Journeys in Germany: Family

An outlook shown through short stories about food, culture, travel and humor.

Coming Home for Lunch at Noon

Remember the old days, when you would come home for lunch during the day and enjoy a hot warm meal? Well, those days aren’t over. At least in Switzerland they’re not. It’s extremely common to have a lunch break, especially in the schools. School will literally shut down for an hour during noon-ish. All children will leave and go get lunch, with many children heading home and enjoying a meal with their parents. I love that this is still valued in the world and find it extremely important. It gives not only the children, but parents a break from their work/day to enjoy a meal. It’s also a great time for family bonding.

Living Next Door

Many families in Germany live next door to each other. Or in the same house. This is an all too familiar concept in Germany. It’s not uncommon that a family might live on one or two levels of a house and the sons, daughters or extended family might live on a whole other floor (for example, a basement). It’s also not uncommon for the siblings to live next door with their own families. I am personally not a fan of this concept, as I like my space away from family. Some love this concept though, as they are always close by if they need something.