Traditions are how culture is felt, not just taught. Through the year we celebrate the German customs that have brought families together for generations — and everyone is welcome, German-speaking or not.
Every November, as the evenings draw in, we hold our Laternenfest — the lantern festival tied to the feast of St. Martin. In the weeks beforehand, each child crafts their own lantern. Then, at dusk, children and parents gather and walk together, lanterns glowing, singing the old songs "Laterne, Laterne" and "Ich geh mit meiner Laterne." It is simple and luminous: no stage, no audience — just a community walking side by side into the dark with a little light each.
Our Laternenfest is not something we invented for a brochure — it is a living tradition with a real local history. Ute began this lantern celebration years ago at her beloved Kinderschule, and it grew into a cherished gathering for German families across the area. When Ute retired, the tradition did not end: Heike and Ute now continue it together, hand in hand, so the lanterns keep glowing for a new generation of children.
It means new families step into a warm, established community on day one — not a brand-new event, but one with years of love behind it.
The calendar gives a gentle, repeating rhythm children can feel — each celebration a little doorway into language and culture.
Our signature celebration. In the weeks before, the children build their own paper lanterns; then families gather at dusk for a lantern walk, singing "Laterne, Laterne" together. It is warm, simple, and unforgettable — a real community evening, not a performance.
On the morning of December 6th, children who leave a polished boot out the night before find it filled with mandarins, nuts, and a small treat — a gentle, low-key German tradition the little ones adore.
German carnival is a riot of costumes, music, and silliness. The children come in costume, we decorate the room, dance, and play — a joyful midwinter release with plenty of "Helau!".
We dye eggs, decorate an Osterstrauch (Easter branch), and the children hunt for little nests in the garden — folding spring, nature, and language together.
Songs, finger-rhymes, and picture books in German thread through every ordinary day — at circle time, snack, and goodbye. This is where most of the language actually lives.
Many of the families who love our Laternenfest most have no German heritage at all — they simply want their children to grow up with warmth, ritual, and a wider sense of the world. Whether you are German, partly German, or simply curious, there is a lantern waiting for your child.
Book a tour to meet the team and ask about upcoming celebrations — we would love to walk with you.
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