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Inside Germany: Midsummer traditions and an exodus of foreigners

Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might've missed. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. Summer arrives Saturday, June 21st is the summer solstice, or the Sommersonnonwende which marks the official start to the summer season from a meteorological point of view. While Midsummer is not an official holiday in Germany like it is in Sweden or Finland, it is still a day of celebration for many - and as the longest day of the year, it offers a great opportunity for outdoor adventures and activities long into the evening. Christians in Germany may know the day as Johannistag, or St. Johns day, which was historically celebrated with the lighting of a bonfire and a big feast. Like so many of the big Christian holidays, St. John's Day can be traced back to pagan rituals. Germanic tribes thought that on the shortest night of the year Odin, father of the gods, came down to earth to bless its harvests. Later, after Christianity had spread far and wide in Germany, the seasonal celebration was shifted to focus on John the Baptist. But old traditions are hard to change and in many places pagan traditions didn't really end, so much as they were altered and woven into new Christian traditions. A decree issued in Nuremberg in 1653 gave people back the right to celebrate the occasion with bonfires and other superstitious activities meant to rid the town of evil spirits. Interestingly, St. John's Day marks the end of the asparagus growing season in Germany. So if you haven't had your fill Spargel yes, you'll want to get some soon. Another option for celebrating the longest day is with music and dancing late into the evening - many German cities have events planned for Fête de la Musique . Members of a musical group from Lombok, Indonesia perform for Fête de la Musique in front of the concert hall on the Gendarmenmarkt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder Foreigners leaving Germany We reported Monday that a new study found that roughly a quarter of Germany's immigrant population is thinking about calling it quits and leaving the country . Of course, the flip side is that three-quarters of the population are not immediately thinking about leaving. The study found that more than half of those surveyed said they planned to settle in Germany indefinitely. Advertisement Still, one out of four immigrants wanting to leave does seem to be a pretty strong signal that all is not well for foreigners in the Bundesrepublik . Also interesting is the fact that most of those who want to go are skilled workers and people with high levels of education or job qualifications: exactly the kind of people Germany's leaders are hoping to attract in greater numbers. An IAB researcher told us that the far-right surge in the past election could certainly be a factor in the high number of people thinking of leaving Germany. She also noted the importance of removing structural barriers and accelerating and simplifying the processes involved with immigrating and settling here. Bye, bye, Germany: Foreign nationals cite various reasons for leaving the country. Photo: Pixabay While the government has taken some steps in that direction, the current federal leadership doesn't seem to be too focused on the retention of foreigners - skilled or otherwise. We've seen numerous examples of conservative Christian Democrat (CDU) leaders blaming foreigners for various domestic issues. We've also seen them take aim at rules meant to ease immigration and integration - including scrapping the three year fast-track path to citizenship and f amily reunification for refugees . Advertisement In case you missed it: For anyone who pays the radio tax (Rundfunkbeitrag ) manually, be aware that the collection office is going to stop sending payment reminders in the mail. You'll want to set up recurring reminders for those payments in your calendar, or else be slapped with late fees. Alternatively, just opt-in for direct deposit payments so you don't have to worry about it. Also German tax day is coming up, so if you need to file your taxes this year, you'll want to get started on that soon. Alternatively, if you file with a tax adviser you can feasibly put it off for another six to nine months. READ ALSO: The German tax deadlines to know in 2025 Lastly, the summer season also brings the end of the school year and the start of family vacations. We've rounded up the dates for school breaks around the country in case you want to avoid the crowds, or join them!