On December 24th, my mother was busy decorating the Christmas tree, and we children helped her. Afterward, we went to church for the Christmas service. When we returned, the presents were under the tree - the Christ Child had been there! But we weren’t allowed to open the gifts just yet. First, we had dinner. Traditionally, we had Viennese sausages with potato salad - simple and straightforward. After dinner, we children were finally allowed to open our presents and spent the rest of the evening playing with them until bedtime. On Christmas Day, close relatives came to visit. It was a cozy time, with the adults enjoying mulled wine and a cheerful, sociable atmosphere filling the house. We usually enjoyed a roast goose for dinner.
same here! wenn i grew older i had an eye on my parents in church if one of them went home to arrange everything and i made sure they did not before church. but still the presents were under the tree and all the lights were on.... later i found out: they asked our neighbours to do so :D :D
Just moved to Graz, Austria, and I can confirm that everyone is out in the evening for the Christmas markets. Usually by 8pm the streets are empty, but on festival times / when the Christmas markets are open, you suddenly see how many people there actually are here.
Spent a year abroad going to University in Graz. Back when it was Karl Franzens University. Christmas market is especially nice, Krampuslauf fun fun fun!!
As an American with 1700 Germany roots I do the nutcrackers, gingerbread, Christmas tree, spinning tower, advent wreath. I never knew they were German!
My mother was from Germany, and we celebrated most of these traditions in our home. I always thought I was lucky because we received our presents on Christmas Eve, but all my friends had to wait for Christmas Day.😊
My kids got one present on Christmas eve, main presents on Christmas day, and then, because we also have Ukrainian roots, they got to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas on Jan. 6th.
I was born and grown up in the Ore Mountains in the State of Saxony. A tradition from there are the Schwibbogen. The people who live there put at the 1. Advent the Schwibbögen behind the windows, at night you can see them in almost every house glowing and this is really magical. Now I live in the State of Hesse near Frankfurt, but I keep this tradition alive and it's remind me every year of my origin. 😊
Heidelbeere = Blueberry, Himbeere = Raspberry. While it is true that Christmas Markets will disappear (almost all of them, there are a few exceptions, though) after Dec 23rd, decorations will not until Jan 6. So, there you got something wrong. All the city lights, the trees, the window decorations will mostly last until Jan 6. Nothing "disappears" apart from the festive set-ups of the Christmas Markets.
I really love the enthusiasm you put into your videos! My wife is German and she always made sure our kids put a shoe next to the front door on December 5th and it was always fun to see them run to see what kind of treat was waiting for then on St Nicholas day. Now our kids are spread all across the US but my wife sends little treats for the grandkids and asks our kids to set them out on the 5th so they'll have a surprise on the 6th.
We lived in Germany in and off for about 12 years. My wife collected the gluhwein mugs instead of getting her deposit back. That being said we lost out on hundreds of dollars of deposits... 😂. She made me do Christmas road trips to get to different markets. I think she has close to 200 different mugs.
Aww, my dearest Bamberg! I studied there for 6 months in 2016, such good memories! 🥹✨️ Loove your videos, always so informative, greetings from Serbia!
So in my early years of working with kids in an after school program, i decided to celebrate St Nicholas day with them every year. They all had to bring in a shoe in order to get a gift in them😊
I am so going next year. This video just lighted the fire for me. I’ve been trying to decide, because I really want to go to Switzerland in spring, but I might just have to go twice. I love everything about this. ❤️🕯️
Your videos are getting me so hyped for our German Christmas trip in 2025! Would love to see a video on your packing strategies for a winter trip to Bavaria.
I've been trying to re-learn my family history and so have been trying to learn about and adopt some of these German traditions! Some day I'll actually get out there myself.
Just got back from Germany last week! Excellent review as always Mark! I was amazed at how many of these traditions have been passed down in our family over the generations. Had a grest time and brought back our mugs and stollen!
Not sure, but I thought the tradition of adding a pickle ornament to the Christmas tree was a German tradition. The person who finds the pickle first gets a special present. Many beautiful German traditions in our former hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Thanks for sharing these with us Mark. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Krampus is more austrian than german. However, there is the tradition in Germany to have a second person beside Saint Nicholas to punish the "bad" children. The name varies over the regions, but I dare say that the most popular name for Germany is "Knecht Rup(p)recht" Thank you so much for your informative videos and have nice holidays with your family
Please do a little video on the Sternsinger. It's so loverly and heartwarming. At the time of January 6th, katholic children go from house to house collecting money for a special purpose, like a children's project in 3rd world. They sing a song, then comes a little verse, then you are kindly asked to give a donation. I'm by no means a religious person but I always give a fair sum plus more sweets for them to keep.❤ Oh I forgot to mention they are dressed as Caspar Melchior and Balthazar and they write a blessing on your door
1:40 is usually only half a holiday, as is December 31st. That's why many companies take two half-days of your holidays as a mandatory day off. But it's worth it.
Great video, Mark! I lived there for 4 years when I was a child. I loved it there. ...I still love it there. Merry Christmas, to you and your family 🎄🎅 🇩🇪
Christmas Eve/24th Dec is actually not an official holiday. However, stores will close much earlier on 24th, usually around 1 or 2 pm. So you can still do some emergency shopping if needed. Smaller stores might not open on 24th.
Excellent Mark. Thanks for taking us around with you, even if you are making me seriously miss Western Christmas. Here in Georgia, while they have some Christmas decorations up, they all tend to be neutral lights and Christmas tress. That's not because they don't believe in Christ, but rather because they do. So essentially most of the Christian imagery that Germans and others love to put up simply aren't for public display. The Georgian Orthodox Church considers it to be too holy to be made into public spectacle. So most of the lights and decorations are up for New Year's Eve, which is quite something. (Although this year all those fireworks might have a different meaning.) Then January 7th Orthodox Christmas (Shoba) is much quieter religious event lasting in church all night. So... I really miss Christmas celebrations. I've been to Salzburg, Austria on December 6th. I've been to Lüneburg in December for their Christmas Markt. More than once I've wanted to splurge on Christmas ornaments. But it doesn't do me much good here. It's a long story. But I think I'll go north for Christmas to Germany next year. Thanks for the inspiration! შობას გილოცავთ!
One other tradition is the Advent Calendar. I was born in Germany and missed the calendars for many years. I cross-stitched the calendars for my girls, added numbers and little rings, and hung candy on them. From December 1 to December 24, the children get to enjoy one treat each day. Now, the stores carry the chocolate calendars and I buy them for my grandchildren each year. I also bought them wooden ones you can fill. The little wooden smokers are also a CC tradition.
Growing up in Dallas we always had store bought Adventskalender. Now as an adult I make ours with bags to fill with various treats and small gifts as to include everyone in the family, including the animals.
Loads of these Christmas Traditions are also around in Denmark. The markets, the lights ... No Saint Nic or Krampus ... Though we have our own Christmas Monsters! Julevætten and others. I an currently reading a book of Christmas Creatures in the world ... Sone of those Creatures can be quite nasty! I. E. Eating missbehaving kids or people, who are in the forrest at night. ^^ And as in Germany: after Christmas all decorations and lights are gone ... Now we only have the dark, depressing winter to look forwards to! Weeeeeee ...
😂 We are not that strict that everything Stopps immediately on the 27th but it indeed heavily depends on the Region. In Southern Germany and the more catholic Regions in Germany, Christmas typically lasts till 6th January where 3 little kids dressed as the 3 kings walk from house to house and sing Songs. The 6th of January would be also traditionally the day when we remove the Christmas tree and the decoration at home. So you might think we stop Christmas after all the decoration and Christmas markets are gone off the streets. But no, no - we have annother 1.5 seecret weeks only for us 😅
Krampus is a really regional thing. I grew up in Northrine-Westphalia and North Germany and the first time I ever heard of Krampus I must have been around 25 years old - via American videos on RUclips, I think.
What a pleasure to see you visiting Bamberg! If you need any recommendations or else feel free to comment! i really enjoy your videos for quite some time now!
We always celebrate the advent wreath in the Catholic Church with the lighting of the candle each week. After some research, I discovered it was originally a German tradition that was adopted by the Catholic Church.
Happy to see Nutcracker get mentioned. It's my fav Christmas item due to my love for the story, which is originally Germanic, not Russian (although it was made more popular by Tchaikovsky). But this is fascinating for me because I am a Texan and we have a strong German influence here (I myself have German ancestry) and some of the things mentioned in the video, we have versions of that here in Texas. Like the German Markets, in my neck of the wood there's a huge Christmas market that happens a week before Thanksgiving on the weekend that people sell their goods at from food to Christmas stuff. I've seen Advent Calanders being sold in stores here. I was raised Catholic (which came from my German ancestors), so yeah I am very familiar with the Advent Wreath lol. My family did briefly live in Germany in the early 80s because my dad is a Vet, but I barely remember anything since I was a baby. I only remember being on a train and my mom drawing, and those are flashes of memory, and that was when I was a toddler (we moved out when I was 4). So I'll be sure to ask my parents if we did experience any of these traditions while living in Berlin.
@lachieevertbelfield1502 that may be but I'd have liked to have seen at least one. Missed by a few days. I did get to see a Christmas tree by the Doge's palace. And black Friday sales in Florence. Who'd have thought Italy has Black Friday sales?Could be worse 🤷🏻♂️
Some facts about the Christkind: It's not Christ the child, it's a child (angle) traveling from door to door on behalf of Christ. The Christkind was an invention of Martin Luther. He took note of two other German Christmas traditions in Germany. On St. Lucia, which was mainly cultivated in Northern Germany, Pomerania and East Prussia, and on St. Nicholas customs of a pre-Christian nature. Krampus is a pagan custom that alludes to Celtic and Germanic winter spirits that cause mischief during Twelve Nights. This pagan custom was linked to the legend of St. Nicholas early on. In central Germany, young boys dressed up and accompanied St. Nicholas. They went from house to house, insulted people in poems, and played pranks on them. (The custom still exists in my area in northern Hesse, search for gloves, but don't mix up with Handschuhe or garlic.😁) When Luther's children were that age, it was also the same in Saxony. The young boys were doing it wildly, especially in reference to a Catholic saint. He had to do something about it and invented the Christkind. A childlike angel of annunciation, friendly and well-behaved, who brings people the message of Christmas. He wrote the song Vom Himmel hoch for the Christkind. Which is strongly reminiscent of the candlelight procession near St. Lucia. The invention of the Christkind is also a blessing for parents. Because they don't have to answer the question of how Santa Claus manages to give presents to all the children in the world in one day. They can sit back and relax and say that there are heavenly hosts and that every family has their own personal Christkind. Because that's actually how it was intended. Not just one Christ child but many for everyone.
I only been to a Christmas marking in London, UK.. but eager to go to another. And/or having one closer to me, but sad thing is where they Could’ve set one up.. they instead have a pretty lame “Light Show”. 🙄 You could bring in more smiles, support more business and craftsman but instead you waste energy but using so many lights. *sighs* I hope to, at some point, visit Germany during advent. ♥️ Thanks Mark for your videos!
Germany is the true Christmas homeland, origin of Christmas incent smokers, carvings, pyramids and nutcracker and Christmas toys: Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains), creator of the modern Santa Claus in red robe: 1863 by Thomas Nast of Landau City, origin of Christmas eve gifts: Wittenberg city (Luther), origin of Christmas tree decorations (Lauscha city), origin of Advent wreath and Christmas advent calendar: Hamburg city (J.H. Wichern), modern glowing Christmas star: Herrnhut city... and some of the best Christmas markets in Europe (Dresden and Nuremberg).
It's sad that everything is gone the 26th. Christmas is actually 12 days of celebration and ending on the Epiphany. All of the commercialization has really ruined the best days. I absolutely love the Advent time of preparation. Sadly, the Christkindlmarket's have all but been pushed out in what use to be one of the most Germanic cities in the US. Now we pretty much have to hit up Aldi for our treats.
There will be fun again in the next 4 or 5 years. This means: All shops will be closed for up to 4 days. Until 2029, Christmas will be before or after a weekend. Sometimes with just one working day in between.
the 24th of december is not a public holiday in Germany. So many office workers will get the day off and shops might close early - usually around 2 p.m. So doing your groceries on morning of the 24th could be a smart decision since most people do it on the days before and the stores will be nearly empty. Krampus is only a tradition in a broader alpine region in southern Germany and Austria. You won't such monsters in Central and Northern Germany ... thought theoretically Saint Niclas can bring a coal or a stick for naughty children, but rarely it happens.
Krampus is not a tradition in all of Germany. Please don't confuse some southern regions like Bavaria with Germany (its like saying that all Americans are Cowboys xD).
My grandfather was 3rd generation German from Cologne and Christmas Eve was the time for Oysters of all kinds, smoked, stewed, and fried are the ones I remember. We have changed it up a bit in my house to Crawfish Etouffee. So seafood of multiple kinds.
But please, dear Americans: Please don't come to Germany and complain about: deposits, cash, paying for toilets and drinks being served without ice and the shops being closed on Sundays. You'll be in another country for a few days. Accept it.😚
We love you, Mark, but Krampus is NOT German - it’s Austrian! Some parts of Bavaria might be familiar with the tradition, but ask someone from Hannover about Krampus and see what they say!
Every American needs to experience a December holiday in Europe at the Christmas markets. I have been to these markets in Strasbourg, Selestat, and Colmar (all in France), Prague (Czech Republic), and Budapest (Hungary). Also, the Christmas market in Quebec City (Canada). Get out there and be a holly jolly traveler!
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On December 24th, my mother was busy decorating the Christmas tree, and we children helped her. Afterward, we went to church for the Christmas service. When we returned, the presents were under the tree - the Christ Child had been there! But we weren’t allowed to open the gifts just yet. First, we had dinner. Traditionally, we had Viennese sausages with potato salad - simple and straightforward. After dinner, we children were finally allowed to open our presents and spent the rest of the evening playing with them until bedtime.
On Christmas Day, close relatives came to visit. It was a cozy time, with the adults enjoying mulled wine and a cheerful, sociable atmosphere filling the house. We usually enjoyed a roast goose for dinner.
Very classic. I love that.
sounds very familiar
same here! wenn i grew older i had an eye on my parents in church if one of them went home to arrange everything and i made sure they did not before church. but still the presents were under the tree and all the lights were on.... later i found out: they asked our neighbours to do so :D :D
Christmas in Germany is magical!!!
Just moved to Graz, Austria, and I can confirm that everyone is out in the evening for the Christmas markets. Usually by 8pm the streets are empty, but on festival times / when the Christmas markets are open, you suddenly see how many people there actually are here.
Spent a year abroad going to University in Graz. Back when it was Karl Franzens University.
Christmas market is especially nice, Krampuslauf fun fun fun!!
We were stationed in Germany in the early 90s. I still have my beautiful Nuremberger Angel as my tree topper. ☺️
As an American with 1700 Germany roots I do the nutcrackers, gingerbread, Christmas tree, spinning tower, advent wreath. I never knew they were German!
My mother was from Germany, and we celebrated most of these traditions in our home. I always thought I was lucky because we received our presents on Christmas Eve, but all my friends had to wait for Christmas Day.😊
My kids got one present on Christmas eve, main presents on Christmas day, and then, because we also have Ukrainian roots, they got to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas on Jan. 6th.
I was born and grown up in the Ore Mountains in the State of Saxony. A tradition from there are the Schwibbogen. The people who live there put at the 1. Advent the Schwibbögen behind the windows, at night you can see them in almost every house glowing and this is really magical. Now I live in the State of Hesse near Frankfurt, but I keep this tradition alive and it's remind me every year of my origin. 😊
Heidelbeere = Blueberry, Himbeere = Raspberry. While it is true that Christmas Markets will disappear (almost all of them, there are a few exceptions, though) after Dec 23rd, decorations will not until Jan 6. So, there you got something wrong. All the city lights, the trees, the window decorations will mostly last until Jan 6. Nothing "disappears" apart from the festive set-ups of the Christmas Markets.
Currently enjoying the Christmas markets in Hamburg.
Finally I get to go to Germany for Christmas! This is exactly the video I need! Thank you!
Enjoy! But be aware, Christmas is a feast for pickpockets. 🎉
I really love the enthusiasm you put into your videos! My wife is German and she always made sure our kids put a shoe next to the front door on December 5th and it was always fun to see them run to see what kind of treat was waiting for then on St Nicholas day. Now our kids are spread all across the US but my wife sends little treats for the grandkids and asks our kids to set them out on the 5th so they'll have a surprise on the 6th.
We lived in Germany in and off for about 12 years. My wife collected the gluhwein mugs instead of getting her deposit back. That being said we lost out on hundreds of dollars of deposits... 😂. She made me do Christmas road trips to get to different markets. I think she has close to 200 different mugs.
you got mugged
@@jpdj2715You beat me to it!🤣
Aww, my dearest Bamberg! I studied there for 6 months in 2016, such good memories! 🥹✨️ Loove your videos, always so informative, greetings from Serbia!
So in my early years of working with kids in an after school program, i decided to celebrate St Nicholas day with them every year. They all had to bring in a shoe in order to get a gift in them😊
I am so going next year. This video just lighted the fire for me. I’ve been trying to decide, because I really want to go to Switzerland in spring, but I might just have to go twice.
I love everything about this. ❤️🕯️
Your videos are getting me so hyped for our German Christmas trip in 2025! Would love to see a video on your packing strategies for a winter trip to Bavaria.
I've been trying to re-learn my family history and so have been trying to learn about and adopt some of these German traditions! Some day I'll actually get out there myself.
Same here.. I can’t wait to go to the Christmas markets!
Goose = Gans
Ganze = all of something
Have lived in Germany & Austria and appreciate your videos greatly. Lovely to revisit Europe through your lens.
Just got back from Germany last week! Excellent review as always Mark! I was amazed at how many of these traditions have been passed down in our family over the generations. Had a grest time and brought back our mugs and stollen!
Not sure, but I thought the tradition of adding a pickle ornament to the Christmas tree was a German tradition. The person who finds the pickle first gets a special present. Many beautiful German traditions in our former hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Thanks for sharing these with us Mark. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I thought I read somewhere that it was more American as not a real German tradition?🤔
I am German. It is not 😅
It's not a German thing. ;-)
It's still a rumor in America. But not really a German think.
German here (near Cologne)
I heard of the cucumber as an American tradition. Unknown to where I live. Sounds funny, maybe I'll do it this year❤
Sehr informativ. Frohe deutsche Weihnachten für dich, Jocelyn und deine Kinder von Jim und Harriet🎄🎄
Krampus is more austrian than german. However, there is the tradition in Germany to have a second person beside Saint Nicholas to punish the "bad" children. The name varies over the regions, but I dare say that the most popular name for Germany is "Knecht Rup(p)recht"
Thank you so much for your informative videos and have nice holidays with your family
10 year + subscriber here. ❤ used to watch back when I lived in Germany.
Krampus is a sweetheart! Gruss vom Krampus!
Nice sharing... beautiful festival vibes ❤
Merry Christmas to you Mr Walter 🎉👍
Well done video Mark!!! I love me some Germany Christmas Markets and traditions :)
Please do a little video on the Sternsinger. It's so loverly and heartwarming.
At the time of January 6th, katholic children go from house to house collecting money for a special purpose, like a children's project in 3rd world.
They sing a song, then comes a little verse, then you are kindly asked to give a donation.
I'm by no means a religious person but I always give a fair sum plus more sweets for them to keep.❤
Oh I forgot to mention they are dressed as Caspar Melchior and Balthazar and they write a blessing on your door
On my way there next week. Thanks for all the great content and advice, Mark.
Frohe Weihnachten!
It's long been a dream of mine to attend a German Christmas market. One day...
I like the one in Leipzig, that's pretty dope. This year, I'll be going to the one in Hanover.
I love your excitement for this season.😊❤
1:40 is usually only half a holiday, as is December 31st. That's why many companies take two half-days of your holidays as a mandatory day off. But it's worth it.
Great video, Mark! I lived there for 4 years when I was a child. I loved it there. ...I still love it there. Merry Christmas, to you and your family 🎄🎅 🇩🇪
Christmas Eve/24th Dec is actually not an official holiday. However, stores will close much earlier on 24th, usually around 1 or 2 pm. So you can still do some emergency shopping if needed. Smaller stores might not open on 24th.
Sounds so fun. I love checking out neat Christmas places
Excellent Mark. Thanks for taking us around with you, even if you are making me seriously miss Western Christmas. Here in Georgia, while they have some Christmas decorations up, they all tend to be neutral lights and Christmas tress. That's not because they don't believe in Christ, but rather because they do. So essentially most of the Christian imagery that Germans and others love to put up simply aren't for public display. The Georgian Orthodox Church considers it to be too holy to be made into public spectacle. So most of the lights and decorations are up for New Year's Eve, which is quite something. (Although this year all those fireworks might have a different meaning.) Then January 7th Orthodox Christmas (Shoba) is much quieter religious event lasting in church all night.
So... I really miss Christmas celebrations. I've been to Salzburg, Austria on December 6th. I've been to Lüneburg in December for their Christmas Markt. More than once I've wanted to splurge on Christmas ornaments. But it doesn't do me much good here. It's a long story. But I think I'll go north for Christmas to Germany next year. Thanks for the inspiration! შობას გილოცავთ!
Schön!
One other tradition is the Advent Calendar. I was born in Germany and missed the calendars for many years. I cross-stitched the calendars for my girls, added numbers and little rings, and hung candy on them. From December 1 to December 24, the children get to enjoy one treat each day. Now, the stores carry the chocolate calendars and I buy them for my grandchildren each year. I also bought them wooden ones you can fill. The little wooden smokers are also a CC tradition.
Perfect timing as we are going to Germany very soon!
Growing up in Dallas we always had store bought Adventskalender. Now as an adult I make ours with bags to fill with various treats and small gifts as to include everyone in the family, including the animals.
Heidelbeere is Blueberry tho. Did Marc mention we Germans can be a bit pedantic? Hmmmm not sure… love your vids. Best travel advise on the internet
❤Thank you❤
the shops are not closed on 14.12 (unless it's a Sunday) they just close earlier, usually around 2pm
The Krampus ist common in Bavaria, not in the rest of Germany.
Decemver 24th is galf a working day. So its not a full holliday
Aah, I miss being in Germany at this time of the year and my daughter being young genug to appreciate Niklaus Tag!
Hey Mark, cool and exciting video
Stuttgart (South Germany) has a BEAUTIFUL and very big Christmas market!
here in budapest the xmas markets start mid nov and go to Jan 1 because of all the tourism
Loads of these Christmas Traditions are also around in Denmark. The markets, the lights ... No Saint Nic or Krampus ... Though we have our own Christmas Monsters! Julevætten and others. I an currently reading a book of Christmas Creatures in the world ... Sone of those Creatures can be quite nasty! I. E. Eating missbehaving kids or people, who are in the forrest at night. ^^
And as in Germany: after Christmas all decorations and lights are gone ... Now we only have the dark, depressing winter to look forwards to! Weeeeeee ...
😂
We are not that strict that everything Stopps immediately on the 27th but it indeed heavily depends on the Region.
In Southern Germany and the more catholic Regions in Germany, Christmas typically lasts till 6th January where 3 little kids dressed as the 3 kings walk from house to house and sing Songs.
The 6th of January would be also traditionally the day when we remove the Christmas tree and the decoration at home.
So you might think we stop Christmas after all the decoration and Christmas markets are gone off the streets. But no, no - we have annother 1.5 seecret weeks only for us 😅
Krampus is a really regional thing. I grew up in Northrine-Westphalia and North Germany and the first time I ever heard of Krampus I must have been around 25 years old - via American videos on RUclips, I think.
👍❤️
What a pleasure to see you visiting Bamberg! If you need any recommendations or else feel free to comment! i really enjoy your videos for quite some time now!
We always celebrate the advent wreath in the Catholic Church with the lighting of the candle each week. After some research, I discovered it was originally a German tradition that was adopted by the Catholic Church.
Happy to see Nutcracker get mentioned. It's my fav Christmas item due to my love for the story, which is originally Germanic, not Russian (although it was made more popular by Tchaikovsky).
But this is fascinating for me because I am a Texan and we have a strong German influence here (I myself have German ancestry) and some of the things mentioned in the video, we have versions of that here in Texas. Like the German Markets, in my neck of the wood there's a huge Christmas market that happens a week before Thanksgiving on the weekend that people sell their goods at from food to Christmas stuff. I've seen Advent Calanders being sold in stores here.
I was raised Catholic (which came from my German ancestors), so yeah I am very familiar with the Advent Wreath lol. My family did briefly live in Germany in the early 80s because my dad is a Vet, but I barely remember anything since I was a baby. I only remember being on a train and my mom drawing, and those are flashes of memory, and that was when I was a toddler (we moved out when I was 4). So I'll be sure to ask my parents if we did experience any of these traditions while living in Berlin.
Just got back to the States from Italy last night. Missed their Christmas markets.
Germany has the best
@lachieevertbelfield1502 that may be but I'd have liked to have seen at least one. Missed by a few days. I did get to see a Christmas tree by the Doge's palace. And black Friday sales in Florence. Who'd have thought Italy has Black Friday sales?Could be worse 🤷🏻♂️
What timing... our flight to Munich departs in 48 hours!!!
Some facts about the Christkind: It's not Christ the child, it's a child (angle) traveling from door to door on behalf of Christ.
The Christkind was an invention of Martin Luther.
He took note of two other German Christmas traditions in Germany. On St. Lucia, which was mainly cultivated in Northern Germany, Pomerania and East Prussia, and on St. Nicholas customs of a pre-Christian nature.
Krampus is a pagan custom that alludes to Celtic and Germanic winter spirits that cause mischief during Twelve Nights. This pagan custom was linked to the legend of St. Nicholas early on. In central Germany, young boys dressed up and accompanied St. Nicholas. They went from house to house, insulted people in poems, and played pranks on them. (The custom still exists in my area in northern Hesse, search for gloves, but don't mix up with Handschuhe or garlic.😁) When Luther's children were that age, it was also the same in Saxony. The young boys were doing it wildly, especially in reference to a Catholic saint. He had to do something about it and invented the Christkind. A childlike angel of annunciation, friendly and well-behaved, who brings people the message of Christmas. He wrote the song Vom Himmel hoch for the Christkind. Which is strongly reminiscent of the candlelight procession near St. Lucia.
The invention of the Christkind is also a blessing for parents. Because they don't have to answer the question of how Santa Claus manages to give presents to all the children in the world in one day. They can sit back and relax and say that there are heavenly hosts and that every family has their own personal Christkind. Because that's actually how it was intended. Not just one Christ child but many for everyone.
I only been to a Christmas marking in London, UK.. but eager to go to another.
And/or having one closer to me, but sad thing is where they Could’ve set one up.. they instead have a pretty lame “Light Show”. 🙄
You could bring in more smiles, support more business and craftsman but instead you waste energy but using so many lights. *sighs*
I hope to, at some point, visit Germany during advent. ♥️
Thanks Mark for your videos!
Nutella...in our stockings Christmas morning.
Germany is the true Christmas homeland, origin of Christmas incent smokers, carvings, pyramids and nutcracker and Christmas toys: Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains), creator of the modern Santa Claus in red robe: 1863 by Thomas Nast of Landau City, origin of Christmas eve gifts: Wittenberg city (Luther), origin of Christmas tree decorations (Lauscha city), origin of Advent wreath and Christmas advent calendar: Hamburg city (J.H. Wichern), modern glowing Christmas star: Herrnhut city... and some of the best Christmas markets in Europe (Dresden and Nuremberg).
If the 24th is a weekday everything is open until 2:00 p.m. Heidelberg is Blueberry.
It's sad that everything is gone the 26th. Christmas is actually 12 days of celebration and ending on the Epiphany. All of the commercialization has really ruined the best days. I absolutely love the Advent time of preparation. Sadly, the Christkindlmarket's have all but been pushed out in what use to be one of the most Germanic cities in the US. Now we pretty much have to hit up Aldi for our treats.
There will be fun again in the next 4 or 5 years. This means: All shops will be closed for up to 4 days. Until 2029, Christmas will be before or after a weekend. Sometimes with just one working day in between.
They have a Feurzangebowle stand where they light the rum soaked sugar on fire over a giant pot every hour after in dark in Bamberg
3:21 Heidelbeere is Raspberry? I think not. Heidelbeere is Blueberry and Himbeere is Raspberry.
the 24th of december is not a public holiday in Germany. So many office workers will get the day off and shops might close early - usually around 2 p.m. So doing your groceries on morning of the 24th could be a smart decision since most people do it on the days before and the stores will be nearly empty. Krampus is only a tradition in a broader alpine region in southern Germany and Austria. You won't such monsters in Central and Northern Germany ... thought theoretically Saint Niclas can bring a coal or a stick for naughty children, but rarely it happens.
ROTHENBERG!!!! ❤❤❤
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And don't forget Belsnickel, which originated in Germany, then moved to Penssylvania.
1:11 the Omas and Opas ich brech ab
Christmas in the USA is treating like Halloween. JUST one day?
For the majority of Germans Knecht Ruprecht is St. Nicks sidekick and not Krampus.
Krampus is not a tradition in all of Germany. Please don't confuse some southern regions like Bavaria with Germany (its like saying that all Americans are Cowboys xD).
🇩🇪🎄⛄❄️🎁🦌
Which market to rule them all?
Heidelbeer is not Rasberrie it's blueberry 😊
Didn’t know that
My grandfather was 3rd generation German from Cologne and Christmas Eve was the time for Oysters of all kinds, smoked, stewed, and fried are the ones I remember. We have changed it up a bit in my house to Crawfish Etouffee. So seafood of multiple kinds.
Is Germany as secular as other parts of Europe (sans Italy)?
Better than here.
You're only in the south...
1:42 Not at all
What’s not at all ?
@lachieevertbelfield1502 I have to work on this day
For some reason this channel dropped off my YT feed. Looks like I have some catching up to do
The Christmas pickle is german tradition on the trees. The child who finds the pickle gets a special gift.
That is definitely not a German Christmas tradition. Most Germans have never heard of it.
But please, dear Americans:
Please don't come to Germany and complain about: deposits, cash, paying for toilets and drinks being served without ice and the shops being closed on Sundays. You'll be in another country for a few days. Accept it.😚
We love you, Mark, but Krampus is NOT German - it’s Austrian! Some parts of Bavaria might be familiar with the tradition, but ask someone from Hannover about Krampus and see what they say!
"Germans are not the most outgoing people". WHAT.... hiking is like the only thing that they do for fun
Spreading Christmas joy?? They never smile
nonsense
Beware of "doctors" and "engineers".
Every American needs to experience a December holiday in Europe at the Christmas markets. I have been to these markets in Strasbourg, Selestat, and Colmar (all in France), Prague (Czech Republic), and Budapest (Hungary). Also, the Christmas market in Quebec City (Canada). Get out there and be a holly jolly traveler!