We wish you a German Christmas

Every year around Christmas at school, I get a lot of questions about American Christmas. Which usually then leads to me asking questions about German Christmas. Unfortunately, I've never actually experienced a traditional German Christmas (celebrating a German Christmas is very different to celebrating an American Christmas that just happens to be IN Germany), but I have learned quite a lot about them. So I'd like to share some fun facts about German Christmas - the ones I always find most interesting

a very ETA and Famous Christmas, 2010

Christmas is celebrated on December 24th. 
now, if we're getting technical, December 24th - 26th are officially holidays in Germany, but all the action we normally save for the 25th in the US is done on the 24th in Germany. They go to church on Christmas Eve, they open presents on Christmas Eve. Basically Christmas Eve is where it's at in Germany.

The whole world shuts down for 3 days. 
From the afternoon of December 24th to opening time on December 27th nothing in Germany is open. Ok, ok, so maybe "nothing" is a bit of an exaggeration. But no grocery stores or shops open for over 48 hours. Just imagine - no emergency run to the store when you run out of wine, or when you realize you forgot the key ingredient for tiny Tim's favorite Christmas dish, or - if you're like my family - just because you need a daily run to the store during the holidays (surely there's something else you need)! Andrea and I went shopping yesterday afternoon to stock-up for the big shut down, and I'm pretty sure we got enough food for the whole week.

"and who are you?"

Baby Jesus brings the Christmas presents
In Germany, there is really no Santa Claus as the Americans know him. Instead, the traditional bringer of gifts on Christmas is the Christkind (Christ-child). The story goes, that the Christkind comes in the evening Christmas Eve while everyone is at church. I asked some of my students what happens when they don't go to church on Chrismas Eve and they said they were always told they had to go up to their rooms for the Christkind to come then their parents would ring a little bell that was supposedly baby Jesus letting them know they could come down again. 

St. Nick comes on December 6th 
December 6th is the feast day of St. Nicolas, so that's when he comes to Germany. He is basically the closest representation of the American Santa Claus and he fills the kids shoes with candy and toys if they've been good all year. Over the years the Germans have started to adopt the American image of Santa during Christmas time due to all the influence of American pop culture (I can't tell you how many students have told me they love Christmas Vacation and Home Alone). But American Santa Claus is still associated with Christmas day after Nikolaus comes on December 6th and they call him the Weihnachtsmann (Christmas man)


You put the tree up right before Christmas
In the US, Christmas decorating - including the Christmas tree usually happpens between the day after Thanksgiving and December 1st. In Germany, putting up the tree and decorating it is usually done as late as Christmas eve. Prime tree buying time the week before Christmas and a lot of my students said their tradition was to go on the 23rd to get the tree and decorate it on the 24th. For those of you who think this is a depressingly short time with the happiness that is a Christmas tree, don't worry, they keep it up till January 6th, the official end of Christmas in Germany.


But no matter where you are in the world or how you celebrate Christmas - I hope it's a good one!

Merry Christmas from das Blog!

You go Glenn Coco!

Yesterday when I came in to school, I had this little gem waiting for me at my seat!

And of course I all I could think of was this

 

Sorry the blogging has been minimal this week (although, I'm sure my facebook friends are thankful for lack of blog post notifications....). Got the sister in town and we've been hittin' up Christmas markets like it's our job! 

 

We're planning on a super lazy Christmas, though, so expect some updates on our adventures - maybe even from Andrea herself! 

Grandma got runover by a reindeer

That was all I could think while at the Christmas market in Cologne last weekend. 

Being one of the largest cities in Germany, Cologne has a few different Christmas markets sprinkled around the city.  My adventures took me two of them - one at the cathedral and one in the Altstadt, or old city. 

I wish I could tell you all about how beautiful the market at the cathedral was with its tent of Christmas lights. Or cute and traditional the Altstadt market was. But all I really can to say about my visit to the Christmas markets in Cologne is that they were PACKED full. 

I've seriously never seen so many people in one place in my life. I didn't really get to see anything in Cologne besides the back of the head of the person in front of me. I sort of went with the flow of the masses as I fought my way around the markets. I was in Cologne for about 2 hours and I'm pretty sure I spent an hour and a half just trying to figure out where to take my next step. Even in my pictures, when trying to capture the bright Christmas decor all around, I just ended up with some lights shining above the sea of people I was fighting through.  

I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Ok, so maybe there wasn't a hippopotamus, but I did find some pretty unusual things at the Weihnachtsmarkt in Bonn last weekend. 

The award for most disturbing piece of decoration goes to the giant moving, talking moose head on this Glühwein stand. I wish I could tell you what he said, but I think when I realized this life-sized mounted moose head was actually speaking and moving I was sent into such a deep state of shock I repressed any memories more specific than the sheer befuddlement I felt. 

The award for most original Christmas market stand theme goes to Löffel Julius. 

Löffel means spoon in German, and that is exactly what Julius sold in his stand. But not just any old spoons. Löffel Julius sold only the finest wooden spoons of all shapes and sizes. It was the kind of marketing that made you realize you'd been searching for the perfect wooden spoon your whole life, you just never knew it till you gazed upon all Löffel Julius had to offer. Who knew there could be such variety in the wooden spoon business? Löffel Julius, that's who.

And the award for most culturally inappropriate stand goes to the Churros stand. Now granted, my only previous knowledge of Churros is from Taco Bell, but I think that sends a pretty clear message that they're - if nothing else - definitely not German. Ok, so there are plenty of stands at Christmas markets everywhere that sell food and goods that are from other countries and cultures. But those stands usually use the exotic nature of their product as a selling point. Except for a little fine print on the wrapper, there was absolutely nothing identifying this delightful snack as non-German in origin. They would totally have you believe Churros are the your common, everyday German treat. Don't be fooled - they're not! But they were still delicious!

Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul

You know Shahida? We met during our year in Zürich, but our story is really a Christmas story. A Swedish Christmas story, to be exact.

See, at first Shahida and I didn't really know each other that well, but we hung out with the same group of mutual exchange student friends. One fateful fall night while we were out on the town everyone was discussing their Christmas plans. As most of my friends were European, they all planned on going home. When Shahida heard that I still didn't have any holiday plans she immediately insisted I come back to Sweden with her. Years later, looking back on it, we both always laugh at the randomness of the invitation. We really barely knew each other at that point, but she still asked and I still immediately agreed. For the next month or so leading up to Christmas, Shahida and I decided we better start hanging out more often if we were going to spend Christmas together. And, as they say, the rest was history. 

By the time Christmas rolled around, it was safe to say we had become pretty close, and getting to spend Christmas with Shahida and her family only made us that much more awesome together. Not to mention it helped condition my love of all things Swedish. Like this delightful Marzipan cake. 

And I also got a total kick out of this sauce (and I totally forget what kind of sauce it is exactly) because it's from Sweden and it's called Abba... just like something else I know! 

It was my first Christmas away from home and absolutely amazing! Not only was it the catalyst in meeting one of my best friends, I felt so welcome by Shahida's family and loved getting to experience a Swedish Christmas. 

The most wonderful drink of the year

You might have noticed at this point that the Christmas markets are all located outside. And as common sense might have led you to believe that Germany can be quite cold in December. So standing outside for hours at a time to enjoy the markets can get a little bit chilly, to say the least. And when you're moving your feet just to make sure they're still there, the last thing you want to do is drink a cold beer. 

But fear not! After centuries (give or take) of Christmas market practice, those clever Germans devised a way to keep you hydrated without turning your stomach into a giant beersicle. 

Glühwein literarally translates to "glowing wine," and the reality definitely lives up to the name.This ingenious beverage is a staple for the holiday season. And the concept is wonderfully simple. It is a wine (traditionally red, but I have seen a white variation here and there) with different spices added (I could look them up, but that would ruin the magic that gives Glühwein its incomparable taste) and served warm. It is basically impossible to go to Christmas market without enjoying a mug of Glühwein. Especially if you're me. 

Speaking of the mugs. Each Christmas market makes their own unique mug  and they are totally free for the taking, if you so please. 

Of course, by free, I mean you have to pay a deposit when you buy your drink if you don't return your mug, you don't get your deposit back. Some people might point out that you could just buy a clean mug for the regular deposit (usually about 2.50€), but I prefer to keep the mugs I've enjoyed a drink from. It's a bit of a rite of passage for me. And as a person who doesn't often buy souvenirs, I'm all about the Glühwein mugs. I have one from every Christmas market I've ever visited from my past 2 Christmases in Europe and this year's collection is coming along quite nicely as well. 

Glühwein is definitely one of my favorite parts of the Christmas markets. Even if it's snowing and below freezing and all you want to do is stay inside in the warmth, the promise of enjoying a Glühwein at the Christmas market is all the motivation I need to head out on a cold December night! 

Sister Claus is Coming to Town

As Christmas gets closer and my post titles get lamer.. 

Speaking of the approaching holiday, I'm pretty excited about my plans. And as you might have guessed from today's awesome post title - my sister is coming to Germany!

She gets here on Monday and is staying in Germany for 2 weeks. Then in the new year we're heading to Scotland together to one of my favorite cities with one of my favorite people! 

I'm super excited she's coming and that she'll get to see Germany during my favorite season! Don't worry - we have plenty of Weihnachtsmärkte on the itinerary! :D