Christmas in Germany 🎄 - [CULTURE Shocks & Traditions]
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- Опубликовано: 20 дек 2020
- #expats #germany #expatsingermany #lifeingermany #expattips #christmas
Are you new to Germany and are you wondering what Christmas in Germany is really like? In this video, I have my German wife as a guest and she shares how Germans view and celebrate Christmas.
There are cultural shocks, a lot of sweets, and a healthy amount of German complaints. So grab your coffee or mulled wine and enjoy this special edition! 🕯🎄☕️🍰
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Christmas in Germany: bit.ly/2Qlkur0
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Yvonne seems quite German and sarcastic and I think she's embracing it. That's pretty cool. You two are great to watch
So, I'm a Lutheran Pastor. Advent means Adventus or "coming"- the coming of Jesus. It mirrors Easter with the 40 days of Lent, then the 3 days of Easter like the 3 festive days of Christmas. The Christmas season lasts 8 days from Christmas or the octave of Christmas. The celebration on the 6th is actually the Nicolasmesse, we get the 3 wise men bearing gifts like St Nicolas bring gifts to the children/poor. The white and red is the color of a bishop- traditionally! Super cool video again, I just love your energy, fun and enthusiasm!!!!
You forgot the Adventsteller. It will be refilled with cookies, choclat, different sorts of nuts, marzipan, ...
You have something to eat between breakfest, lunch, KaffeeKuchen, before and after dinner.
Omg I am so glad I stumbled upon your videos! I am not moving to Germany but I get sent there for work and I will be leaving next Friday again to Germany for two weeks for work! Your videos are very informative and helping me out! I wish I discovered you guys earlier this year when I first went to Germany! Such a beautiful country and your videos help me understand more about the culture and tips to use! Thank you so much!
Super happy to hear! Enjoy your stay in Germany and maybe a few visits to the Christmas markets 😉
I for example hate it when in September the shops start to offer stuff like Baumkuchen, Spekulatius, Christstollen and Schokonikoläuse. 😑
Sussages and potato salad 😂😂😂😂😂 was für ein Überraschung
When I arrive in Germany it’s usually early in the morning, and dark. I hop on the subway to town where I’m going and I have always loved seeing Christmas lights on in the morning. I now do the same here. It’s so nice for kids going to school and people going to work.
In my Family (and the most Families I know) the Tree is bought around 22nd 23rd.
But we put it up and decorate it on the morning of christmas eve.
Und habt ihr die Weihnachtsgans, die Pfefferkuchen und den Weihnachtsmann vergessen? 🙂
Nice video...I love Christmas in Germany...and the idea of the candles on the trees. I did it once when I had my German family over(so they showed me) we lit the candle(just one) and appreciated it for a couple of minutes, went back to our conversation then suddenly the candle flame went up..fast!.. luckily my father in law acted quick to extinguish it...and lucky it's a funny story now but a couple of seconds later and the whole tree would have been ablaze!...it is very beautiful...but I still think it's dangerous because of my experience...I still did it the following years 😂 but no looking away allowed when the candle it lit 😉
I'm SOO glad to find this again, because my brother in the US forgot the tradition from his childhood... So THANK YOU 🥰🌲🕯️
Such a charming video. Thanks for sharing.
Adventskranz ist immer aus Tannengrün. Stammt noch aus der Germanischen Zeit sich immergrüne Tannen oder Fichten Stücke ins Heim zu holen und zu beten das der Frühling bald kommen möge ich glaube die Kollegin Ostre war dafür zuständig. Die wurde begleitet von Hasen Ostre= Ostern Hasen
Love Christmas in Germany
Yes! Christmas markets are awesome. I always drink Kinderpunsch, because I don't drink alcohol anymore. And I really love all Mittelalterweihnachtsmärkte :)
Christmas season starts after Totensonntag. Everything before that has to be deemed sacreligious.
I always thought that was the same as Volkstrauertag (mourning of the dead), but apparently it is not. It's just around the same week. Which just happens to coincide with the end of the chuch lithurgical year, when you commemorate your passed ones.
Usually, Totensonntag (lit. Dead Sunday) is the Sunday before the first advent Sunday. Volkstrauertag (mourning of the dead) is two sundays before advent. Volkstrauertag's purpose is for mourning the deads of the wars at certain memorials. Totensonntag is rather for mourning dead relatives and friends at cemetries and graveyards , at least for Protestants. Catholics often do this already on Allerheiligen (All Saints) which is the 1st of November. The mourning days are considered as "silent" holidays - therefore noisy, loud and cheerful christmas markets at the same time would be consideres as disrespectful.
I am now binging every one of your videos to learn more about German culture!
Thank you for sharing 😊.I am a german living in the USA..I love your Chanel..so,so true.. Vielen Dank 💙
Glad you enjoyed it! Greetings from Germany 🙂
Where is the Weihnachtsgans? The most populare Christmas dish.
A Star Wars Lego Adventskalender must of been the best. My Children and I always had an Adventskalender growing up, but never so adventurous as a Lego one. Love this idea. Ones never too old for Lego…..or an Adventskalender! 😍🥰🎄🌲
Something you did not mention, but has changed - the christmas-lights... we took over the american light-stuff... myself has around 150 chains to lit my house :) If sometime a 747 accidentally land on my parking spot, it is because of this light :)
I love a tradition my parents made for us kids (or maby they got it by their parents, idk) on christmas eve. So before dinner, my parents would prepare the presents under the tree and we kids weren't allowed in the living room anymore. Since we had an open kitchen/living room, we therefore couldn't eat dinner in the kitchen. So we would eat in one of the children's rooms which was always really cool as a kid since you didn't have to sit on a table like normally, but you'd sit on the floor or on the bed. Also, my family always had sausages and noodle salad.
After dinner, we would gather in front of the door of the living room and start singing the christmas carol "Was soll das bedeuten". When we arrived at the second verse, my parents would open the door and we would go into the room, still singing. When we finished the song my parents would wish us merry christmas and we would start unwrapping our gifts.
I have to say, I never heard that the trash collection would pick up your tree. Maby it's something regional or only in bigger cities. At least I never experienced this in the village that I grew up. My parents would just burn it when we made a campfire.
It is so typically German. If you live in the countryside yes, you could probably burn it but we have our rules. You're not allowed to burn christmas trees any more here because of CO² regulations.
In our city you have to recycle normal waste, paper, white glas, brown glass, green glass, biological waste, toxic waste, Plastics and composite materials, christmas trees, bulky waste, used batteries, electronic waste, special electronic waste, waste from construction sites, cars to be shredded, used metal, used textiles and used shoes all separately. In addition we have a very complex Pfandsystem (bottles with DPG logo on it (25 Eurocents), those without that but just the barcode (15 Eurocents), beer bottles (8 Eurocents), wine bottles, soda bottles with GDB marking, yoghurt glasses (15 Eurocents), CO² cylinders.
However, there are some special rules. So once a year you get your Abfallkalender (waste calendar). It shows to which recycling district (all numbered) your adress belongs to. So you look up waste collection dates for your district., let's say #3. It will tell you when to put out your general trash, your Gelber Sack/Yellow Sack or your Gelbe Tonne/Yellow Ton (plastics and composite materials), your Biotonne aka Braune Tonne/Brown Ton (biological waste), Blaue Tonne/Blue Ton (Altpapier/used paper), your Restmülltonne (general trash can) or your Christbaum (christmas tree). It will also list the locations where the toxic waste mobile is parked for a few hours every three months (You must be there at the given date within the approx. 3hr-timeframe.
There are some special challenges. Some advice is listed in the calendar. For info not listed here you look it up in the web. Questions arise: What about styrofoam? --> Gelber Sack/Gelbe Tonne. Lightbulbs? Look it up in the calendar --> Restmülltonne. What if my Altglas has another colour than white, green or brown - like a blue Perrier soda bottle? Calendar tells you to put it into the Green Glass container. Old Textiles go to the Old Textiles Container in Da Hood. What if you don't have a Blaue Tonne? You can use Bündelsammlung (bundle collection) intead for your Altpapier which alternates with your Blaue Tonne collection date. Some materials you have to bring to a communal facilities called Recyclinghof (recycling yard) or Mülldeponie (landfill site). What if you don't have a Braune Tonne? Either you use a compost pile in your garden or order one.
There are even special Pfand systems on medieval markets like MPS (Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum/Medieval Phantasy Spectaculum) where you would either get your exchange money in Euros or MPS Taler (1 MPS Taler equals 1 Euro). Those MPS Taler feature about 30 different motives and come in round, half-round and even triangular shape (I think there is even a round one with a hole in the middle) and different values so some view them as collectibles. They are valid on MPS festivals only (kind of mix of a medieval fair/market and concert/festival) which take place all over Germany but usually on each location just 2 days a year during the summer season. So I possess 34 MPS Taler currently which I could spend for the entrance fee, drinks, food, soft ice or medieval accessories like boots, garments, swords, trinkets, drums, meade, shields. I could also change it back to Euros but I have to be at one of those event locations during opening times.
On some festivals when you buy a drink or food you get a glass, earthen cup, knife, fork, spoon, plate or Vesperbrett (Vesper cutting board). You pay your drink or meal and an additional fee called Pfand. Once you`re finished you bring back those things and you get your Pfand back. Usually a Pfand system on a festival is a quality sign for sustainability as there is less trash. Btw you can earn a little money trough it. There's even a slight chance you could exchange a MPS Taler (rare form or motive) for more than its actual value as long as those people you brought along are envious to have it. Or you can compare yours with those of the others to comlete, expand or upgrade your collection. It can be quite funny and satisfactory. You can give back other people's bottles/Pfand items because there are always some who don't care about bringing Pfand items back or are too lazy or to engaged in a conversation or allow you to collect the cash.
@@indiecarmayne Wow, thats a whole novel.
I know the trash/ recycling system, since I am German. I just never heard of the christmas tree collection. My parents would just burn it or, when we got the tree from Ikea, return it. But it makes sence that the old trees are collectet. I just never thought about this.
I've known it all my life. Even in the village (2.000 people) in Baden-Württemberg where I grew up the first 23 years of my life it was established. Now I'm living in the next "big city" (Großstadt) just a mere 20 km away since 30 years now. This city counts 120.000 people and it uses the same Cristmas tree collection system. Which gives me a kind of a depressed vibe thinking that I kind of progressed a mere nothing away from my birthplace in 56 years.... In that regard I don't much differ from the generation of my great-grandparents: like born in one place, died in the same place. Like I'm progressing even slower like at the pace of a snail... Sometimes life is killing me... and sometimes not.
I'm pretty sure the original Christmas trees in Germany were spruces. Nordmanntannen only got popular within the past ~20 years.
Tbh, they look much nicer than those stupid spruces and they don't shed nearly as badly.
When I was a kid, my dad would insist on getting a spruce but the became increasingly rare at the Christmas tree dealer's, so he'd go nick one god knowa where in the forest. However, even that became increasingly hard so we ended up having some god-awful trees for several years including one that was so lopsided, it tipped over thrice despite my mum tieing it to the wall unit, one that was only about 1m high and looked ridiculous in our huge living room and one that was just way too big. my dad had misjudged its height pretty badly and had to saw off both the top and bottom. We ended up having an extremely bushy, weird-looking centrepiece of a massive tree in our lounge.
Fun times.
My dad's going on 70 now and his physical shape can't keep up with his stubbornness, so I buy our trees these days instead of stealing them from someone else's forest and I buy Nordmanntannen because they're just prettier and overall my easier to handle. The only downside is Nordmanntannen don't exude that marvellous, inherently christmassy fir tree smell.
Can you make a video about your favorite christmas markets in germany?
I thought Tannembaum was what a Christmas Tree is called ?
Tanne(nbaum) is a fir tree and fir trees are decorated and then become Christmas trees which we call Christbaum. Some people up north call it Weihnachtsbaum.
Did you honestly forget den Weihnachtsmann ?
Exactly my question!
No, buying your Christmas tree on the 24th is way to late. There'll be only left over crooked ones to choose from. Also, you'd need to let the tree rest indoors at least for 2 days to let the branches spread out evenly. I'm sure, someone will have made a science thesis about this ;) On the 24th, you'll decorate it, just to add to all that crhistmas stress. And then you'll find out way to late that at least one of your fancy electric candles has a defect bulb, and all of the shops are already closed and you cannot get a replacement. So there'll be yelling from your wife and whining from your kids, you know ? Christmas spirit.
So, as a german, you'll want to have at least two sets of christmas decorations - just in case -, lots of spare bulbs and an appointment with you family lawyer after the holidays. And you'll know, that christmas really worked out, when you can cancel the lawyers appointment, because after all, you won't need a divorce. And that's what we call the christmas miracle.
Something to add to the food topic because the meal looked a little bland. Many families indeed have potato salad on 24th. It is after all partly a work day. The more fancy meals are often held on 25th because there is more time to cook and prepare.
I had to laugh about the tree decoration part. My parents have all kinds of ornaments for the tree, and of course us kids wanted to use one of each kind. Also tons of tinsel because SPARKLES. The tree turned out colorful each year. Yvonne would probably faint. For whatever reason some easter decorations including a plastic plum were in the boxes. I don't remember who added it to the tree first but we do to this day. The tree is not complete without the plum.
The term "Advent" came from The Latin "adventare" which means "exepttion" the exeption of the birth of Jesus Christ
Hello thanks for the wonderful videos about winter and Christmas. Im planning to visit Germany 10 days for tourism this December and appreciate if you can have an updated video on winter and Christmas for this year. I'm looking for which best cities to visit Munich or Berlin or other cities? To which preferred dates? Thanks a lot and also if there is any requirement to do reservation to certain places earlier
a bit late too the game .. but :D i have to set one thing straight! if u get the real deal of Stollen it is not dry at all .. the stuff from the supermarket is not the original experience :D
About Christmas-trees... you now get candles (electical) with LED-light, that 100% simulate a true candle. Not the LED-chains (as you seem to have used) but single candles - basically you now can copy the original candles, with a remote and set them up.
Esp. with small kids or animals (cats "love" the fancy light, it is no smart idea to let the cat jump onto a tree with burning candles...) you now can easily simulate the true candles.
The ONE thing you never could copy - the smell of a C-tree with natural candles, it has a smell you miss with the electrical LED-lights
Also, the germans (at last the ones with the "traditional" gen) love to sing in front of the X-tree
at last in the more conservative families...
about food:
it depends strongly at that place you eat.
The kicked-out germans (around 14 Mio post WW2) had completly different 24th eating behaviour, the Ruhr-Area mostly eat the stuff you mentioned
Before Christmas Market ;Oh no dont want to go -after the first Glühwein,,,Ok its not soobad after the second Glühwein ok it tasted well ,after the third,,, while the fourth :🎵🎵🎼FROOOHE CHRISTENHSIT...MAL WIEEEDAA TOTAAAAL BRAAAIIIET🎺🥁🎼
We Germans have the power over fire since the Stone Age! Don't worry, we'll handle it. We also invented the car, nuclear fission, X-ray, the telephone, the first coffee machine, the first space rocket, the helicopter, the first programmable computer, the paper coffee filter (Mellitta) ... the teddy bear ... and many other things ... so the candles on the Christmas tree are no problem !!
Germans are einfach cool! -J
In my family we were hybrid for most of the time I remember. There were electric lights all over the tree, but up and outside there were real candles which were lit occasionally and of course only under control. We even lighted some sparklers now and then.
Und die von der Müllabfuhr eingesammelten entsorgten Weihnachtsbäume ohne Schmuck Lametta etc. werden in Köln den Zooelefanten als sehr beliebter Snack geliefert 😁
Fun and upbeat video!!
Question about the Christmas tree. When you buy a real Christmas tree, does the tree store cut off about 3-6 inches (7.6-15.24 cm) from the bottom or do you have to do that at home? Also, do you put water in the bottom of the stand to keep the tree fresher longer?
Yes, you definitely put water at the bottom, otherwise the needles start falling within days. There are specific Christmas tree holders in Germany that also have a compartment for water. The tree gets cut ready to be put into this stand. 😊
There are also living christmas trees which you can plant afterwards. But it's a bit difficult in winter or to keep it alive until spring.
Ich bin zu spät zur Party...
Nächstes Jahr auf keinen Fall den "bunten Teller" neben dem Adventskranz vergessen! Meine Kinder könnten das nicht verzeihen.
Ladys, what about the 6th of December?
Nikolaustag 🥰
Firecrackers? Wow okay that's definitely different than the USA LOL.
You forgot to mention the Martinstag (Saint Martin's Day) on 11th of November with the Martinsumzug (Saint Martin's procession where kindergarten kids do a nightly procession with self-made lanterns on a stick illuminated by a Teelicht (tea light). The lantern (usually round or oval) is big enough to not catch fire with a sun or moon face motive on it. The kids sing a special song to it (kind like a conjuring song so the lantern might please not go off in flames) =8;-)
The text is like:
"Laterne, Laterne,
Sonne, Mond und Sterne,
blühe auf mein Licht,
blühe auf mein Licht,
nur meine liebe Laterne nicht!"
"Lantern, Lantern,
Sun, Moon and the Stars,
blossom up my light,
blossom up my light,
just not my beloved Lantern!"
This usually would be the first sign of the festive season for me, along with the opening of the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) and the neighbouring Mittelaltermarkt (Medieval Market) which both have sadly fallen victim to cancel culture in C-times. The city administration also supplies festive illumination on bridges and in pedestrian zones. Before Corona we also used to have a large Christmas Tree and a Christmas Pyramid at the Marktplatz (marketplace) before the Rathaus (Town Hall). Even before that (say mid-October) you will notice first Christmas articles on shelves like Schokoladen-Weihnachtsmänner (Chocolate Santa Clauses), Schokoladentaler (chocolate Taler's), Früchtebrot (fruit loaf/fruitcake), Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Gewürzkuchen (spice cake), Spekulatius, Christstollen or Adventskränze (advent wreaths).
You also didn't mention Nikolaustag (Saint Nicholas Day) on 06th of December when kids on the evening before have to properly clean their shoes (parents will strictly supervising that, they know the rules best because dirty shoes will disgust Saint Nicholas so he will put no presents in it!). Usually you would find nuts, mandarines, oranges, candies, chocolate bars or Lebkuchen in it. It kind of serves to facilitate the long wait of kids for Bescherung on Heiligabend (Chrismas Eve). Fun fact: Smart kids, of course, will deposit BOOTS before the front door because of the greater maximum load capacity... So imagine of 3 kids only one is the smart one...
Usually the festive season would subjectively be ringed in for me when I either had a Feuerwurst (fire sausage so very hot/spicy!), Germanisches Göttergeschnetzeltes mit Knoblauchsauce (Germanic Strips of Gods with Garlic Sauce) or chocolate-covered fruitsticks (like bananas, strawberries, kiwis, apples, pears,...) covered with white, light brown, dark brown, caramel or even pink chocolate. Typically I would take the mixed variant in all colours available. If I have one of these treats on the Weihnachtsmarkt it must have been a good year for me.
As kids both me and my sister were given self-made advent calendars. My mother would collect 48 empty matchboxes throughout the year. She then would glue them together and paint them with water colours, each calendar in a different one. She would then use a metal letter clip as kind of drawer knob and write the numbers on the drawers. The final challenge was the content: it had to be short and flat enough to fit into these mini drawers. I loved salted sticks back then (still do). As hilarious as it sounds she had to break each stick down into three pieces so they could fit in! Happy childhood memories...! Also our family cat loved to fish for the lowest Christmas Tree Balls and destroy them...!
my guess is 1 candle for each wise man and one for baby jesus
Does Germany have Halloween
Yes, we do. We have a guide on it: www.simplegermany.com/halloween-in-germany/
Laurels !?
White Glühwein.... Sacrilege!
Why is she your german wife? Maybe better say on the end that you are from Southamerica and shes from Europe Germany :-) and she will be sheer your wife ❤