Christmas Eve Dinner in Germany – Würstchen mit Kartoffelsalat?

In the Netflix series “Over Christmas” (Über Weihnachten), the Christmas Eve Dinner is Würstchen und Kartoffelsalat (Sausages and Potato Salad). The Oma complains, saying that it’s also just the regular Thursday meal at her Old Age Home. But as her daughter points out, it’s Tradition, that’s what they’ve ALWAYS had, in fact OMA used to serve it. Truth is, a…

Spekulatius Truffles- An easy and delicious Christmas Treat

A few years ago I started making simple Truffles around the Holidays as little gifts and to help corners of my Bunter Teller. Making these rich (and I mean REALLY RICH) Spekulatius Truffles doesn’t take that much time, and it’s easy to find helpers since everyone loves playing with the chocolate. You can even get the little ones in your…

Weihnachts Kinderpunsch Recipe- Warm Christmas Drink for Kids

At Christmas Markets and in homes, you find Glühwein for the adults at Christmastime. (My mother always left a pot on the stove Christmas Eve, and we would enjoy it during the Bescherung, or gift exchange) Warm wine, aromatic spices, it’s such a cozy feeling to hold the warm mug and breath in the delicious steam while sipping.  But the…

A German Feather Christmas Tree- Christmas Nostalgia

Dale recently asked me if we ever set up a Federbaum or German Feather Christmas Tree in our home while I was growing up. No, my father was a nurseryman, and it was a point of pride to have a real Noble Fir standing in the corner of the living room (never a Douglas fir… the ornaments just don’t hang…

Christmas Traditions from Germany that are Celebrated in America

No one does Christmas like the Germans, so it’s no great shock that many Christmas Traditions from Germany found their way to America. You can imagine it, can’t you? Prized ornaments wrapped in paper and safely tucked into suitcases next to hand written recipes for Stollen and Lebkuchen. Memories of celebrating German Weihnachten connecting them to home. It’s interesting to…

Our Traditional German Christmas Dinner Menu

Every year we do our best to put together the traditional German Christmas Dinner menu for Christmas Day. When I was growing up, we would alternate Christmas dinner between our house, and my god-parent’s house.  All of us dressed in our new Christmas Clothes (nice sweaters, even though it could be in the 80s in Southern California). Mom’s or Tante…

A Visit to the Silent Night Chapel Oberndorf Austria

We’ve all sung it hundreds of times, in German, Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht or in English, Silent Night.  It’s THE Christmas song in most German households… the last song before the end of the Christmas Eve church Service, the last song before the Bescherung. Silent Night is a song we all know the words to in German and English. But…

What is the Weihnachtsmann? A German Christmas Gift- Giver

This is the time of year where things can get a little confusing for some people. In Germany there is St Nicholas, the Christkind, AND the Weihnachtsmann… but Who is bringing the presents? What is the Weihachtsmann? To make it even more confusing, you add in mixed families here in the US where one parent grew up with Santa Claus!…

Traditions from Germany- Traditional German Christmas Decorations

Scrolling through the Traditions from Germany website is a bit like wandering through an authentic German Christmas market from the comfort of your own home. The charming wood and glass ornaments, handcrafted Pyramids, chubby Smokers, and even brightly lit Herrnhutter Sterne, bring joy and smiles to people who display them during the holiday season. You could say that Sheri and Jochen…

Schwibbogen German Christmas Light Arch from the Erzgebirge

Like many German Christmas decorations, the Schwibbogen came from the Erzgebirge. Beginning in the Middle Ages, the Mettenschicht, became the traditional last work shift before Christmas in the Ore Mountains. In these deep dark mines, a miner’s light kept the darkness at bay, and hanging them together along an arch would light up the cavern. The tradition of  Schwibbogen, or…

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