After we moved to Germany, we learned a lot of new German Christmas Traditions that we had never seen before, but now love and want Americans to adopt! From German Christmas Markets to Glühwein, find out what makes Christmas in Germany so special 😊
00:00 – An(fang) 🧛♂️
1:22 – Tradition #1
3:28 – Tradition #2
5:26 – Tradition #3
7:45 – Tradition #4
9:25 – Tradition #5
10:46 – RaNdOm QuEsTiOn Of ThE wEeK
11:15 – Bloopers
#AmericansInGermany #GermanyVlog #MovingToGermany
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❤️Aubrey was a Speech-Language Pathologist, Donnie was a graphic designer, but we both had a dream to #travel the world and experience cultures. After three years of being married and dreaming about if something like this great adventure would be possible, we decided to quit the rat race and take on the world. We sold everything we had, quit our jobs, and took off! After 9 months of aimless and nonstop travel, we now get to fulfill our dreams of #LivingAbroad as #expats as we move to #Germany!
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23 Comments
What are your favorite things about Christmas time or does your family have any unique traditions?? 😃
We are doing -christmas lights on our houses. Just not over the top. Most of us keep the electricity bill in the back of our minds. Society in Germany is very conscious of such things. The lights originally represent the light of the Star of Bethlehem guiding the worshippers to the right place. Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph would be very shocked indeed to get a light show worthy of a hip 1980's discoteque instead. Sorry to say, but that flamboyant and massively exaggerated house decorations in the US are tacky imho.
I'm pretty sure if someone in Germany would make such a light show the neighbours would call the police
I assume that they don´t have "Adventskalender" in the US, have they? I really like this tradition. In germany it´s something Children get from their parents. Every morning they are excited to see what they can find inside and it makes every day in the "adventszeit" special right from the start. And adults just get self made ones from very close friends, boyfriend or girlfriend and i even got one from my boss last year.
And my fav cockie is "Vanillekipfern" <3 !
Well, I know that the C-M-B stands for the Latin "Bless this House", however…since I – like most Germans – have never really learnd Latin in school, I also think of "Caspar – Melchior-Balthasar" first, despite knowing it better. 🙂 If I ever bother to actually remember the Latin phrase, maybe that'll change…but I won't bet money on it. XD
no please don´t advertise this lightining thing on houses!!!! It´s too much! I don´t wanna get a spasmic attack, when I walk down a neighbourhood… Not anything has to look like Times Square in Winter. 🙂
I think also believe that Germans celebrate Christmas for what it is and not a Pagan thing but I won't go there.. This is why not so many lights out there
I really do not know why Germany has 2 days but I am guessing that it's because, for example. The 25th you can visit his family or her family then the second holiday go and visit her or his family. Makes sense? But I was told why before why Christmas is celebrated the evening of the 24th. The ghost of Baby Jesus delivers those presents and sets up that Christmas tree only at 24rh of December. This is why many go to church on Christmas eve. Upon returning, the tree is ready and so are the presents from the Christkind but you must eat first, the dinner
My favorite christmas food is the origin "Dresdner Christstollen" without marzipan. It was a full flavor bred with much calorins for poor people in the past for the winter. But it´s realy hard to find those kind of "Chrsitstollen", because the manufacturing is expensive and the origin recipe needs a lot of time. My origin recipe is nearly 200 years old, and i need a whole day for making it. You also need lead time for preparing and three weeks after. In tradition you cut them on christmas eve, not before.
Three wiseman? Do you mean the "Drei Heiligen Könige"?
I take off the day after Christmas Day. Something super depressing about going back to work so soon.
Some observations from a 74yo German who has lived in the US since 1964: Gluühwein is basically a cheap, low alcohol, red wine, adulterated with plenty of sugar, which is improved greatly by having a cinnamon stick (Aimtstange) in it when warmed – preferably in a microwave. In my youth, in Rheinland/Westphalen, (Kempen bei Krefeld) it was the custom that Christmas Eve dinner was whatever the kids asked for. We always, ALWAYS, asked for Kartoffelsalad mit Knackwurst. Did I mention ALWAYS? If you were raised Catholic you were subjected to Sankt Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht who would stuff you into a potato sack, hang you from the rafters, and beat the holy crap out of you. But they loved you!!! I wonder if kids here in the US get to manage the Advents Kalender?
Edit: you old time Germans, look up "Knecht Ruprecht aus dem Walde" on youtube for a blast from the past. Ria, ria, ria rull la la.
Ihr habt das Christbaumloben vergessen!
The question about 24th: technically you have to take off there, however many companies make 24th and 31st of December as half days so you can get both days off for one day of vacation or you work one of the days (or half days), regarding second day of Christmas we tend to eat with the family on one of the days, the other day is just having a nice day off with the Family
The most important thing about Glühwein is definetly that (at least in Northern Germany) you can choose to have it with Amaretto in it – which makes it even more cozy and delicious. 🤤 Or you can choose Rum, to enjoy it Pirate-Style. 🙈 but be aware – it also hits a lot harder either way!
Coockies: I love Spekulatius – the more spicy and the butter sorts and the almond ones..
I really love to hear you talk german – what about a video with your favorite german texts?
Could be a poem or a song ; )
Did u experiance any hostile reaction from people that dont like americans or strangers? Like Ausländerfeindlichkeit?
I hope not – mostly theese people react on dark skin and "strange" clothes like the islamic wear…
Thank u for ur vids and all the best for u!
Yeah, to me the simple and more traditional lights are better. The colourful American decorations are very over the top and I dread thinking about their power bills.
My favorite Christmas candy/cookie is Spekulatius, especially the ones with almonds and Panettone.
If you are putting as many lights on your house as in the us Christmas movies, you would definitely hear a lot of uff, diese Stromrechnung, will ich aber nicht bezahlen which translates to uff I don't wanna pay this election bill
Regarding Sternsinger: CMB stands for Christ bless this house. Sternsingers are organized by Catholic church. I think Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar don't appear in the Bible, just in an apocryphic text. (Btw. Same with ox and donkey – not mentioned in the bible). Sternsingers are in all Germany. But in diaspora like eastern Germany or Hamburg there are so few Catholics, that they don't walk from house to house, but you have to request them. In general they just visit Catholic households. People might be offended, if they are Muslims or atheists.
My favourite drink on Christmas markets would have to be hot milk with a shot of Likör 43. Just a wonderful nutty heart warming taste.
The lights on houses goes heavily against the german tendency to reduce the amount of energy used (although this thought is kinda outdated with LEDs beeing as energy efficient as they are)
The second Christmas Day is the day to visit relatives….Often the 3. Christmas Day is the day You Spend the money you have got on Christmas. Many employes close between christmas and "New Year"
I know I am somewhat late on this one 😆 … I went to catholic Primary School in NRW where I learned the true meaning of C+M+B (christus mansionem benedicat) so I basicaly know this my whole life. Now I live in Northern Germany where its mostly protestants and here this blessing on houses is not really a thing.
In Germany they really know how to relax and enjoy life and people. I have not had a Christmas off in almost 25 years. My employer REQUIRES us to work 7 days a week, no days off December 17-January 7