Christmas is approaching, and from the end of November, as the major Christmas markets open one after another, the Christmas atmosphere in Germany is getting stronger and stronger, and you can smell the sweetness of hot wine and gingerbread every day when you go out. How much do you really know about Christmas in Germany?
Countdown to Christmas
Two months before Christmas, the containers of supermarkets and shopping malls in Germany are filled with many large and small objects related to Christmas. One of the most popular among children is the Advent calendar. This exquisite calendar has twenty-four closed windows that contain delicious chocolates, delicate gadgets, and words of blessing. A small window is opened every day from December 1st, and when the last small window is opened, Christmas is coming.
Advent Wreath
Every year from December 1 to 24 is the Advent of Christ, in addition to the Christmas calendar there is one thing that is indispensable, that is, the Advent wreath --- four candles fixed on the garland made of pine branches, setting off the increasingly rich Christmas atmosphere. The four Sundays before Christmas are called Advent Sundays, and a candle is lit every Sunday until the last candle is lit and Christmas is coming!
St. Nicholas' Day
December 6 is the traditional European Feast of St. Nicholas. Every German child can tell you a story about St. Nicholas, the legendary Santa Claus, and of course, there are many versions of his story circulating in folklore.
One version is that the legendary benevolent and selfless Bishop St. Nicholas donated all the wealth inherited from his parents to the poor. December 6 is the day of his death, and people celebrate it in honor of his good deeds.
In Germany, children scrub their shoes in advance and leave them at the gate, waiting for St. Nicholas to put candy and gifts in their shoes. Adults will dress up as St. Nicholas, give gifts and blessings to children, tell stories about Nicholas's good deeds, and inspire and teach children to give generously while taking.
This year, the panda twins who were just born in Berlin Zoo also came to join in the fun, the staff hung red socks in their small room, and the panda mother Mengmeng also made sufficient preparations to let the two little babies have a beautiful meal.
Mulled wine
German-style mulled wine is a hot drink that Germans are sure to come to during Christmas. In December, wandering around the open-air Christmas market, a glass of steaming and fragrant mulled wine will immediately warm your heart. Mulled wine originated in the Middle Ages, when spiced wines were popular. Since 1956, finished mulled wine has also been officially sold on the German market.
However, many Germans are still willing to make their own mulled wine at home, the gentle aroma of wine mixed with the smell of spices, and it seems to feel a little drunk before drinking. The preparation and ingredients of German-style mulled wine are not complicated, and the ingredients are prepared: 1 bottle of high-quality red wine (dry red is especially good), 1 orange, 2 cinnamon, 6 cloves, 4 star anise, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of honey.
Place the wine, sliced oranges, cinnamon, ingredients, sugar and honey in a pan and stir slowly. After the wine is hot, remove the other ingredients and let stand for 1-2 hours. This is especially important because spices take time to release the aroma and finally heat it up to drink. Christmas preserved fruit cake
Stollen is undoubtedly also a popular traditional Food during Christmas in Germany. It's slightly stiffer, uses ingredients close to a fruitcake, and has its own unique recipe that tastes sweet but not greasy.
The earliest documentary record of Stollen appeared in 1474, and Stollen in Dresden is the most famous, after more than five hundred years of changes, Christmas preserved fruit cake has gradually changed from a simple, tasteless bread to a rich dessert. During Christmas, many families bake stollen themselves, mainly made of yeast, water and flour, and for the taste to taste authentic, it is impossible to taste without spices such as candy orange peel, lemon peel, raisins, almonds, and cardamom and cinnamon.
Other ingredients such as milk, sugar, butter, salt, rum, eggs, vanilla and marzipan can be added to your taste. The plump Stollen, which has just been baked, is sprinkled with a thick layer of white frosting, like the snow covered on the ground in winter, and it is a natural pair at Christmas.
Christmas gingerbread
Gingerbread is a Specialty Of German Christmas Snacks, sandwiched between cakes and biscuits, and the main ingredients honey and pepper give it a unique taste, hence the name Pepper Honey Cake. Traditionally, the dough is baked with spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves, spices, cardamom, coriander seeds, ginger and nutmeg, and plenty of honey.
A fluffy gingerbread paired with a cup of coffee or hot tea in the cold winter will warm up from the stomach to the heart. German-style gingerbread is often packed in exquisite vintage tin box packaging, which makes people fall in love with it and want to collect it. For example, Nuremberg's gingerbread is as famous as the Christmas market there, and every year a large number of tourists come to visit, and the gingerbread produced in Nuremberg is synonymous with authenticity and quality.
Fire tongs wine
Around Christmas, fire tongs are popular. This kind of wine is very interesting, cover the cup with a hole in the iron sheet or barbed wire, light the sugar block soaked in rum on it, and watch the melted sugar slowly drip into the wine. The fire tongs made in this way have a sweet taste of caramel in the wine, which is intriguing.
Christmas postcard
The way greetings are conveyed with exquisite Christmas postcards is very popular with Germans. Postcards with pictures printed from 1885 onwards were allowed to be sold and mailed. During the period of industrialization, many young Germans moved from villages to cities to work, and postcards were a great way to keep families connected and convey greetings.
For historical reasons, the illustrations on early Christmas postcards mainly reflect the adults' desire for a carefree and happy life for children, and their vision of a peaceful, healthy and better world. Between 1900 and 1914, each card was made through exquisite handwork and printing techniques, with artistic qualities unattainable in postcards today.
Today, most of the old postcards have become precious works of art. With the rapid development of electronic networks, perhaps the more than a century-old Christmas postcard will one day disappear from the world.
Christmas gifts
The Christmas gift opening session is the culmination of the whole Christmas for many Germans. But choosing the right gift is usually not so easy, because even careful selection is not necessarily what the other person wants or needs, especially for older people, choosing gifts for young people becomes especially difficult.
According to a survey by consultancy Ernst & Young (EY), consumers are expected to spend an average of 281 euros on Christmas gifts this year. More than half of Germans give red envelopes or vouchers instead of gifts. This is followed by daily necessities and sweets, as well as books and e-books.
Traditional gifts such as clothing, event tickets and concert tickets are less popular. Although online shopping is faster and more convenient, most people will go to the store to pick out gifts at Christmas, and the rich Christmas atmosphere and beautiful decorations are also more exciting to buy.
Christmas Eve dinner
Dinner on Christmas Eve in Germany can be complicated or simple, and what is important is the reunion of family and friends. Traditional potato salad with sausage is at least one-third of Germans' dinner options; more than a quarter of German families prepare a grand and relatively troublesome roast goose, duck or roast pork;
Raclette is also very popular; many Germans like to have a "hot pot" on Christmas Eve, and the soup base is full of tricks: broth, oil or cheese are all sought after, and it is too warm for friends and relatives to sit around the warm fireside and enjoy the food!
Christmas songs
During the Christmas season, the whole family listens to or sings Christmas carols together, a traditional program that celebrates Christmas, dating back to the 14th century. Early Christmas carols were only religious traditions in the church, and as time passed, Christmas carols gradually came out of the church and could be heard on various occasions, and the repertoire was more extensive.