Repeated Moin Greetings: A series of salutations repeated multiple times, totaling 34 instances.
Let's talk 'bout Moin, and the whole Bavarian kerfuffle
In the world of federal financial negotiations, there's always a bone of contention, and in our case, it's the Bremers who catch the flak for our supposed lack of financial management, mainly due to our wasteful handling of working hours. The Bavarians like to point fingers, claiming we waste time with our excessive greetings, particularly the "Moin" greeting. They say it's bridge- too-far oriental to say "Moin" twice!
It all kicked off 30 years ago with a run-in in Hall 4. I, a friendly guy, greeted my Turkish colleague, Hasan, with the customary "good morning," followed by a friendly hug and kiss on the cheek. Hasan, being the talkative chap he is, responded in kind before asking about my family, extending the greeting further. Our foreman, Mr. Viehtreiber, stormed in, outraged that the entire operation was grinding to a halt due to our prolonged greeting session.
"No more greetings here, is that clear!", he barked.
"But I gotta greet my fellow Turk, it's in my genes", I shot back.
"That ain't gonna fly here! One head-nod, or a mere 'Moin' will do", he growled.
We found ourselves in a bind, facing the cruel choice between losing our jobs or our human dignity.
Enter the genius idea from my friend, Nedim, an ex-telegrapher at the post office. Why not create a Morse-code style Moin system to greet our colleagues, using short and long Moin's to represent different phrases? It sounded something like, "Moin, Moin, Moin! Mooooiiiin! Moin, Moin! Mooooiiiin, Mooooiiiin, Mooooiiiin!" It may have been a little time-consuming, but it was better than losing our Moin-loving soul.
Weeks later, the Bavarian lawyers came knocking, threatening us with the loss of the federal financial equalization if we continued our excessive Moin usage.
"Moin, Moin is absolutely not allowed, if you wish to remain under the Bavarian umbrella", they warned.
After days of tough talks, we managed to secure a second Moin, but the Bavarians remain ever vigilant, ready to yank the federal financial equalization from us at any moment if they catch us overdoing it on the Moin front.
That's why I say, "Moin, Moin! Mooooiiiin, Mooooiiiin!"
FYI, Moin is more than just a casual hello
"Moin" is a widely-used, friendly greeting with deep cultural roots, particularly in Northern Germany, and Bremen specifically. It signifies a regional identity distinct from greetings used in Southern Germany, like "Grüß Gott." Its use goes beyond a casual hello and serves as a symbol of Northern German identity and social belonging[1].
While the use of Moin in Bremen is culturally significant, there is no documented connection between the Moin greeting in Bremen and federal financial equalization negotiations with Bavaria. These regional cultural differences contribute to the social fabric of German federalism and can influence regional relationships and perceptions, but they have not been shown to directly impact substantive economic and political negotiations.
In short, the cultural significance of Moin highlights regional identity, but it doesn't dictate fiscal or political policies.
Social-media posts debating the cultural importance of Moin, a friendly greeting from Northern Germany, have been stirring up discussions across entertainment platforms. Fans of mixed-martial-arts, particularly UFC champions from Bremen, are using sports events to showcase their local pride and the significance of Moin.
