Last Wednesday was The Day of German Unity slash Reunification Day. It was my second celebration, which was really a non-celebration.
Plus, last year it was a gorgeous, warm, and sunny day filled with people's last chance at sailing on the Alster Lake or eating an ice cream cone outside. This year many people stayed inside because of the dark and rainy weather.
There isn't really much to "do" on such a public holiday. And from what I gathered from the German I spoke with, the day doesn't really mean much. For some, the day the Wall actually fell is more important. For some, neither day really means much.
However, for a rather unpatriotic (in the American sense) country, it was nice to see a large German flag waving at the Rathaus. I did force myself outside for a brief time in order to obtain sustenance.
What the holiday does encourage, as many seem to encourage, is partying the night before and sleeping in the next day. At least this is my perception. I went to an international event and we kept the party going until 3am. Not bad for a Tuesday. Bonus points for public transportation running all night like a weekend.
The rest of my day included watching a German movie on TV called die Wolke, which was about a nuclear catastrophe that killed a lot of people and caused many others to suffer from various cancers.
Despite what I've just shared, it was actually a nice day and a great way to break up the week. Two 2-day work weeks actually felt invigorating and challenging. Yet, I'm very ready for the weekend.
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