diff --git a/.env.template b/.env.template
index 958447bf7..cbe0ed64d 100644
--- a/.env.template
+++ b/.env.template
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ ALLOWED_HOSTS=*
 # random secret key, use for example base64 /dev/urandom | head -c50 to generate one
 SECRET_KEY=
 
+# your default timezone
+TIMEZONE=Europe/Berlin
+
 # add only a database password if you want to run with the default postgres, otherwise change settings accordingly
 DB_ENGINE=django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2
 POSTGRES_HOST=db_recipes
diff --git a/cookbook/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo b/cookbook/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo
index c30ee8b75..d94d24494 100644
Binary files a/cookbook/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo and b/cookbook/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo differ
diff --git a/cookbook/locale/nl/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo b/cookbook/locale/nl/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo
index dc496223e..868b12ab4 100644
Binary files a/cookbook/locale/nl/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo and b/cookbook/locale/nl/LC_MESSAGES/django.mo differ
diff --git a/recipes/settings.py b/recipes/settings.py
index 63a112214..a2f6f54df 100644
--- a/recipes/settings.py
+++ b/recipes/settings.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ AUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [
 
 LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en'
 
-TIME_ZONE = 'Europe/Berlin'
+TIME_ZONE = os.getenv('TIMEZONE') if os.getenv('TIMEZONE') else 'Europe/Berlin'
 
 USE_I18N = True