- Sunday is a day of rest in Germany. Most shops close and people tend not to do hard work.
- German children are usually given a comprehensive sexual education from a young age. As such, society tends to be quite honest and open about sex and sexuality. The appropriateness of conversations around these topics clearly varies depending on the social context, and people’s opinions cannot be presumed.
- Some Germans may be quite relaxed about nudity. There is a tradition of ‘Freikörperkultur’ (FKK) or ‘free body culture’ in Northern Germany and in the East particularly.
- Many Germans consider themselves ‘Weltmeister’ (world champions) at taking vacations. Indeed, when travelling elsewhere in the world, one is likely to bump into a German. Schools are closed for a total of 13 weeks every year, and employees get at least 24 days of paid leave each year.
- In Germany, regular immersion in nature is thought to be good for your ‘Seele’ (soul). Many Germans like to ‘Wandern’ (go hiking) to enjoy the environment.
- Cigarette smoking is a common habit in Germany. People are still allowed to smoke in many public places, even on the property of some schools. Until relatively recently people were still allowed to smoke in all restaurants and bars. Today, to do so, it needs to be labelled 'Raucherbar' (smoker bar). The late ban on smoking in Germany is partly due to the fact that the Nazi’s outlawed smoking during their time in power. Therefore, the German government has been hesitant to copy Nazi policy.
German Culture
Other Considerations

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The figure of the total population of each country is drawn from the global estimates listed in the CIA World Factbook , unless otherwise stated. Statistics describing the country’s linguistic, religious and ethnic demographics are based on its most recent national census. However, if these statistics are out-dated, unavailable, unreliable, or the country’s statistical department does not formally gather information on the categories listed, the Cultural Atlas substitutes the most recent global estimates cited in the CIA World Factbook.
All other statistical information on the demographics of the migrant population in Australia is based on the 2016 Australian Housing and Population Census. This was retrieved from the Department of Home Affairs’ Community Information Summaries.
You can find a direct link to all these sources under the ‘References’ tab at the bottom of the page, as well as the date this profile was published (indicating when these statistics were last updated).