When Do You Take Down the Christmas Tree?

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…

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,…

Christmas 1970 – Remembering a German Christmas in America

On Christmas 1970 I was only 3 years old… just old enough to get really excited about Weihnachten. The lights, the tinsel, and wonder of wonders… the presents! You can see me on Mama’s lap… somewhat wide eyed (hard to see behind those glasses…. those days finding stylish eyeglasses for children was a difficult thing). Opa was visiting, as he…

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…

German Christmas Services – Gottesdienst in America

Christmas is a time when we search for home and tradition. For many of us, this means a church service in a familiar German language. The words and songs of our childhood. With the help of my readers, I’ve put together a list of German Christmas Services in the United States and Canada. Some are entirely in German, others are…

German Christmas Baking Recipes: Traditional Recipes Made Easy by Christian Teubner

Christmas Baking: Traditional Recipes Made Easy (English and German Edition) Christian Teubner has written a number of German Cookbooks, but “Christmas Baking” is one that I reach for all the time. Originally titled “Weinachtsbaekerei”, it covers all of the traditional German Christmas Cookie Recipes, and even a few cakes and breads. It’s a little book, but it is LOADED with…

German Christmas Music – CDs, Videos, and Lyrics to sing along

While I was growing up, our home was always filled with music: classical, folk, Schlager, opera, and instrumental, my mother singing along as she worked. There was always music. And during the Holidays, it was German Christmas Music. Germans love music… and they LOVE to sing. We spent 30 minutes of every 3 hour German School class SINGING together! And…

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…

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