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. The truth is,…
Category: German Christmas Traditions
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 long, and it’s easy to find helpers since everyone loves playing with the chocolate. You can even get the little ones in your world…
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) With warm wine and aromatic spices, it’s such a cozy feeling to hold the mug and breathe in the delicious steam while sipping. But…
A German Feather Christmas Tree- Christmas Nostalgia
My friend 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…
Oma’s German Red Cabbage Recipe- Skip the Jar, Make it Yourself!
My daughter just came out of her room and says “the house smells like Christmas, how long have I been studying?” It’s true, even though red cabbage doesn’t take much time to make, and fits with a lot of different meats… in our house, I usually make it for the holidays. My German red cabbage recipe is actually my mother’s…
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. It is the last song before the end of the Christmas Eve church service and the last song before the Bescherung. Silent Night is a song we all know the words to in German…
What is the Weihnachtsmann? A German Christmas Gift- Giver
This is the time of year when things can get 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 the ‘gift-giver’ issue even more confusing, there are mixed families here in the US where one parent grew up with Santa Claus! How…
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…