A Very Festive German Christmas

Hanna is an American student studying in Germany as part of the CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange) scholarship exchange program. 

As Andy Williams croons, Christmas is the “most wonderful time of the year,” and the Germans truly work to make the season a yearly miracle. Never in my life have I seen so much holiday spirit; it seems like small traditions are ingrained into every moment of winter.

Advent calendars are the most obvious example of December just being the month for celebrating festivities. All my host siblings and I got chocolate Advent calendars, where I'm able to eat a sculpted piece of chocolate every day. My host parents also made a homemade Advent calendar by the stairs, hanging little presents on ribbons on each step. Every day, I unwrap small gifts to use, like Chapstick or hand warmers.

The season’s jolly does not escape the dinner table. Adventskranz (or Advent wreath) is a tradition where candles are lit sequentially every Sunday. I like to think that the flames are here to keep me company against the dwindling German sun. (The sun begins to set at 3 p.m. in winter.) By the end of the month, the candles look like a little staircase.

Germans even squeezed another holiday, Saint Nicholaus Day, into their already busy December schedules. Although Nicholaus is more popular in Holland, many German families still celebrate this holiday. On Dec. 5, children clean their shoes. If they've been well behaved, small sweets, fruits, and goodies would fill their shoes. Pieces of coal are left behind for misbehaving children. I like to think of this tradition as a prequel to the opening of gifts on Christmas Day.

Finally, Germany is well known for their wonderful Christmas markets. I visited several in the past weeks, and I truly feel like I am immersed in a winter wonderland. Cute little stalls line the sidewalks of city centers, and vendors sell foods like Reibekucken (fried cutlets of thinly sliced potatoes served with applesauce), Kinderpunsch (a warm drink made from juices and spices), and Grünekohl (North German dish of slow-cooked kale). There are also artisans selling handmade glass jewelry, leather works, and wooden Christmas decorations. The sheer quantity and decoration put into these markets really capture the work Germans put into cultivating a strong holiday spirit.

With snow beginning to fall in my city, I can truly say, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."