American life in Berlin: Thanksgiving, football and the embassy by the Gate

Berlin has an American story that goes back to the Airlift and "Ich bin ein Berliner," and today it has a big, mixed American crowd: tech workers, artists, students, retirees and military families passing through. You won't lose your traditions here. You'll just have to organize them yourself.

The short version

• Thanksgiving (November 26, 2026) and the Fourth of July are regular workdays in Germany. Americans celebrate on the evening or the weekend.
• American football has a real following: Berlin hosted its first NFL regular-season game on November 9, 2025, when the Colts beat the Falcons 31-25 in overtime at the Olympiastadion [1]. The local pro team, Berlin Thunder, plays in the American Football League Europe in 2026 [2].
• Democrats Abroad has a Berlin chapter [3]. Republicans Overseas Germany has a national chairman [4], but its parent organization's website lists no Berlin chapter [5], so contact the national group.
• The US Embassy stands on Pariser Platz 2, next to the Brandenburg Gate. Citizen services (passports, CRBAs, notarials) are at Clayallee 170 in Dahlem [6][7].
• The American Women's Club of Berlin and the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany are two long-running organizations with roots in the city [8][9].

Holidays: bring your own turkey

Thanksgiving in Berlin

Thanksgiving is the holiday Americans miss most, and the one that travels best. Most people do one of these:

1. Host a "Friendsgiving" on the Saturday after, with German and international friends who are usually thrilled to try it.
2. Cook on Thursday night after work, if you're brave.
3. Join a group dinner run by a club, a church or a community group.

Turkeys are a special order in Germany. Order a whole bird from a butcher or a big supermarket a few weeks ahead, because grocery stores stock turkey parts, not 18-pound birds. German ovens are often smaller than the ones back home, so measure before you order. Canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce show up in some international stores and online. Our guide to American food, restaurants and bars in Berlin covers where to shop.

The Fourth of July

July 4, 2026, fell on a Saturday and marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, so Berlin had more Fourth parties than usual. In a normal year, it's a workday. Expect backyard (well, courtyard) barbecues, park picnics in Tempelhofer Feld or the Tiergarten, and gatherings organized by community and political groups. Grilling in parks is allowed only in designated areas, so check before you light up.

Football, basketball and game day

Germany is one of the NFL's biggest international markets.

• The NFL in Berlin: the first regular-season game in the city, Colts vs. Falcons on November 9, 2025, went to overtime at the Olympiastadion, where the 1936 Olympics were held [1]. Germany has hosted NFL games in Munich and Frankfurt too. Watch the league's international schedule each spring.
• Berlin Thunder: the city's pro team played in the European League of Football from 2021 to 2025 and moved to the American Football League Europe (AFLE) for 2026. Its home games are at the smaller stadium of the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in Prenzlauer Berg while the main stadium is rebuilt [2]. Tickets are cheap, crowds are friendly, and it's a fun afternoon even if the level isn't Sunday-in-Soldier-Field.
• Amateur football: Berlin has club teams in the German leagues, plus flag football. Former high school and college players are welcome.
• Basketball: Berlin's top club, ALBA Berlin, plays in Germany's Basketball Bundesliga, and American players are a regular part of German pro rosters.

Time zones are the hard part. Sunday afternoon NFL games kick off at 7 p.m. in Berlin, Sunday night games around 2:20 a.m., and the Super Bowl ends around sunrise. Sports bars across Berlin show the games, and some go all out for the Super Bowl.

Politics: both parties' groups

Plenty of Americans in Berlin stay involved in US politics. We list both parties' groups side by side, without endorsing either.

• Democrats Abroad Berlin is the Berlin chapter of Democrats Abroad Germany. It runs voter registration drives, social gatherings and other events, with a volunteer board elected for 2025–27 [3].
• Republicans Overseas Germany is led by a chairman and works to explain American conservatism to German audiences [4]. Its parent organization, Republicans Overseas, doesn't list a Berlin chapter on its website [5], so contact the national organization if you want to connect with Republicans in Berlin.

Whatever your politics, the key step is the same: send a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every year to register and request your absentee ballot from your last US state. See our guide to voting from abroad.

The US Embassy and citizen services

The US Embassy in Berlin sits at Pariser Platz 2, right next to the Brandenburg Gate, a stone's throw from the Reichstag [6]. That's the chancery: you won't go there for a passport.

American Citizen Services are at Clayallee 170 in Dahlem, in the southwest of the city, about 12 km (7.5 miles) from the Gate [6][7]. That's where you go for:

• Passports. The embassy's online passport tool tells you whether you can renew by mail or need an appointment in Berlin, Frankfurt or Munich. Routine passports take about four to six weeks [10].
• Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) for kids born in Germany.
• Notarial services, by appointment.
• Emergency help: the embassy's switchboard, (030) 8305-0, also works outside office hours [7].

The embassy closes on American and German holidays and on the last Wednesday of every month [7]. Enroll in STEP so the embassy can reach you. Our guide to STEP and help from US embassies covers what it can and can't do.

Clubs and professional groups

• American Women's Club of Berlin (AWC Berlin): a member-run club and a founding member of FAWCO, the worldwide network of American and international women's clubs. Members run book clubs, German conversation, tennis, culture outings, professional networking and holiday events [8].
• American Chamber of Commerce in Germany (AmCham Germany): founded in 1903, with offices in Frankfurt and on Charlottenstraße in Berlin-Mitte [9]. It's a business group, not a social club, but its events are a solid way to meet Americans working in German companies.
• US college alumni groups and churches with English-language services are other good ways in.

Finding your people

Most American life in Berlin is informal: coworkers at English-speaking startups, running groups in the Tiergarten, parent groups near the international schools in Zehlendorf, and the person next to you at the Bürgeramt who also can't believe there's no appointment until next month.

A tip from people who've been here a while: Berliners can seem blunt, and small talk isn't a big thing. It's not rudeness. Once you're friends, you're friends. And learn a little German, even if everyone switches to English. It changes how people treat you.

When you're new, our community group for Americans in Germany is a good place to start. Ask who's hosting Thanksgiving, where to watch the Bears on a Sunday night, or how to order a turkey in German.

Sources

1. FOX 5 Atlanta: Falcons fall to Colts 31-25 in OT in historic Berlin matchup
2. Wikipedia: Berlin Thunder (ELF)
3. Democrats Abroad: Berlin Region
4. Hungarian Conservative: Interview with the chairman of Republicans Overseas Germany (July 2025)
5. Republicans Overseas: Leadership
6. Berlin.de: Embassies in Berlin
7. US Embassy and Consulates in Germany: Contact us
8. American Women's Club of Berlin: December 2025 newsletter
9. AmCham Germany: About us
10. US Embassy and Consulates in Germany: Passports

Keep reading

• American food, restaurants and bars in Berlin
• Moving to Berlin as an American: visa routes
• Voting from abroad: the FPCA and FVAP
• STEP and help from US embassies