Hey, guess what!? Not all Germans wear Lederhosen!
Hey everyone! I’m Dana and you’re watching Wanted Adventure Living Abroad.
Before moving to Germany I actually didn’t really have too many preconceived ideas about the
German culture or the clothes that Germans wear.
It was only after I moved here that I started noticing some Germans saying that they didn’t really
like how sometimes people that weren't from Germany just kind of assume or think that all German
guys wear Lederhosen all the time.
So even though I didn’t think that all German guys wore Lederhosen all the time, I’ve
decided that it would still be a good thing to just go ahead and clear up in a video.
But before I get onto that, let’s clear up the little business of the word itself.
In the U.S. you’ll actually often hear this word pronounced "Liederhosen."
And yes, I have definitely been guilty of saying it this way as well.
But in fact, that’s not even what they’re called.
In German Lieder are songs.
So Liederhosen would be something like song pants, when in fact they are leather pants: Lederhosen.
So Lederhosen not Liederhosen. Lederhosen.
And now on to the main event.
As someone who has lived here in Germany for about 7 years, I can honestly look you in
the eyes and promise you: it is not the case that all German men wear Lederhosen all the time.
In fact, most German men don’t wear Lederhosen all the time.
And actually, most German men don’t wear Lederhosen any of the time at all.
Isn’t that right Mr. German Man?
Uh-huh, yeah.
Just kidding. Just kidding.
About Mr. German Man playing video games in Lederhosen...not about the fact that most
German guys don’t wear Lederhosen all the time.
That part is totally true.
But so then, if most German guys don’t even ever wear Lederhosen, where did this idea
come from, and why does Mr. German Man have a pair of Lederhosen?
Well, the idea comes from the fact that some German guys do wear Lederhosen.
Lederhosen are the traditional leather pants from the region of Germany where I live, Bavaria,
and also in Austria.
Lederhosen are the counterpart to the women’s traditional outfit, which is called a Dirndl.
Together the Dirndl and the Lederhosen are part of what’s called Tracht, which is the
word for traditional clothes in German-speaking countries.
But so, if you’ve been watching my videos for a little while now, you might remember
that I've mentioned that Mr. German Man is actually not from Bavaria, but rather he's
from around the Cologne area in Germany.
Which still leaves open the question of why does Mr. German Man own a pair of Lederhosen?
Dirndl and Lederhosen are generally not something that people wear every single day in Munich,
also not Bavarians.
I believe that in the countryside of Bavaria Tracht is worn a little bit more often.
When we drive out there to hike, for example, I do sometimes see people in different kinds
of Tracht just on a normal weekend morning.
But here in Munich they are often still worn for special occasions, weddings, festivals.
The most well-known festival is probably Oktoberfest, and during the Oktoberfest it’s not just
Bavarians who wear the traditional outfits, but also just anyone who wants to.
You can find Dirndl and Lederhosen sold year-round in Munich but before and during the Oktoberfest,
it feels like they are everywhere for sale in the downtown city center.
So that is why a German from the Cologne area and an American from Florida own Tracht.
And while to the untrained eye it might look all the same, it’s really not.
The Lederhosen that Mr. German Man has look nice at first glance, but they don’t have
the intricate embroidery and just quality craftsmanship
like the Lederhosen that some of the locals wear.
And these really high quality Lederhosen are then passed down from generation to generation.
And yeah, they’re never washed.
So my question for you is: is there any kind of traditional clothing in the place where
you live, and do people still wear these clothes today?
Please let me know in the comments below.
Thanks so much for watching.
I hope you enjoyed this video.
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like button.
And also there's another video that you can check out up there above my head.
And for more photos and sometimes other short video clips, you can check me out over here
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Until next time, auf Wiedersehen!
As someone who has lived in Germany for about...Mr. German Man is dancing!
You can find Dirndl and Lederhosen seld...sold.
So even though I didn't think that all German guys wore lod...Ah!