Fun Fact Friday: Germans and Public Alcohol Consumption

It's totally cool to drink in public in Germany.  And though I have mentioned it before, I haven't ever had any real opportunity to grab photo-evidence until the Fasching Parade.  

So here you go friends.  Exhibit A.  This woman and her young counterparts (perhaps one or both was related to her?) were to be seen across the street from us drinking beer and wine during the parade.  But that's not really what cracked us up...

...it was the fact that she kept the bottles in her coat pockets!  

In the US (besides the fact from public alcohol consumption being illegal in most States) I would totally think this woman was an alcoholic.  But in Germany, you just laugh and think "someone's having a good time celebrating the coming of Spring!" 

And she definitely wasn't the only one having fun celebrating that day... there were tons of other parade spectators drinking AND there were tons of parade participants marching down the street waving with one hand and holding a beer or a glass of wine in the other!  

The concept is strange to someone who didn't grow up with that, but it's something I totally love.  Alcohol consumption in Europe isn't as taboo as in the States.  

J and I shared a bottle of Champagne while watching a laser light fountain show in Barcelona, and we also bought beer from slightly shady "vendors" on the beach.  We've shared wine with friends on the trains.  We drank tap beer and ate fresh pretzels while watching the Frulingfest Parade in our village.  You can even get a beer at the local indoor pools to sip while watching your kids splash around.  Seriously, if there's food offered, there's usually alcohol.  And they don't really think anything of it! 

The only time in our travels that we saw someone get in trouble for public alcohol consumption was in Milan when a group of friends tried to drink wine on top of the Cathedral.  So apparently there ARE limits to this "alcohol is cool" rule.  

Half of me is used to seeing it but half of me still does a double take and laughs whenever I see something like Exhibit A. Those Germans sure know how to have fun!