Crazy traditions!

One of the things I love the most when I am in a new country is to discover and experience the different traditions that are celebrated in that country. It is so interesting to see how things are done somewhere else. Sometimes it is easy to forget that things are different everywhere, that because we celebrate one special occasion in a certain way does not mean that it is done the same way everywhere else.
In Germany, for example, it is bad luck to wish someone Happy Birthday! before that person's actual birthday. That means that if your birthday falls on a Monday, you will not celebrate it with your friends and family the week-end before, but rather the week-end after, to avoid bad luck for the new year to come.
Another tradition not known at all to us, but so interesting, is something called a Polterabend (Annie, Julie, Patrice, Carl et Caro- cette entrée va vous rappeller des souvenirs!). A Polterabend is generally celebrated the Thursday night before a couple is to be married. The purpose of the evening is for all the guests that are invited to bring old dishes (only porcelain- no glass) and to proceed to smash everything on the ground, trying to brake things in the smallest pieces possible. Apparently doing so is supposed to bring luck to the soon-to-be-married couple. The future bride and groom have to clean up all the pieces before 12 o'clock midnight, and the guests are supposed to make the cleaning-up process rather difficult, by for example tipping over the wheelbarrow full of broken dishes or spreading the pieces everywhere.
At this particular Polterabend, we were more than 200 people, so as you all can imagine, there were A LOT of broken pieces of everything from plates, to cups, to vases and even an old toilet!!! As this was my first ever Polterabend, my friend Anja managed to find me 35 plates to brake- fun times!!!!
A party would not be a party here in Germany without something to drink! The couple provides food and drinks for everyone invited. The 200 people attending this party managed to polish off 400 liters of beer and 70 bottles of Schnapps- yes, that means a lot of headaches the next day!!!!
As this party took place in a small town, some of the music was provided by the local fire brigade, who not only put out fires, but also play various instruments! They provide their musical services for all big occasions in the town.
It was a most interesting evening and I am glad that I got to experience such a fun and different tradition.