Tuesday was May 1 - May Day - the celebration world-wide of working people. And, we went to a May Day celebration in a local park on this national holiday in Germany.
The stage showed the many groups in solidarity with one another for the workers and their families.
There's always a chance to support the good work with sausages and beer (the sign behind me says "Beer brewing can be a form of art." It seemed like most of the "workers" celebrating May Day were grey folks like me who currently are not "gainfully" employed. Not to say that Ruth is not working HARD . . . and I am certainly in solidarity with her doing that, keeping up my energy with plenty of kuchen (pastries), chocolate and the occasional beer . . . but just to say that the "workers movement" (at least in Ludwigshafen) seems pretty old and grey.
One of the main reasons we went was to support our friends at Respekt Menschen! - who had a booth. Their flyers were all over the food tables - encouraging attendees to support the recent refugees who have taken shelter in LU. There were about twenty different booths, all promoting social engagement and working families.
Looking on all these holidays as a former retailer, I blanch a bit at the idea of so many lost days of selling (even though our stores were closed every Sunday). But Ruth has happy memories of being a school student and having so many breaks in the school year. It made the year generally less stressful - the schools run until late June or into July, depending on the state. And summer vacation is less than half the length of North America's.
It is interesting what makes up "culture" even in liberal democracies that have tried hard to make the state safe for all religions, tribes and peoples - whether native or immigrant. Germany has a reputation as one of the most productive countries in the world - when people work in Germany, they work. They don't answer cell phones from home or try to run a business on the side - they work when they work. And maybe it is because they take so many holidays and vacation days that they are able to be so productive. This past spring a study showed the average worker in Germany working 1363 hours in 2017 compared to the average American working 1783 and Canadian 1703. The study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been quoted widely in the international press (here's an example from the London Telegraph).
It is fascinating how often particularly American media has read this as "who works the hardest in the world" - not, what the report tallies - who works the longest hours in he world. Just sayin'- reminds me of the old time management slogan: "Are you working hard, or are you working smart?" The measure of work is not how long you work, but how much you get done. And Germans get a lot done in a lot fewer hours. ... and then take a holiday . . . Just sayin' . . .
The stage showed the many groups in solidarity with one another for the workers and their families.
There's always a chance to support the good work with sausages and beer (the sign behind me says "Beer brewing can be a form of art." It seemed like most of the "workers" celebrating May Day were grey folks like me who currently are not "gainfully" employed. Not to say that Ruth is not working HARD . . . and I am certainly in solidarity with her doing that, keeping up my energy with plenty of kuchen (pastries), chocolate and the occasional beer . . . but just to say that the "workers movement" (at least in Ludwigshafen) seems pretty old and grey.
One of the main reasons we went was to support our friends at Respekt Menschen! - who had a booth. Their flyers were all over the food tables - encouraging attendees to support the recent refugees who have taken shelter in LU. There were about twenty different booths, all promoting social engagement and working families.
While at it, this year marks the hundredth anniversary of women in Germany getting the right to vote - a year after Canada and two years before the 19th Amendment gave the same rights to women in the USA. Talk about solidarity with hard workers!
Speaking of working and not working, here's just an observation: it is amazing how "religious" Germany is for a "post-Christian" society. In May there will be four public holidays in the state of Rheinland-Palatinate, and all but today are Christian holy-days: Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension day May 10), Pfingstmontag (Pentecost Monday May 20) and Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi - the Catholic holiday that celebrates the Eucharist or Holy Communion.) Some of these holidays fall during the week - like today (Tuesday) - and many schools have off Monday (and some Wednesday as well). Shops close as well as all other government services. There is no option for stores other than restaurants, coffee shops and tourist attractions to stay open.
Just one reason that Walmart was not successful in Germany - not only could it not be open all night any night, but they had to be closed every holiday. (There are also stories of many other reasons - like Germans not embracing the greeters at the doors or forcing cashiers to smile or their locations on the edge of towns when most people don't want to drive - and then there was the formidable presence of Aldi, who they never were able to undersell or even compete with.) Read the classic NYT story of Walmart's failure from over a decade ago.
Looking on all these holidays as a former retailer, I blanch a bit at the idea of so many lost days of selling (even though our stores were closed every Sunday). But Ruth has happy memories of being a school student and having so many breaks in the school year. It made the year generally less stressful - the schools run until late June or into July, depending on the state. And summer vacation is less than half the length of North America's.
It is interesting what makes up "culture" even in liberal democracies that have tried hard to make the state safe for all religions, tribes and peoples - whether native or immigrant. Germany has a reputation as one of the most productive countries in the world - when people work in Germany, they work. They don't answer cell phones from home or try to run a business on the side - they work when they work. And maybe it is because they take so many holidays and vacation days that they are able to be so productive. This past spring a study showed the average worker in Germany working 1363 hours in 2017 compared to the average American working 1783 and Canadian 1703. The study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been quoted widely in the international press (here's an example from the London Telegraph).
It is fascinating how often particularly American media has read this as "who works the hardest in the world" - not, what the report tallies - who works the longest hours in he world. Just sayin'- reminds me of the old time management slogan: "Are you working hard, or are you working smart?" The measure of work is not how long you work, but how much you get done. And Germans get a lot done in a lot fewer hours. ... and then take a holiday . . . Just sayin' . . .
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