• Shops generally open at 8 or 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.

• Most shops close on Saturday at 12 or 1 p.m., except for the first Saturday of the month, when they stay open in the afternoon.
• Almost every town has a market day each week where you can buy fruit, flower vegetables, eggs, meat, cheese fish, and bread.

• Children begin school at the age of six, but elementary school is only for four years.

• Secondary school, which in the U.S. is middle school and high school, begins with the fifth year of school.
• There are three different types of secondary schools: Hauptschule, if you are going directly into the job market after graduation, Realschule, for students who might go into more of a business-type of job, and Gymnasium for those who will go on to college. Gymnasium is a 9 year school - three years longer than Hauptschule or Realschule.
• School starts around 8 a.m. and is out by 1 p.m. and students usually spend the afternoon doing homework

• Breakfast (Frühstuck) is usually a selection of breads with jam and honey,along with ham, sausage, and cheese and maybe a hard-boiled egg.

• Lunch (Mittagessen) is the main meal of the day. This is when Germans usually have a hot meal of pork, veal, or chicken with vegetables.
• The evening meal (Abendbrot) usually consists of a selection of cheeses and cold meats with a variety of breads and perhaps a salad or soup. Dessert is fresh fruit.

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