Ask Max and Molly
Hi everybody! Send us your questions and we'll answer them here!
We'll try to answer all sensible questions (especially questions which we haven't answered before), but it sometimes takes us a little while to answer them all.
If you send us your email address, we'll be able to tell you when the answer to your question is online.
Note: This page gets updated quite quickly. If you can't find an answer to your question here, try looking through the pages of past questions. (The higher the number of the page, the more recent the questions.)
Dear Max and Molly
"What do children in Germany wear?"
Jamie
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Jamie,
In their free time, kids in Germany wear similar kinds of clothes to us in the UK, but the big difference is that German kids don't normally have to wear uniform at school - imagine that! Would you like to know more about what it's like to go to school in Germany? - you can find out more on our A school day in Germany page.
Max
Dear Max and Molly
"When was Germany made a country?"
Maycen and Josh
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Maycen and Josh,
Germany became a united country in 1871. Before then, it was a collection of smaller states (a bit like very small countries, usually ruled over by a king or prince) and independent cities (Imagine that - a city that rules itself and doesn't belong to a country!). Over time, they gradually merged to form one country.
Molly
Dear Max and Molly
"Are cats popular in Germany?"
Finnley
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Finnley,
You'll be pleased to know that cats are the most popular kind of pet in Germany! Do you have a pet? - If so, you can tell us all about it in German on our Your pets page.
You can find out what pets German children have on the Deine Haustiere ('Your pets') page on the German part of the website.
Max
Dear Max and Molly
"What foods do people eat in Germany?"
Tharini
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Tharini,
Just like in the UK, every area of Germany has its own specialities. Have a look at our German food map to see some of the famous local dishes from different parts of the country.
There are also some tasty kinds of fast food in Germany that are sometimes quite different from those found in the UK. You can find out more about them on our Fast food in Germany page.
Molly
Dear Max and Molly
"What is the most common German name?"
Isabella
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Isabella,
That's an interesting question! In 2011, the most common German boys'name was Ben and the most common girls' name was Mia. Ten years ago, the most common names were Lukas and Anna; in 1980 the most popular choices were Christian and Julia, and in 1960, the most common names were Thomas and Sabine. The most common surname in Germany is Müller, which translates as 'Miller' in English (someone who makes flour).
Max
Dear Max and Molly
"What does Schultüte mean in English?"
Emily
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Emily,
a Schultüte is a paper cone filled with treats and toys that German pupils get on their first day at school.
You can find out more about Schultüten here.
You can make a Schultüte yourself quite easily - click here to find out how.
Molly
Dear Max and Molly
"Do you have SATs and GCSEs in Germany like we do in Colchester and at what age do you leave school and go to college?"
Courtney
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Courtney,
Our school system in Germany is different from yours in the UK so we don't have the exact same types of exams. However, your GCSEs are similar to our Mittlere Reife, the final exam at the Realschule (general secondary school).
In the German school system, there are different types of schools. Depending on which school they go to, German pupils are between 15 and 20 years old when they leave school.
You can find out more about the German school system here.
Max
Dear Max and Molly
"How do you say 'pear', 'shoe' and 'Christmas tree' in German?"
Sarah and Emily
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Sarah,
Ah, that's a nice easy question to answer! 'Pear' in German is die Birne, 'shoe' is der Schuh and 'Christmas tree' is der Weihnachtsbaum.
Why not tell us your favourite German word?
Molly
Dear Max and Molly
"At Christmas time, what is the traditional meat that you eat on Christmas day?"
Libbie and Ellie
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Libbie,
The traditional Christmas meal in Germany varies from region to region, but many people eat carp or goose. In Germany, the main day for celebrating Christmas is 24 December, Christmas Eve.
You can find out more about how Christmas is celebrated in Germany in our Christmas Special.
Max
Dear Max and Molly
"If you could have one thing for Christmas, what would have and why?"
Catriona
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Catriona,
That's a really difficult question! The thing I would like most of all is a white Christmas so I can go sledging.
Max is really lucky - he has gone to visit his aunt in Bavaria, where there is often lots of snow in the winter.
Click here to find out more about the weather in Germany.
Molly
Dear Max and Molly
"What school do you go to and what is your favourite subject?"
Felicity
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Felicity,
I go to school in Hamburg, and Molly goes to school in York. Do you know where Hamburg is? See if you can find it on our webcam map.
My favourite subject changes from week to week. I am really enjoying Erdkunde (Geography) at the moment, but I always like Englisch, too. Can you guess what that means?
Max
Dear Max and Molly
What is your favourite colour?
Abbie
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Abbie,
My favourite colour is yellow. I recently went to Germany on a school trip, and I was delighted to find out that the postboxes there are a beautiful, bright yellow!
Max's favourite colour is red. He loves the colour of the postboxes in the UK!
Why not practise the colours in German with our colours quiz?
Molly
Dear Max and Molly
"What is your favourite food? Do Germans eat a lot of bread and drink a lot of beer?"
Grace
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Grace,
Well, there are lots of German dishes which I really like, but one of my winter favourites is Grünkohl mit Pinkel (curly kale with 'Pinkel' sausages). Lots of kids don't like it, but kale with sausages and boiled potatoes is a traditional dish in northern Germany, and I love it! You can find out how to cook Grünkohl mit Pinkel here: www.chefkoch.de
Bread is indeed very popular in Germany. Each area has its own specialities, and one of my favourites is Pumpernickel (dark rye bread). You can find out more about German bread here.
As for beer, we are much too young to drink that, but I do like Malzbier (malt beer), which is rich and sweet and, of course, doesn't contain alcohol.
Max
Dear Max and Molly
"Where do you and Max live?"
Michael
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Michael,
I live in York and Max lives in Hamburg. Do you know where Hamburg is? You can find out on our interactive map!
Molly
Dear Max and Molly
"What does your town look like?"
Lydia
Dear Max and Molly
Dear Lydia,
I come from Hamburg, which is a big city in the north of Germany. Hamburg is connected to the sea by the River Elbe, which is so wide that enormous container ships can come into Hamburg's port. In fact, the port is the third biggest in Europe!
Hamburg is known for being a very green city, with lots of open space and two big lakes called the Alster in the middle of the town. It's great fun to play in the park in the summer, but the winters can be a bit nippy!
You can see what's going on in Hamburg harbour right now with our webcam map!
Max
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