When is National German-American Day?
October 6th is National German-American Day.
What is National German-American Day?
Albert Einstein was German-American. So was Robin Williams. German Americans brought us hotdogs, Christmas trees, and many other contributions to American culture. National German-American Day celebrates the German heritage of so many U.S. residents.
The first German Americans were thirteen Mennonite families from Krefeld, Germany who landed in Philadelphia in 1683. They went on to establish Germantown, Pennsylvania. And while German Americans are heavily concentrated in the North Central states, you can now find them throughout the nation.
After World War I, it was unpopular to celebrate German ancestry. President Ronald Reagan changed that in the ‘80s. He toured cold-war Germany in 1982 and spoke about the scientific and cultural contributions of Americans with German ancestry. In 1983, he proclaimed German-American Day, and Congress approved the national holiday in 1987.
Fun facts about National German-American Day!
- German-Americans introduced the first kindergartens in the U.S.
- In 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 43 million German-Americans living in the U.S. with full or partial German descent.
- Seven U.S. presidents have had German ancestry: Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
- Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa have the most Americans of German descent.
How to celebrate National German-American Day:
- Read German literature, like fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, short stories by Anton Chekhov, or anything by Goethe.
- Look up famous Americans with German heritage and learn about their achievements. Find German-American scientists, politicians, philanthropists.
- Can’t speak German? Now is as good a time as any to start learning.
- If you don’t know your heritage, look into your family history. Ask any living grandparents. Research your family on ancestry websites. Whatever you find out, write it down for your kids.
What’s the hashtag for National German-American Day?
Use #GermanAmericanDay on social media to celebrate your German heritage.