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Cool fall evenings held together by community and late-season harvests are a perfect platform for a holiday of gratitude. The people of Germany take full advantage of this remarkable season with its celebration of Erntedankfest, a harvest festival featuring exquisite feasts of traditional German food and grateful community.
Should you find yourself presented with the culturally rich opportunity to take part in the festivities of Erntedankfest for the first time, learn what this holiday is all about and how to celebrate it in this guide.
What does Erntedankfest mean?
Like many long German words, Erntedankfest is a combination of shorter German terms that have been glued together to create a new meaning. There are three words that make up Erntedankfest:
- Ernte = harvest
- Dank = thanks, gratitude
- Fest = festival, celebration
In short, Erntedankfest is a “harvest-thanks-festival.” This is very similar in wording to Thanksgiving, America’s equivalent to Erntedankfest. Breaking a larger term in the German language down to its core components is an essential skill to practice as you learn German, and can help you build your vocabulary based on words you already know!
What is Erntedankfest?
So, what is Erntedankfest (harvest-thanks-festival) in Germany? Held every year on the first Sunday in October, Erntedankfest is Germany’s harvest festival celebrating the final harvest of food crops for the season. Since it’s October, Erntedankfest falls after the autumn equinox, which happens in September.
The focus of this holiday is gratitude, both for the bountiful food that will keep bellies full and the people who made the successful harvest possible. It’s a time to come together, either as a family or a community, and give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest or to simply revel in gratitude for another year of plentiful food.
The celebration features spreads of fresh vegetables, grains, and the traditional roasted goose. In larger cities, this can be accompanied by parades, fireworks, and German music for a show worth experiencing.
How did Erntedankfest start?
While the official date for celebrating Erntedankfest was set in 1972, the celebration of a harvest festival is a long-held German tradition, possibly even centuries old.
Because of the expansive agriculture in Germany, societies have been giving thanks for their harvests with feasts and festivals since pagan times. Back then, Germans gave thanks to polytheistic Gods of harvest, fertility, and prosperity for their successful food growth. Now, the holiday is sponsored by catholic and protestant churches in Germany as well as more secular celebrations by families and communities.
Popular foods and drinks to try at the festival
As with any feast, the family or community you’re joining will have a wide variety of traditional German foods to enjoy for Erntedankfest. If you don’t have a hosting family or community to join for Erntedankfest, you could always search for a high-quality German beer garden that is open for the holiday.
If you’re comfortable with how to order food in German, this can be an excellent way to experience the German culture around the festival and make new, native-speaking German friends as well!
See the table below to learn names of foods and drinks popular at Erntedankfest feasts in German, along with their meanings in English:
| German Food/Drink | English Translation |
| Apfelkuchen | apple cake |
| Apfelwein | apple cider |
| Bier | beer |
| Brezeln | pretzels |
| Erbsen | peas |
| Erntedankbrot | harvest bread |
| Gänsebraten | roast goose |
| Kartoffeln | potatoes |
| Kürbisbrot | pumpkin bread |
| Kürbissuppe | pumpkin soup |
| Möhren | carrots |
| Pflaumenkompott | stewed plums |
| Rosenkohl | brussels sprouts |
| Rotkohl | red cabbage |
| Sauerkraut | fermented cabbage |
Unique Erntedankfest traditions
Given the vast history of Erntedankfest (harvest-thanks-festival), it’s only natural for the holiday to have picked up some traditions and customs that make it stand out. Though the shining star of Erntedankfest for Americans is typically the food spread, there are many other events you can participate in or watch from the sidelines—whatever floats your boat!
There are a few traditions you might like to participate in. Discover which ones will be right for you and plan your day around them for a memorable Erntedankfest celebration.
Take part in making the Erntekrone
In Germany, it is believed that the last bundle of wheat collected from the fields holds the spirit of the entire harvest. To honor the harvest, this last bit of wheat is fashioned into a traditional Erntekrone, or “harvest crown.” This can be small enough to wear.
Other sheaves of wheat and similar inedible parts of plans are formed by communities into massive display pieces used to adorn the festivities, which are also referred to as the Erntekrone. Due to their size, these pieces are put together by several members of the community. Feel free to offer your help and experience German culture firsthand!
All hail the Erntekönigin!
Featured as a centerpiece for parades, festivities, and handing out food to those in need, the Erntekönigin (harvest queen) is a young woman chosen to represent fertility, prosperity, and gratitude for the year’s crops.
She can be chosen by the celebrating family, by the representatives of a community, or even by popular vote at some gatherings. You can see her at the forefront of special events held during Erntedankfest.
Laternenumzug: An evening parade of light
Once you’ve eaten your fill, met new German-speaking friends, and engaged in the festivities for the day, you can cap off your Erntedankfest (harvest-thanks-festival) with the Laternenumzug (lantern parade).
The parade is held late in the evening when the sun starts to set. The local children, often led by the Erntekönigin (harvest queen), hold lanterns and parade from one area of celebration, such as a church or feast hall, to another. The dying light from the sun gives brilliance to the torches held by the children, making this a perfect end to a perfect German day of celebration.
Practical tips for first-time visitors
If it’s your first time attending Erntedankfest (harvest-thanks-festival), here are a few things to keep in mind to make the most of the experience:
- Dress for the outdoors! Many festivities, meals, and parades are held outdoors for Erntedankfest and it can get chilly in Germany’s Autumn.
- Participation is usually informal, but respectful behavior goes a long way. Remember that this holiday is a family-friendly event.
- Look for seasonal specialties like pumpkin soup, harvest breads, and late-season juice harvests for the freshest taste!
Be careful not to confuse Erntedankfest with Oktoberfest in Germany, which is mostly held in September. The two festivities are unique and distinct from each other, so accidently swapping one with the other will make you seem more like a tourist than an enthusiast of German culture. Take some time to brush up on your months of the year in German for an easy way to keep the two holidays separate in your memory!
Key takeaways for Erntedankfest
There are many overlaps between the celebration of Erntedankfest in Germany and Thanksgiving in America. Here are some key takeaways to consider about this German harvest festival:
- Erntedankfest means “harvest-thanks-festival” and celebrates the year’s final food crop harvest.
- Germans celebrate Erntedankfest with feasts of fresh, traditional foods, parades, church sermons, and sometimes fireworks as well.
- If you’re participating in Erntedankfest for the first time, remember to remain respectful of the family-friendly atmosphere and dress for the chilly German Autumn weather.
Look for traditions like the Ertnekrone (harvest crown) or Laternenumzug (lantern parade) to experience German culture firsthand.
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