The large amounts of snow that fell over the past two days here in Gladbach motivated me to talk about the holiday season here in Germany. I have been asked very often if I am going to be back in Texas any time in the next coming weeks. The answer is no because part of the exchange is experiencing what is arguably the most important time of year in German culture. The very American holiday of Thanksgiving is not celebrated here; however, people here know of it and have questioned me as to its history and traditions. To make up for missing the celebrations in the States, I met with some American friends in Aachen for the weekend to have a Friendsgiving. A not as widely celebrated alternative to the traditional home-cooked meal with family. For our meal we dined on McDonald's fries and nuggets with a few Big Mac's in the mix. It was not near what I'm used to, but it was a welcome substitute.
With the lack of festivities at the end of November, Christmas is given more room than it had before. In the last week of November many Christmas markets open. The markets are a very important aspect of many towns and cities in winter time. A typical Weihnachtsmarkt is a collection of stands in a town square or marketplace all decorated with lights, greenery and festive colors. Vendors open their stalls around 10 in the morning and sell theirs goods until 10 at night, The visitors shuffle through the small winter villages looking at detailed wood carvings, glass work ornaments, ceramics, wooden toys, nutcrackers, and various goods. The cold just doesn't seem to penetrate the cloud of warm aromas of roasted nuts, cooked meats, candy stands, and the ever-present cups of hot red wine with spices called Glühwein surrounding the stands. I was very disappointed to find out the wine doesn't actually glow as the name suggests.
A new experience for me here is Advent. I knew of the concept fore-her but never took part in the practice. I look forward to my daily teas, and pieces of chocolate from our various calendars. For me it is a great way to build up the excitement for the 24th. Everyday gets colder, and the calendar is a little more empty which means we are inching ever closer. I might not be home for Christmas, but I'm still celebrating.
With the lack of festivities at the end of November, Christmas is given more room than it had before. In the last week of November many Christmas markets open. The markets are a very important aspect of many towns and cities in winter time. A typical Weihnachtsmarkt is a collection of stands in a town square or marketplace all decorated with lights, greenery and festive colors. Vendors open their stalls around 10 in the morning and sell theirs goods until 10 at night, The visitors shuffle through the small winter villages looking at detailed wood carvings, glass work ornaments, ceramics, wooden toys, nutcrackers, and various goods. The cold just doesn't seem to penetrate the cloud of warm aromas of roasted nuts, cooked meats, candy stands, and the ever-present cups of hot red wine with spices called Glühwein surrounding the stands. I was very disappointed to find out the wine doesn't actually glow as the name suggests.
A new experience for me here is Advent. I knew of the concept fore-her but never took part in the practice. I look forward to my daily teas, and pieces of chocolate from our various calendars. For me it is a great way to build up the excitement for the 24th. Everyday gets colder, and the calendar is a little more empty which means we are inching ever closer. I might not be home for Christmas, but I'm still celebrating.
Comments
Post a Comment