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A German Holiday

About This Item

  • Title: A German Holiday
  • Date: 24 May 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01275
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 24 May 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Jamie DeRousse Jason Stacy Stephanie Blalock Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "A German Holiday." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 16 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01275.xml (TEI)
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A GERMAN HOLIDAY.

To-day, Whit-Monday, is quite a festival among our German fellow-citizens. Of a religious origin, from an event in the life of Christ and the Apostles, it has come to be made use of, at present, for purposes of social pleasure, excursions and entertainment. In all parts of Germany it is kept as a great day; whole cities, men and women, old and young, vacate the houses and streets, and turn out into the fields, the gardens, and the suburban saloons.

Here, too, the custom is pretty well commemorated. Numerous family parties are out—and there are some large pic-nics, and other convivial gatherings. The Turners are also on hand—and we notice several military companies.

As we write this, (in the middle of the forenoon) the day looks lowering and rainy. But the Germans are of jovial temperament, and if they are driven from the outdoor pleasures they like best, no doubt they will make it up within doors.

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