In Germany kids go to school Monday through Friday, beginning at 8 am, and then go home for lunch at 1 pm or so. High school kids might go back to school until 3 pm one or two days a week. If there isn't a lunch service that brings food to the school in heated aluminum trays, they will sometimes eat at home but older kids also usually have money to buy something at the supermarket if they like. They may also bring something to eat from home.

There are several four-day weekends when kids don't have to go to school. These are mostly religious holidays and since there are more Catholics in Bavaria int he south of Germany there are also more school holidays there as well.

In February there is Karneval, the traditional carnival season that takes place the week before Ash Wednesday. The biggest parties take place on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday). Kids go to school dressed up and then get out around 11:00 so that they can attend costume parties and a parade. Their costumes are mostly not scary, like Halloween costumes in the United States are. They dress up as princesses, fairies, Indians, cowboys and clowns. Sometimes kids put a rope across the street and demand Faschingszoll (a toll) from the cars that try to pass. The driver gives some sweets or small change for permission to drive on

Besides the parties at Karneval the biggest event is the parade. Floats representing different organizations pass through the city, and the people on them call out "Helau!" or the name of the city. The crowds answer back "Helau!" and are rewarded with a shower of candy or little toys. Sometimes a Karnevalsprinz and prinzessin are elected with the idea that they will rule the city during the holiday. The prince, princess and their Hofstaat are one of the central floats in the parade.

Even the smallest towns will have a summer fair, similar to the ones that take place in the United States. There are food stands many with special elaborately decorated cookies, a merry-go-round, auto scooters, shooting stands, and a roller coaster.