By Paul Waldmiller
Did you know that National German-American Day this year will be celebrated on October 6th?
Germans are the largest legal immigrant group here in the United States. More than 40 million Americans can find their ancestry connected to Germany.
Here in Florida, there are pockets of German and German-American communities throughout the state, especially on the western coast.
The German-American Day celebrates the first arrivals of Germans to America in the year 1608 and also the accomplishments and influences of German-Americans upon our culture including the use of Christmas trees, Santa Claus, kindergarten and much more.
Some German-Americans celebrate Oktoberfest during the month of October that originated in Bavaria. However, the true Oktoberfest is celebrated during the month of September.
Hurricane Ian has impacted some Oktoberfest celebrations, but some still remain planned and will either will be fully implemented, or scaled down because of the impact from damage due to high winds or storm damage.