As a kickoff to its Winter Festival, the Homestead National Monument of America hosted Die Singenden Wanderers, or the Singing Wanderers, Sunday afternoon complete in their tracht, or traditional German costume with lederhosen and cap.

The Wanderers, members of Omaha’s German American Society founded in 1884, spend many weekends sharing the heritage of the German people through song, dance, dress and food and drink, said choir leader Michael Olk.

The group began its German singing by demonstrating songs in Low German, or a German dialect originating in the northern parts of Germany.

Olk relates a story of an old German who told the members of the club that “all Germans love to sing.”

“And it’s true,” Olk said.

Olk said many of the songs the group performs are in fact “drinking songs” from pubs in Germany.

Songs with titles like “On the North Sea Coast,” “When the Colorful Flags Wave” and “On the Luneberg Heath,” complete with the group, rocking back and forth in unison as well as adding their own touches to each song, gives the distinct impression that many of the tunes had traveled to America straight from a German pub.

As the event was part of the Winter Festival, the Wanderers demonstrated a handful of traditional German Christmas and winter songs, including O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree), and other songs translated as “The Snow Slowly Falls,” “Come Ye Shepherds,” and “On the Christmas Tree the Candles Burn.”

The concert concluded with the singing of “Stille Nacht,” or “Silent Night,” a Christmas carol originating in German composed by Austrian priests.

Olk said the group “wanders” through Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and other places sharing their love of German culture.

“Our dance group has been all over the United States and into Germany,” Olk said. “We travel quite a bit.”

The German American Society has two singing groups, Olk said, which allow members to delve deeper into their heritage and become more involved with the German culture.

“We get the people going,” said Olk. “We have bus tours that come to our club from all across the United States.”

The bus tours, which include a full night of German song and dance as well as a traditional German meal, arrive at a regular basis at the club in Omaha, Olk said.

The Wanderers brought their program to the Homestead, Olk said, as much of the area was settled by Germans.

“Nebraska is almost 50 percent German and Iowa is somewhere around 56 (percent),” Olk said. “So, with all the German culture in both states, these are all songs that German immigrants brought with them to the prairie.”

Park ranger Susan Cook said the program “Prairie Cultures” demonstrates the heritage of the area.

“A huge portion of this area was settled by Germans and there is a huge heritage that gives pride to the community,” Cook said, “and it gives pride to each person to know and understand where they came from.”

The Winter Festival, Cook added, will convey that feeling the next two weeks as the festival continues.

On Dec. 6 at 2 p.m., Richard Kimbrough, a historian and storyteller, will compare how the holidays are celebrated in different cultures.

The next week, on Dec. 13 from 1 to 4 p.m., Country Traditions will demonstrate how to make various holiday decorations from different plains cultures. Both programs will take place at the Education Center.

“You hope that people can learn about their roots,” Cook said. “That’s what this park is about.”