Every year around November 11, German families with young children celebrate St. Martin's Day by singing songs and parading outside with paper lanterns that they've prepared in school or pre-school. The holiday is named after St. Martin of Tours, who is said to have shared his cloak with a beggar during a storm. A St. Martin figure on a horse often accompanies the parades.

On the same day as St. Martin's — more precisely, on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11:11 a.m. — Germany's three carnival "strongholds" of Cologne, Dusseldorf and Mainz celebrate the opening of "Karneval" by coming together in the city center wearing costumes. The carnival season then officially ends on Ash Wednesday the following year.

Hidden in prickly shells are smooth brown chestnuts like these. Children collect non-edible ones they find in parks in the fall. They can be turned into necklaces or little animal figures by assembling them with toothpicks. But be careful! If you step on them, it can hurt.

This is probably one of the most delicious perks of the fall. With some luck, you can find "Steinpilze," which is a variety of porcini mushroom. "Maronen-Röhrling," known in English as the bay bolete, are even more common. Though some Germans are true mushroom experts, these two varieties are quite easy to recognize, making it easy for everyone to distinguish them from the toxic ones.

A walk in the woods to admire the colorful autumn leaves is a typical Sunday afternoon activity in Germany. In the city, they pile up on the sidewalk, waiting to be swept away by city employees. As tempting as it might be for children to run through them, they quickly need to learn that they often hide other piles — of dog poop.

Although many thermal baths are open all year, it is definitely satisfying to experience the contrasts in temperatures when it gets cold outside by heading to a "Therme." Germans take their spa culture very seriously. Many foreigners are initially surprised to discover that being naked is a requirement in some areas of a spa — so it's important to bring a towel to sit on the sauna benches.

Many German parents prefer to cover their babies with organic wool from head to toe; many respectable adults also wear merino wool long johns. The clothes are quite expensive, but these natural, ecological and sustainable products are considered worth the investment. However, without a disciplined storage ritual over the summer, woolens can also disappear surprisingly quickly — munched by moths.

As it gets cold, Germans heat their homes. Although most apartments are heated with gas, there are still older houses that need to be heated with coal. That used to be a lot more frequent 10 years ago - now the smell of coal in the air automatically brings a feeling of nostalgia. Winter is coming, just like in the good old days.

"Stoßlüften" is a concept that's so German, it doesn't have a direct translation in English. It refers to the fact that people open the windows completely for a few minutes to air out the apartment, even when it's very cold and the heaters are on. It is considered a way to avoid mold in humid houses. Some overdo it, turning those "few minutes" into several hours.

Although these special calendars are used to count the last 24 days before Christmas, for unknown reasons, German supermarkets put loads of them on sale in October. It can only be assumed that quite a few people cheat and eat them whenever — or stock up on them in case some catastrophe would prevent them from buying them a few days before Advent actually starts.

While not indigenous to Germany, pumpkin soup is practically on every menu in German restaurants in the fall. Healthy and wholesome, it's also filling; plus, its bright orange color is a great booster to survive long stretches of gray skies.

"Flädle" soup can primarily be found in southern Germany, particularly in Bavaria. Influenced by Tyrolean cuisine of neighboring Austria, it is a simple soup made of broth and strips of pancakes, so it's a good way of using breakfast left-overs! For flavoring, add chives, leeks, laurel leaves, parsley, salt and pepper, of course, any other spices you fancy.

Staying in Bavaria, Bavarian Griessknödel or Griessnockerl soup will warm you up. Much like the Flädle soup, it has a vegetable or meat broth base, often combined with milk, eggs, butter and nutmeg, bits of carrots and chives or onions. Other variants see the dumplings served in a spinach or fish soup. Since it's a "cozy," filling soup, it's often given to people or kids who are sick with the flu.

What would Bavaria be without beer? The region even lets its most famous beverage flow into a soup. You braise a diced onion in butter, lightly toast bread crumbs and combine with the base, then deglaze with meat broth, simmer, add beer, salt and pepper, simmer again, then serve topped with chives or slices of onion. Yum!

Moving to the North, to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, you'll find a regional classic: pea soup! While the color may turn some people off, it's a great way to warm up in a chilly season. It's also standard fare during Carnival festivities in February/March — usually made with bits of sausage and served with a bread roll, it's served at outdoor stands throughout celebrating cities.

According to the German Soup Institute, the northern German city of Hamburg is something of a "soup capital." Since it's also Germany's largest port, it's no wonder that fish soup is top on the region's list. Of course, "fish" is a loose term, so the soup could include everything from shrimp and mussels, to tilapia and ocean perch. The area is also known for its eel, oxtail and plum/cherry soups.

Moving to the East, Berlin boasts potato soup on numerous menus, only here, it's more of a stew. It's also become a classic the world over. Berlin and the neighboring region of Brandenburg also serve up barley soup, smoked meat soup with syrup and plums, as well as crawfish soup with asparagus tips.

While originally Hungarian and known to many as "beef goulash" – a meat sauce dish served with noodles or potatoes – in Germany, you'll also find this classic turned into a soup on nearly every menu across the country during the colder months.

Some may shudder at the notion of wild garlic soup, but it's infinitely delicious. Its fresh and fragrant leaves and flowers, and not its bulbs, give the soup its flavor. And, its earthy green color makes you feel you're injecting your body with something healthy. And you are! Studies suggest that garlic may help protect against certain forms of cancer.

Germans will always find a way to integrate asparagus into their diet. Though late spring gives birth to aromatic white asparagus straight from the field (it's sold at street-side stands), some people are known to crack open a jarred variant to make the cream soup in the fall since they just can't wait for the fresh season. A bit of baguette is the right accompaniment to its delicate flavor.