Customs in Saxony-Anhalt are reflected in specific festivals, places and activities. It is handed down through fixed procedures such as processions, the wearing of historical costumes, traditional music and regional dishes. Throughout the year, these festivals shape the rhythm of the state - with living traditions that are shared by guests and locals alike.
Annual festivals with history
Whether traditional, playful or staged - festivals such as the Salinefest in Halle (Saale), the Hussite Cherry Festival in Naumburg or Luther's Wedding and the Reformation Festival in Wittenberg pick up on historical events and transform them into lively city experiences. Parades alternate with music, market life and festive rituals. They remind us of local identities - and invite us to celebrate them together.
Festivals also characterize the course of the year in smaller towns. The charcoal burner festival in Hasselfelde demonstrates the old production of charcoal. In Wörlitz, the spring awakening accompanies the start of the season in the park with music and guided tours. The Havelberg horse market is one of the oldest of its kind in Germany - with an animal show, fair and encounters on the square. The Eisleber Wiese, one of the largest folk festivals in central Germany, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and combines market hustle and bustle with fairground rides and tradition. And in Quedlinburg, the King's Days bring Ottonian history to life - in the cityscape, on stages and during guided tours.
Regional cuisine
Tradition also lives at the table. Harz cheese with caraway seeds, hearty dishes such as Bötel with clay and straw, Salzwedel Baumkuchen or Halloren chocolates from Germany's oldest chocolate factory tell of craftsmanship and taste that have been preserved over generations. There are also old beer and wine traditions - from Garley, the oldest beer brand in the world, to Saale-Unstrut wines from the northernmost quality wine-growing region in Germany. Well-known brands such as Schierker Feuerstein or Rotkäppchen sparkling wine from Freyburg also stand for tradition with its own history - firmly anchored in everyday life, at festivals or as a souvenir from the region.
Craftsmanship that connects generations
Medieval architecture is still visible today along the Romanesque Road - in monasteries, cathedrals and village churches. Examples of living craftsmanship include the historic salt works in Halle with original salt boiling, turneries in Wernigerode or tanneries in Tangermünde with traditional leather processing. The Dombauhütte in Quedlinburg also carries on medieval building knowledge - with precision craftsmanship and tasks that continue to the present day: for example in restorations, the training of junior staff or the maintenance of historical substance. These are just some of the many places where ancient knowledge and techniques can still be experienced today. In Naumburg, the KinderDomBauhütte offers a lot for the little ones: Here, children can get active themselves - and learn in a playful way how things were built in the past. These are just some of the many places where old knowledge and techniques can still be experienced today.
Festivals with tradition
On the last evening of April, the mood in the Harz Mountains changes. Fog rolls through the valleys, clouds of smoke rise into the dark sky. Over twenty towns, from Thale to Schierke, celebrate Walpurgis Night. According to legend, witches meet with the devil on the Brocken – the Blocksberg – on this night to celebrate and dance. On the Hexentanzplatz (witches' dancing place), figures in long cloaks and pointed hats dance around crackling fires, drums echoing between the rocks. Walpurgis Night is also considered a spring festival, during which the dark season is driven away. Stories of flying over the Brocken and of the devil mingle with the smell of resinous wood. The festival has its roots in pre-Christian beliefs, became world-famous through Goethe's Faust, and today combines myth, community, and open-air spectacle.
For over 250 years, the Well Festival (Brunnenfest) has commemorated the discovery of the saltwater springs. Over several days, festive parades, the historic Borlachspiel play, and the election of the Brunnenkönigin (Well Queen) attract visitors and locals alike. The brine measurement and fireworks display are fixed highlights – recognized as intangible cultural heritage since 2023. In addition to the traditional program, there are concerts with modern music, pop acts, and DJ sets – a festival that keeps history alive while remaining open to new sounds.
In Spergau, a district of Leuna, winter is driven out. At Candlemas, first mentioned in 1688, young, unmarried men take on clearly defined roles – from egg women to kitchen boys to scissors grinders. In groups, they go from house to house, collecting gifts and delivering good wishes. At the end, a fire is lit, symbolizing purification and a new beginning. Candlemas takes place every year on the first Sunday after February 2. Spergau's Candlemas celebration is also part of the intangible cultural heritage.
Ströbeck near Halberstadt has been cultivating the tradition of chess for centuries—it was designated an intangible cultural heritage in 2016. Here, chess is a compulsory subject in school, figures and boards from centuries past are displayed in the museum, and in living chess, people themselves move across the playing field as figures. International tournaments and old chess rules that were used until the 19th century keep this culture alive.