Bremen customs and traditions – between the Hanseatic League, humor and handshakes
Bremen is small but tradition-conscious. Anyone who lives here or visits the city quickly realizes that customs are not only cultivated in the Hanseatic city, but also lived – often with a wink, clear rules, and a strong sense of community. Many of these traditions date back centuries and continue to connect business, politics, culture and society to this day. Whether festive meals, symbolic rituals, or closely guarded ceremonies: Bremen's customs tell stories of cosmopolitanism, merchant spirit and, in some cases, North German humor.
Here we present the three best-known and, in some cases, somewhat curious customs.
The Bremen Ice Bet – Competition on the Weser
The Bremen Ice Bet is probably one of the city's best-known customs. Every year since 1829, on January 6, bets are placed on whether the Weser river is frozen or not. Sounds simple, but it's not that simple.
According to tradition, it all began in November 1828, when 18 gentlemen from good families made a rather frosty bet: would the Weser River be frozen over before sunrise on January 4, 1829, or not? The stakes were as simple as they were tempting: a communal cale dinner. The idea caught on and so the bet became a tradition that is repeated every year to this day.
Since 1928, the ice test has always taken place on January 6 at 12 noon at the so-called "Punken dyke" – accompanied, of course, by a festive ceremony. The name sounds a little unusual today, but it has historical roots: in the 18th century, “Punken” was a common term for the prostitutes who waited for soldiers at the site of today's Osterdeich.
The central figure in the ice betting ceremony is a tailor who symbolically tests whether he can cross the river with dry feet and a hot iron in his hand. This also means that he must weigh no more than 99 pounds during the test. The weight is checked by the Medicus Publicus in front of everyone present. Today, of course, the whole thing is a ritual with a lot of humor, historical costumes and fixed rules. The Three Kings are also present. After all, they are part of January 6, the day of the Three Kings. The tailor traditionally always arrives late and makes entertaining remarks about world events, culture and politics.
The Ice Bet is also considered the start of the social year in Bremen and brings together representatives from business, politics and culture. Tradition meets networking — typical Bremen.
On the third Saturday in January, the traditional Ice Bet celebration takes place, which is part of the Ice Bet. Around 800 guests gather there. The traditional cale and Pinkel sausage meal is not only a lively celebration, but also a busy fundraising event for a good cause: the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS). Donations to the DGzRS have been an integral part of the Ice Bet celebration since 1928.
The sea rescuers are on duty around the clock and in all weathers to rescue people in distress at sea. With around 200 full-time employees and around 800 volunteers, they are active in the North Sea and Baltic Sea and are almost entirely dependent on donations. The largest single donation of the year traditionally comes from the Ice Bet celebration.
However, this celebration is not a sure-fire success. From a logistical point of view, the Ice Bet celebration is a real challenge: a multi-course menu, numerous speeches, the large fundraising collection, honors for those celebrating anniversaries, the admission of new members, as well as music and cabaret must all fit together perfectly between 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The master of ceremonies keeps a close eye on the schedule and shows no mercy.
Incidentally, who bets at the festival that the Weser is frozen over and who bets against it is decided by lot each year. Strictly speaking, the Weser was last completely frozen over in 1947. But tradition is tradition – and so, year after year, it is checked again to see whether the Weser has perhaps frozen over this time.
The Schaffermahlzeit – the oldest continuing friendship meal in the world
Somewhat more exclusive and legendary is the "Schaffermahlzeit", which has its roots in 1545. It is considered the oldest regularly held banquet in the world.
Every year on the second Friday in February, the Schaffermahlzeit takes place in the upper hall of the town hall. Originally, it was a farewell dinner for the captains after the winter, organized by the merchants before the ships set sail again. In 1545, the "Arme Seefahrt", a kind of foundation or social fund, was founded. This later gave rise to the "Haus Seefahrt" (House Seafearing), which is now based in Grohn (Bremen-North). After the meal, money was always collected to provide financial support to the sailors' surviving dependents. At the same time, retired captains also received a kind of pension from this fund. Today, students at the University of Bremen who are studying something in the field of nautical science/seafaring are also supported by the Haus Seefahrt.
The Schaffermahlzeit always follows the same procedure. The sequence of the menus and speeches is strictly regulated. Everything is very tradition-conscious. The menu is as follows: 1st course: Bremen chicken soup, 2nd course: stockfish, mustard sauce, boiled potatoes, 3rd course: Seefahrtsbier (seafaring beer), 4th course: kale, Pinkel sausage, smoked meat, chestnuts, fried potatoes, 5th course: roast veal, celery salad, St. Catherine's plums, steamed apples, 6th course: Riga butter, anchovies, sausage, tongue, Chester and cream cheese and a fruit basket.
The Seafaring Beer is brewed especially for this occasion. It is so sticky that rumor has it that if you pour it on a bench and sit on it, your pants will stick to it.
Since 1946, the Schaffermahlzeit has been held in the upper hall of City Hall. Every year, 300 guests attend the dinner: 100 commercial members, 100 captains, and 100 invited guests from politics, business and trade. Until 2015, only men were allowed to attend the dinner. There were only two exceptions: the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Captain Barbara Massing. Even today, guests still donate money at the end of the meal. How much is collected is a well-kept secret. Incidentally, the treasurers of the Haus Seefahrt foundation were named as the "Schaffer" at that time.
Strict rules, set speeches, traditional dishes and a clear agenda make the Schaffermahlzeit an event that focuses on Hanseatic values such as reliability, responsibility and public spirit.
The Foundation celebration of the East Asian Association – Bremen's view of the world
Bremen has always been a trading city with an international focus. This is particularly evident at the Foundation celebration of the East Asian Association (OAV).
It all began in 1901 with an idea: to offer merchants and captains who had lived and worked in Asia for a long time a place to meet again. Back in Bremen, they wanted to share their memories of the Far East, meet like-minded people and talk about their experiences. This is how the East Asian Association was founded.
To this day, the East Asian Association is a lively meeting place for people who are committed to establishing, maintaining and developing cultural and economic relations between Asia and Bremen.
The association's traditional events include the foundation festival and a joint curry dinner twice during the winter months.
The annual foundation celebration is a mixture of ceremony, networking event and tradition. Representatives from business, diplomacy, politics and culture meet here, in keeping with Bremen's spirit as a cosmopolitan port and trading city. It always takes place on the last Friday in February, and since 1951 it has also been held in the Upper Hall of Bremen town hall. The custom is also exemplary of Bremen's international networking and its willingness to look beyond its own horizons.
Conclusion: Traditions with character
Bremen's customs are more than just folklore. They combine the past and the present, seriousness and humor, local patriotism and cosmopolitanism. It is precisely this mixture that makes them so typical of Bremen. And if you want to understand Bremen, you should not only see the city - you should also get to know its traditions.
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