Erntdankfest or translated as thanksgiving.

However I think that is a very poor translation. My misgivings over that translation may be due to generally the word "thanksgivings" always is connected with Americans, in my mind.

Literally, I think "Ernt-dank-fest" is translated as first thanks celebration. A celebration of the harvest. Many places celebrate it on different days and a lot of churches have a special service for this. Which also seemed odd to me because these kinds of harvest rituals I always thought were a more pagan kind of thing. But then what do I know being just a girl from way down under.

So anyway. Friends of ours live right next to a vineyard. We happened to have our church service on the same day as this vineyard's Erntdnkfest. So we went out for a look-see and a walk in the sun. It was very enjoyable. At the end of our walk we enjoyed a glass of Sturm and Most (pronounced Moss-t). Sturm is usually alcoholic and Most is not. Apparently these drinks are what you get when you make wine except you drink it before it becaomes wine. And of course you can only get it at around this time. It is not available all year.

If I am making no sense, I can only suggest you track down a friend, colleague etc... of Germanic heritage who can explain better. Or better yet you can come yourselves and investigate in person. Free holiday lodgings are still on offer at the Ewings/Monkey household.