon (Canada) one day in March, and saw a couple of guys wearing lederhosen. It was about -35C outside at the time, so this surprised me more that they were wearing it in that kind of cold! Of course, being in the far northwest of Canada well before tourist season.....
A lot of Bavarians wore calf warmers when it was cold. Kinda like socks with no foot part. Also there is a long version of lederhosen that goes down past the knee and has a strap to tighten around the upper calf usually worn with long wool socks in cold weather.
Es macht Spaß, Dir zuzuhören! Man bekommt richtig gute Laune, welche Du mit Deiner Persönlichkeit versprühst!!! Danke dafür!!! Und ich finde, es wird Zeit für einen Kommentar auf deutsch.
Lieben Gruß von etwas südlicher Deiner Heimat München, aus Miesbach. Otto
Funny that some German people equate traditional German clothing to Nazi's. I think most Americans would equate it to Beer and Sausage!
Immer wieder fällt es mir auf: Du bist die einzige, die englischsprachige Videos macht, die ich nahezu vollständig verstehen kann. Vielen Dank dafür. Vielleicht kann ich ja durch Schauen deiner Videos lernen.
Ironically, it is also a stereotype to think that most Americans actually think that Germans where Lederhosen and Dirndls regularly. Ummm, no. That’s a German stereotype about Americans.
Plus many who settled here in the U.S and assimilate into American society kept most of their German heritage kept some of their traditions too. I think that's also everywhere Germans Migrated to besides the U.S.
I was in Bavaria in September of 1987. We saw a lot of people wearing it at Octoberfest. We also saw a few middle age and older people wearing it in smaller towns. It's possible that they were given to special events like a wedding.
Fun Fact: "Cultural Appropriation" is just an overused and meaningless buzzword.
Super interesting! We just got back from Germany. I loved seeing people wearing Tracht in Munich, including at Palm Sunday Mass. It reminds me of when we stayed in a small Bavarian village and everyone wore Tracht to the village Fall Festival.
I'm first born in the USA. If you ever get near Rochester NY you should check out the swan market. Its just like visiting a small German meat store combined with a beer garden. The place is packed for lunch. It's big tables and you sit wherever you fit. Met a wonderful couple from cats elbow about a mile from where my aunt lived. Lol
We visited Regensburg in May of 2004, where I saw a random older man wearing Tracht.
Didn't seem to be any festivals going on at the time, but I guess he could have been on his way to somewhere else.
As usual, great video. Thanks Feli!
Hi, there is a festival in May in Regensburg called Maidult 😊 probably was that the reason for it
@@MsSunshinelena As a Regensburger (someone living in Regensburg) I agree that that’s the most likely reason. But could also have been a wedding or a similar occasion.
Also, if you're in Munich or anywhere where Dirndls and Lederhosen are worn as Tracht and you want to wear one without actually buying one, there are also places to rent Trachten 😊
My great great grandfather was from Bavaria and moved to NYC about 1860. Feli, you look fantastic in the German dress!
I am Mexican but I was born in USA. 🇺🇸 I used to love to wear Laderhose for Halloween 🎃 I think your Dirndl dresses are so beautiful for German style. ❤
I live in Bad Reichenhall and the hotel by us employs a “Jägr” to do general caretaking. That dude wears Lederhosen all the time! It’s actually really funny to see him driving the lawnmower or motoring around on his quad bike with lederhosen, an AC/DC t-shirt and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth! He also doesn’t speak of a word German. Bayrisch oder nix! Cool guy!
Hab mir erst vorgestern ein neues Dirndl für die Wiesn dieses Jahr gekauft! Fand vor allem den historischen Teil grad super interessant, danke dir!
In Southeast Brazil, too, we have our traditional Caipira dress we only wear for a Quermesse (Winter/June Festival).
I was looking at the thumbnail after watching the October fest video and was like she was single when the two on the left were taken but with someone when the one on the right was. I would have never realized the knot had significance without your videos.
I remember my great Tante (Aunt) still wore a traditional German dress on a daily basis in a small town in a rural area of Hessen Germany in the late 1980s. She is the only German woman I recall that was doing this on a daily basis. I never saw a man wearing lederhosen on a daily basis.
In one of my past novels, I write of an entirely fictitious work of fiction called THE LEDERHOSEN IMPERATIVE, something that's passed off as a Cold War-era political thriller centered on West Germany. Feli, you are not the only person in the world who can make Germany sound sinister...
A big heart from Egypt
Alot of information about Germans
❤️🌹❤️
I grew up in California, and my folks used to take us to Solvang every 1-2 years. It was founded by Danish settlers in the Napa valley, and it still has a lot of the “old world “ charm. I’ve since moved out of state, but last time I was there (1990) it had a lot of Scandinavian inspired shops, where you could get cuckoo clocks, cooking supplies, those intricate clockwork toys, traditional decorations, even dirndl and lederhosen! It might have changed since then, but I hope not!
Napa valley is North of San Northern California... Solvang is a little bit north of Santa Barbara in Ventura county.southern California
I have always loved Bavarian and Austrian traditional clothing so much that I joined a Bavarian dancing group as an excuse to wear lederhosen. 😅
My tracht, the haferlschuh, goes back to 1803 in the Allgau of Bavaria, where it was created by Franz Schratt. The most famous brand is Haferl and they’re still made there.
I find it nice that you explain the history related to the words used.