German Term 1 Wrap

German – Karneval und Ostern 2025

Term 1 at Heathmont flew by! Our new Year 7 students were busy getting to know new school routines, including for many, starting a new language. The culture of the language is always a popular focus for our learners and they again had the opportunity to experience that by learning about Karneval and Ostern this year.

Karneval – a term originating from Latin meaning “goodbye to meat” - is also known as Fasching or Fastnacht in different German-speaking regions and is the period immediately before Lent in the Christian calendar. While originally an important part of religious life, it is now part of the culture. 

Students in our Year 7 German classes learnt about how this is celebrated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Many cities and towns hold annual parades, where residents dress up and party in the streets for days! 

“Masken” are a popular part of the costumes worn. Inspired by traditional and modern masks, our students created their own and paraded them, demonstrating their artistic talent and creativity.

Before we knew it, the end of Term 1 was upon us and minds turned to our Easter celebrations. In class, students shared their own family traditions, while learning about how “Ostern” is celebrated in German-speaking regions.

Easter trees – usually bare branches or small trees yet to regrow their leaves after the European winter – are hung with hand-decorated eggs in gardens. Our Year 7 and 8 German students decorated their own paper shapes to create a 2D version for display in class.