Calendar dates and holidays
Kalenderdaten und Feiertage
- The basic dates and holidays
- How do you write the date?
- Personal pronouns - dative
Learn how to talk about calendar dates and holidays in German using the dative case with nouns and personal pronouns. Key vocabulary includes der Feiertag (holiday), der 1. Mai (May 1st), and Weihnachten (Christmas).
Listening and reading
Start this class by listening to the audio and completing the corresponding exercises.
Vocabulary (13) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Sort the following words into the two categories that describe important calendar dates and special celebrations, and briefly explain your choice.
Datum (Kalenderdaten)
Feiertag und Fest
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Der Feiertag
The holiday
2
Schmücken
To decorate
3
Der Tannenbaum
The Christmas tree
4
Frohe Weihnachten!
Merry Christmas!
5
Das Fest
The celebration
Übung 5: Conversation exercise
Anleitung:
- Nenne den Namen des Feiertags und sein Datum. (Say the name of the holiday and it's date.)
- Was sind deine Pläne für die Feiertage? Mit wem wirst du sie verbringen? (What are your plans for the holidays? With whom are you going to spend it?)
- Welcher Tag ist heute? (What day is today?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Weihnachten ist am fünfundzwanzigsten Dezember. Christmas is the twenty-fifth of December. |
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Sommerferien sind im Juli und August. Summer holiday is in July and august. |
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Ostern fällt immer auf ein anderes Datum. Easter is always on another date. |
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Ich plane, Weihnachten mit meiner Familie zu feiern. I plan to celebrate christmas with my family. |
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Ich werde Silvester mit meinen Freunden feiern. I am going to celebrate new year's with my friends. |
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Heute ist der vierzehnte Februar 2025. Today is the forteenth of february of 2025. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Wir __________ den Tannenbaum immer am 24. Dezember.
(We __________ the Christmas tree always on December 24th.)2. Du __________ das Haus für das Fest im Frühling.
(You __________ the house for the spring festival.)3. Er __________ das Wohnzimmer mit Blumen zum Karneval.
(He __________ the living room with flowers for Carnival.)4. Wir __________ das Haus, bevor der Urlaub beginnt.
(We __________ the house before the holiday begins.)Exercise 8: The Festival on May 1st
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Schmücken - Decorate
Präsens
- ich schmücke
- du schmückst
- er/sie/es schmückt
- wir schmücken
- ihr schmückt
- sie/Sie schmücken
Freuen - Look forward
Präsens
- ich freue
- du freust
- er/sie/es freut
- wir freuen
- ihr freut
- sie/Sie freuen
Besuchen - Visit
Präsens
- ich besuche
- du besuchst
- er/sie/es besucht
- wir besuchen
- ihr besucht
- sie/Sie besuchen
Bringen - Bring
Präsens
- ich bringe
- du bringst
- er/sie/es bringt
- wir bringen
- ihr bringt
- sie/Sie bringen
Helfen - Help
Präsens
- ich helfe
- du hilfst
- er/sie/es hilft
- wir helfen
- ihr helft
- sie/Sie helfen
Planen - Plan
Präsens
- ich plane
- du planst
- er/sie/es plant
- wir planen
- ihr plant
- sie/Sie planen
Exercise 9: Wie gibt man das Datum an?
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: How do you write the date?
Show translation Show answers1. Mai, am, im, 10. März, 22. Februar, am 5. Juli 2025
Exercise 10: Personalpronomen - Dativ
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Personal pronouns - dative
Show translation Show answerseuch, ihr, dir, Ihnen, mir, uns, ihm
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Schmücken to decorate Share Copied!
Präsens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) schmücke | I decorate |
| (du) schmückst | you decorate |
| (er/sie/es) schmückt | he decorates/she decorates/it decorates |
| (wir) schmücken | we decorate |
| (ihr) schmückt | you decorate |
| (sie) schmücken | they decorate |
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Lesson Overview: Calendar Dates and Holidays in German
This lesson introduces fundamental vocabulary and grammar to talk about dates, holidays, and events in German, aiming at level A1 learners. You will learn how to express calendar dates with the correct use of the dative case, understand important German holidays, and use personal pronouns in the dative. This foundation helps you describe when events happen and discuss celebrations and traditions commonly observed in German-speaking countries.
Key Grammar Topics
- Nouns and Articles in the Dative Case: Learn how the dative affects articles and nouns, for example in phrases like am 1. Mai (on the 1st of May).
- Expressing Dates: Practice how to say dates in German, such as am 31. Dezember (on December 31st), using the dative preposition am (an dem).
- Personal Pronouns with the Dative: Understand how pronouns change in dative, e.g., ich schenke meiner Mutter (I give my mother a gift), focusing on the indirect object.
Useful Vocabulary: Holidays and Dates
Get familiar with common holiday names and date expressions:
- der Feiertag (holiday)
- der Karneval (Carnival)
- Weihnachten (Christmas)
- Ostern (Easter)
- Silvester (New Year's Eve)
- Neujahr (New Year)
- das Fest (festival)
- der 1. Mai (May 1st)
- der 10. März (March 10th)
- der 22. Februar (February 22nd)
Examples of Common Sentences
- Am 1. Mai haben viele Menschen in Deutschland einen Feiertag. (On May 1st many people in Germany have a holiday.)
- Ich schenke meiner Mutter zu Weihnachten einen kleinen Tannenbaum. (I give my mother a small Christmas tree for Christmas.)
- Am 31. Dezember feiern wir Silvester mit Freunden und essen zusammen. (On December 31st we celebrate New Year's Eve with friends and eat together.)
- Kannst du mir sagen, an welchem Tag Karneval beginnt? (Can you tell me on which day Carnival begins?)
- Im Januar wünsche ich dir ein frohes neues Jahr! (I wish you a happy new year in January!)
- Wir schmücken den Tannenbaum am Abend vor Weihnachten. (We decorate the Christmas tree on the evening before Christmas.)
Differences and Useful Notes for English Speakers
German expresses dates differently than English. Instead of saying "on May 1st," German uses the dative case introduced by the contraction am (an dem) plus the date in ordinal form, such as am 1. Mai. Articles change accordingly in the dative. Also, personal pronouns change much more in German, especially in the dative case, which is often used for indirect objects, e.g., from ich to mir, or from meine Mutter to meiner Mutter.
Some useful everyday phrases include:
- Welcher Tag ist heute? – What day is today?
- Am 1. Mai feiern viele Menschen den Tag der Arbeit. – On May 1st many people celebrate Labor Day.
- Ich schenke meiner Mutter ein Geschenk. – I give my mother a gift.
Focus on using am plus the date and getting comfortable with the dative articles and pronouns to talk naturally about calendar events and holidays in German.
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