Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Public Holidays in Berlin in 2012
Germany takes its public holidays seriously: they're "celebrated" on the day they fall on (no postponement to the following Monday etc.), and - with certain exceptions - all shops are closed.
Note that public holidays in Germany differ somewhat between federal states (Bundesländer), and some of the more Catholic states have extra holidays.
Overview of public holidays in Berlin (2012):
| Date | Name | in German |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 (Sun.) | New Years's Day | Neujahr |
| April 6 (Fri.) |
Good Friday | Karfreitag |
| April 9 (Mon.) |
Easter Monday | Ostermontag |
| May 1 (Tue.) | Mayday | Maifeiertag / Tag der Arbeit |
| May 17 (Thu.) | Ascension Day | Christ Himmelfahrt |
| May 28 (Mon.) | Whitsun / Pentecost | Pfingstmontag |
| October 3 (Wed.) | Unity Day | Tag der Deutschen Einheit |
| December 25 (Tue.) | Christmas Day | 1. Weihnachtstag |
| December 26 (Wed.) | Boxing Day | 2. Weihnachtstag |
Posted at 9:31 AM in
Celebrating Harmony in Diversity
The World Culture Festival, to be held July 2-3, 2011 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, will be a celebration of the diverse cultures of the world. With an expected attendance of 70,000+ people from over 150 countries, this Festival will showcase music, dance and food from across the globe.
The Festival will mark the 30th anniversary of The Art of Living Foundation, a UN-accredited non-profit whose programs have benefitted over 55 million people in 151 countries across the world.
The Festival will recognize and celebrate the traditions and values of all cultures and peoples of the world. It will also highlight the vast cultural heritage of India. Special programs on Yoga, Indian-dance and vegetarian cuisine will allow participants to experience the richness of the Indian subcontinent.
Main theme
Celebrating diversity:
Coming together as a one world family and
celebrating the uniqueness of cultures from over 150 countries.
Inner Peace for Global Peace: An individual at
peace is the foundation of a society at peace.
Cultural Festival:
The overarching objective of the World Culture Festival is to further the Art of Living Foundation’s vision of a stress-free, violence-free society. It is a time to come together as a one-world family. The program objectives are:
• Inner peace as a means of achieving Global peace and emphasize that an individual at peace is the basis of a society at peace.
• Highlight the unique contributions of yoga and meditation in creating inner peace, harmony and improved physical and mental health
• Celebrate Harmony in Diversity
• Initiate people to people inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue
• Underscore the human values that are common to all traditions and cultures through dance, music and food.
Themes:
The World Culture Festival will have various themed tracks or “theme-parks” and “villages”:
Inter Cultural Dialogue – Connecting People, Celebrating Diversity
This event will create a platform for interaction between the peoples of different cultures from across the globe so that we all come to understand, appreciate and celebrate the diversity of the world. Government representatives, business leaders, non-profit leaders, religious and spiritual leaders, peace-makers and social celebrities from the world over will share their thoughts on creating a one-world family. Sub-themes include:
• Women’s conference
• Global Peace conference
• Literature of the World: Authors & Poets of the World
Intercultural Music and Dance Village – Music and Dance as the Language of the Heart
The history of a people is found in its songs and dances. The Festival will bring together leading dance and music troops from around the globe, with dazzling performances from their individual countries as well as collaboratively with other nations. Highlights include:
• Chinese 1000 Hands Dance
• Whirling Dervishes
• 6000+ Guitarists to attempt creating a new Guinness Record
• Yoga Dance
• Workshops to learn musical instruments from around the world
Intercultural Food Village – Flavors & Aromas of the World
The world will witness one of the largest international vegetarian food festivals ever. Participants will get a chance to:
• Purchase some of the exotic ingredients from around the world – from Indian spices to Swiss Chocolate
• Learn more about vegetarianism
• Learn from chefs cooking and sharing their culinary secrets
• Learn to cook the Ayurvedic way
• Get recommendations on what to eat based on their Ayurvedic body/mind type.
Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda Park – Holistic, healthy individual as a basis of healthy, wholesome society
Various yoga masters and schools will come together to share their wisdom on how to create health, inner peace and joy. Highlights include:
• Yoga Classes from various teachers and traditions
• Exhibition from various international yoga schools on topics including
• Children Yoga
• Laughter Yoga
• Sports Yoga
• Symposium on the scientific / research findings about the benefits of yoga
• Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Products for a healthy body, skin and mind
Grand Guitar Ensemble for Peace
2nd July, 21.30 - 22.45, Olympiastadion Berlin
The World Culture Festival in Berlin will host a colorful concert with 6,500 guitarists from every corner of the world gathering together.
Is there a block booking register with OofL and can we block book flights with other Oof L members.
I look forward to yourreply
namaste
Drea