Christmastime is a great time to be in Germany. There's Lebkuchen (think gingerbread), Glühwein (mulled wine) and of course, Christmas markets everywhere. There are many similarities to how Germans and Americans celebrate this time of year, but there are certainly also ways that Christmas in Germany is a unique experience. The Christmas MarketsGermany is known for its spectacular Christmas markets, called a Weihnachtsmarkt in German. They last for various periods of time in the month leading up to Christmas Eve and include a variety of food and Christmas-ware stands. I visited as many as I could find time for and started a collection of Glühwein mugs. The largest one I went to was actually just across the border into France, in Strasbourg. It was enormous! There were multiple separate plazas each full of rows and rows of Christmas stands. It was truly magical. The next stop was right here in Tübingen. I only went briefly because the market was only up for one weekend, but more importantly, Tübingen also has a chocolate market around the same time, with chocolate stands from around the world (and lots of free samples!). A very unique Christmas market is the one that takes place in Esslingen. The whole market is medieval themed, with a hand-crank mini Ferris wheel, archery, and many old fashioned sweets. It's wonderful to walk through each one and absorb the individual Christmas spirit that each one emanates. For anyone who finds themselves in Europe around the holiday season, be sure to check some out! NikolaustagChristmas is not only the 24th and 25th of December; the 6th is a special date as well. On this day, Nikolaustag, Saint Nikolaus comes and leaves small presents for children inside their shoes, which they leave in front of the door. Saint Nikolaus even stopped by my dorm! The treeGerman Christmas trees are generally more traditional than the often brash or garish American trees. Obviously every home celebrates Christmas uniquely, but in my experience, American Christmas trees such as my tree last year in the left picture tend to have brightly colored lights and are jam-packed with ornaments of all shapes and sizes (sometimes including a pickle, although that is not actually a German tradition). German Christmas trees such as the picture on the right, on the other hand, often have only white lights or even candles, and primarily round ornaments (once again, this is a generalization; every family celebrates in their own way). Food and drinkBack home, we have the traditions of baking/decorating sugar cookies and making homemade eggnog. Here in Germany however, no one knows what eggnog even is. The closest thing I've found is called Eierlikör, and that is most definitely NOT the same thing. In desperate need of eggnog and in need of saving eggnog's good name (because most everyone hates Eierlikör), I made some myself. Nothing beats homemade eggnog at Christmastime.
Here in Germany, however, they have their own tasty traditions. Glühwein is everywhere, from supermarkets to street stands. It's basically warm mulled wine, with cloves, cinnamon, and often some citrus fruit. There's also Lebkuchen, which is similar to gingerbread, although I haven't quite determined if they truly are the same thing. Another typical German Christmas food is Stollen, a cake filled with dried fruit and sometimes nuts. I actually didn't encounter this one, but it sounds delicious! It was an enlightening opportunity to observe Christmas in another country, having previously only ever experienced my family's own traditions. I'm so thankful that I had a friend kind enough to invite me into his home and give me the chance to celebrate Christmas with a mother's cooking in a welcoming home.
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AuthorJust a girl trying to get by in Germany for a year and having adventures along the way! Archives
April 2017
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