School's out--let's hit the club!

The last day of school, before summer break,  here in Baden Wurtemberg is next week, on Wednesday July 24.  I am guessing that most of my European readers will think nothing of this.  I am guessing most of my American and Canadian readers will think this is awfully late!

We are one of two German states (along with Bayern, AKA Bavaria) to have the latest of the German summer breaks.  Our first two weeks of summer are the last two weeks of the earliest areas (Berlin, among others)--so that every family would have a full two weeks when all cousins living anywhere in Germany could get together--otherwise they stagger breaks so no holiday area is too overwhelmed.

I added it up one time, and we (in BW, anyway) have the same 180 days of school here that a typical American school has--our are just more spread out, with only 6 weeks for summer, a week in the fall, two and a half to three at Christmas, a week for ash Wednesday, two for Eater and two for the Whit-Sun holidays 40 days after Easter.

Anyway, that isn't really what I started out wanting to post!  In this area, little advertising placards go up on fences an rails and in streetcars, and many change on a weekly basis.  Most are for events of one kind of another.  Concerts, fests, etc.  Often there are posters up advertising the "event of the week" at the big local nightclubs.  It might be a specific DJ, or an 80s night, or a ladies' night, etc.

Yesterday, the posters that caught my eye were advertising a "school's out party" for next Wednesday night. Now, the university follows a different schedule than the local schools.  Graduating 12th graders took their exams and have not been in school for a few weeks now.  So, this party is aimed at those not yet in grade 12.  And it hit me, you really wouldn't see nightclubs courting the 16-17 year old set in the US.

There are club that are 18 and up--and some that are after a certain time or on certain days, but there are also several that are 16 and up.  Beer and wine can be legally purchased at 16, so it makes some sense.

It was just one of those little things that make it feel like a slightly different world at times.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

--Hadley