It's officially 'German Heritage Month Week' in the City of Swift Current.

The week coincides with the Canadian government's proclamation of October being German Heritage Month.

According to the 2016 census, around 30 per cent of the province's population claims German ethnicity in whole or in part. 

Mervin Weiss, president of the volunteer board of directors for the Saskatchewan German Council, said that week had recognized the importance of the German heritage in the province and Swift Current. 

"That's what you are doing as a City agreeing to proclaim this week German Heritage Week," he said. "There have been Germans in Saskatchewan for a long time before Saskatchewan was even Saskatchewan." 

Weiss said the goal of the week is to promote German culture, language, customs, traditions, and history. 

"Recognizes the contributions that German Canadians have made to Canadian society, the richness of the German language and culture and the importance of educating and reflecting of the German heritage for future generations." 

As part of promoting the German culture, Weiss, alongside Jake Knelsen and Gabriele Waidelich-Harrison, also from the Saskatchewan German Council, hosted a couple of events in Swift Current. 

"We started our day with a program from the Grade Ones at Irwin School, and then we had a program in the afternoon at Riverview Estates for the seniors living there." 

He added that a lot comes from Germany the people may not recognize. 

"I would like to point out a few traditions that came from Germany, like the Christmas tree, the advent reef, the nutcracker, the advent calendar,” he said. “Even the song silent night was originally penned in German and was German Christmas carol before it was translated." 

Saskatchewan is the only province that has a separate group of people dedicated to promoting the German presence in Canada.