Holiday Discrepancy

When you think of Christmas, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Trees, Santa Claus, or gifts maybe? Yeah, that’s what I thought. When I say Easter, you say eggs and bunnies, right? I can assure you, that’s not your fault; it’s part of our culture. However, this culture disconnected the origins and purposes of those holidays from what we are actually celebrating. Or did you really think about Jesus when I was asking that question?
Here in Germany we have another strange misinterpretation of an official holiday probably known to you as Ascension Day. Since there are only a few religious people in Northern Germany, the majority refers to it as „Vatertag“ (Father’s Day) or „Herrentag“ (Gentlemen’s Day). Whoever had this idea was a smart fellow given that Ascension Day is always on Thursdays whereas Mother’s Day, the equivalent for women, is always on Sundays when most people don’t have to work anyways.
So, what do guys who consider themselves „real gentlemen“ do on a day like this? They take an alcoholic trip into nature, get into a fight with some other „gentlemen“ on the way and have a barbecue when they finally arrive at their destination. This is, of course, before they bring out their own interpretation of the movie „The Hangover“. You wonder why they do all this? Well, I have not the slightest idea.
But before your perception of German men goes completely down the drain, let me point out that there are indeed men, who are a bit more classy. They might go hunting or fishing or even spend time with their families but unfortunately, these are just a minority. The bottom line is that if you don’t enjoy the confrontation with a drunken mob, I suggest you better stay inside.