I walk almost every day for fitness, for air, to get out of the house, and to get a daily view of what’s going on in the neighborhood. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I saw Christmas decorations go up. Decorated trees filled windows. But then Christmas ended. The VERY next day, discarded trees started lining the sidewalks. Some were already out…
Category: German Holidays and Festivals
Bleigiessen- A New Year’s Eve Tradition in Germany
Bleigiessen, or lead pouring, is a fun New Year’s Eve Tradition in Germany for families to divine their fortune for the New Year. This ancient form of divination, also known as Molybdomancy, has been used in many cultures during the Raunächte for over 1000 years. Today, it’s mostly just for fun, although there may be something to it… How does it…
German Rheinische Krapfen Recipe…. Fried Dough Treats!
One of my father’s favorite food memories is his mother’s German Krapfen recipe, which she would make every year on New Year’s Eve. These are Rheinische Öl Krapfen, which means they are a fried yeast dough filled with raisins… sort of like a donut, but they aren’t squishy soft (so don’t make these expecting them to taste like Krispy Kremes, Dunkin Donuts,…
Make Salt Dough Crafts- Create Your own Ornaments with Saltzteig
Since the time of the Ancient Egyptians, Salt Dough or Salzteig, has been used for decorations, and many other cultures have used this simple technique. In Germany you will see Salzteig creations everywhere, made by both children and adults. From the very simple cookie cutter cut out ornaments, to elaborate wreaths made with layers of leaves and fruits. These art…
Memories of Christmas in Germany, A Trip to the City
(Occasionally, we are blessed here at German Girl to have a guest post tell a story of life in Germany… either from the past, or current. Gisela Mangus has shared a lovely story about what Christmas was like right after the War. If you have a story to share… please email me at [email protected]) Memories of Christmas in…
Feuerzangenbowle Recipe and Where to Buy A Feuerzangenbowle Set
Nothing says Gemütlichkeit like a flaming drink! The German Feuerzangenbowle Set (literally, Fire Tongs Punch brings friends together. This traditional German mulled wine (Glühwein) has a flaming cone of sugar over it, slowly dripping the caramelized sugar into the warm wine for extra flavor. I fell hard for this drink while visiting the Christmas Markets in Germany last year. Whenever…