On October 6, we in the US celebrate National German-American Day!
In 1683 the first thirteen German families settled in Pennsylvania where they founded Germantown. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October 6 as a National Holiday in 1983 to celebrate and honor the 300th anniversary of German immigration and culture in the United States.
Fun facts:
- German-Americans make up the biggest ancestry group in the United States. Most of the immigrants during the 19th century came from Germany, and as the saying goes, every Texan has a German Grandmother. 😉
- German immigrants brought with them the tradition of the Christmas tree.
- In 1668 Quakers from Germantown made the first protest against enslavement of Africans, and started the first Anti-slavery movement. Two hundred years later Germans in Texas joined the Union during the American Civil War because they did not believe in slavery.
Happy National German-American Day!!