Christmas traditions in Germany that thrill even from a distance
As this year the famous Christmas markets in Germany have been canceled due to the global pandemic, it is worth remembering how other traditions and customs are kept alive throughout the German country in the final stretch of the year. Its sixteen länders, from north to south, strive to preserve family and culinary plans that they combine with nature excursions and walks through its historic cities. This proposal is also another incentive to plan a winter trip to the Germanic country when it can be organized.
The Advent calendar
In Germany , Advent calendars are one of the classic pre-Christmas Eve traditions that children eagerly await. The origin of this calendar, present in many German homes, dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, when the days until the Christmas party were counted by tearing out calendar sheets or with various stamps. Today most of the Advent calendars contain sweets or little surprises and many families make and fill them so that they are finished at the latest on the night of November 30. The next step is to open your little doors every dayuntil December 24. One of the largest calendars being prepared in Germany is organized in Hanau, Hesse, when a different window with illuminated motifs taken from the tales of the Brothers Grimm opens each night in its town hall.
The tree, a Christmas icon
The custom of placing Christmas trees outdoors in important squares, churches and other buildings spread from German-speaking countries to the whole world throughout the 19th century and today, as in Spain, this Christmas tree It is also part of the end of the year celebrationsin most Germanic families. Often the whole family will buy these trees at the markets or even people cut them with their own hands in forest plots intended for this purpose. In some families it is a tradition to decorate the living room throughout the Advent period while others put it only on Christmas Eve. Normally everyone, big and small, participates in the decoration of the tree that has a different appearance in each home: white, green and red, the traditional colors, with Christmas balls, wooden figurines or gold and silver ribbons, with authentic or electric candles ... Often this decoration is passed down from generation to generation, turning each Christmas tree into a unique piece.
Christmas Eve, always the key day
The gifts in Germany are distributed on December 24 in such a way that in some regions of the country they are brought by the baby Jesus and in others Santa Claus. It is in the south of the country, as in Bavaria, where the baby Jesus has more prominence and families continue the tradition of going to the Mass of the Rooster before or after opening the gifts. Churches are filled with nativity scenes depicting the birth of Christ with carefully carved figurines and in some cases it is quite common for the Christmas story to be represented during mass in the form of a living nativity scene portal. Instead, northern Germany opts for Santa Claus following the northernmost tradition of European countries.
Cult of pastry
Since September, German shops already have their traditional specialties such as spiced biscuits , German breads ("stollen") and gingerbread cookies ("lebkuchen") and it is in the final stretch of the year when families bake these delicacies creating in the homely atmosphere an aroma of cinnamon, cloves, anise and vanilla. While in Spain the nougat is the dominant piece, in the trays of German sweets vanilla crescents, cinnamon stars, pasta or almond, some with figurine shapes shine. The "stollen" from Dresden, the marzipan from Frankfurt, the "lebkuchen" from Nuremberg or the sweets from Aachen are very popular.
Regional customs
In Germany there are also many regional customs and traditions that have managed to be maintained over the years. For example, in Saxony during Advent, the streets fill with "miners" dressed in traditional costumes that recall the times of the mining boom in this region. Another tradition in the Upper Palatinate is to carry a blessed image of the Virgin Mary from house to house until she returns to the churches on December 14. The custom of putting straw or filling the manger of the nativity scene is lived mainly in the Rhinelandand it is at the beginning of December when an empty manger is installed in the house. The children receive bundles of straw if they behave well, get good grades or help with the housework and they place that straw in the manger so that when the baby Jesus is born on Christmas Eve they have a soft and comfortable bed. Already in the southern Länder, especially in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg , what is called the "Christmas tree praise" is celebrated: people go from house to house praising the beauty of their neighbors' Christmas trees and In gratitude for their compliments they receive a small gift such as a bottle of brandy.
Winter traditions throughout Germany
Ships light up the waters of the Elbe in Hamburg. Although the lively nightlife is maintained along the Reeperbahn, in the most gulf neighborhood of Hamburg, it is next to the port of the Hanseatic city where a special atmosphere is produced with a romantic dot next to the water, as ferries, tugboats and historic ships, such as the Rickmer Rickmers with its fir fixed in the bow, sail adorned and illuminated on the Elbe.
A safari to spot wild geese in the Lower Rhine. About 180,000 wild geese flock to the region between Duisburg and the Dutch border along the Lower Rhine each winter and populate the meadows and water sources. From mid-November to mid-February, this great natural spectacle can be discovered by geese experts at the NABU Nature Protection Station.
Walks along the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea , declared a natural heritage of humanity by UNESCO, offers very special experiences in the middle of nature also in winter: long walks in rubber boots, strolling in a carriage through the sea at low tide or looking for marine worms, small crabs and mollusks. The marsh is especially peculiar and suggestive when a blanket of snow covers the landscape in this protected area of Lower Saxony. For its inhabitants, the best medicine to combat the cold after a walk breathing the winter sea air is to take a "Tote Tante", the ideal drink to warm up, prepared with cocoa and rum and topped with a little cream.
Boat trip through illuminated Berlin. With the famous Berlin Christmas markets closed, there is the option of walking along the Unter den Linden avenue adorned with illuminated garlands and Christmas motifs that encourage you to carry out the typical Christmas shopping, but you can also take a boat trip through Berlin resplendent full of Christmas lights that constitutes a unique experience: from the water you can admire many attractions of the city while enjoying a mulled wine accompanied by the classic regional sweets
Fairytale Christmas at Rheinstein Castle. During Advent the castle of Rheinstein deceives with its atmosphere that seems to come out of a story between its towers or passageways and on the outside the silhouette of this fortress erected on the spur of a Rhine cliff impresses from the walk that surrounds it. It is undoubtedly one of the most popular romantic castles in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and in winter times past times are revived inside with fascinating tales and legends, knights fighting against dragons and delicacies from the castle kitchen.
On a dog sled in Hesse. In the land where the Brothers Grimm were born, in northern Hesse, sledding trips by Siberian huskies are a classic outing for a fun time. The route crosses a varied landscape of mid-height mountains in Hesse and offers a fantastic combination of adventures and experiences in the middle of nature. There is also the option of taking a training sled on wheels that allows you to enjoy this experience, even if there is no snow. After this excursion, the best way to warm up is to have a typical regional drink: a glass of hot cider with cinnamon and cloves, the "Stöffsche" from Hesse.
Excursion with flashlights through the Swabian Jura Mountains. Living a night excursion along the Zollenburg panoramic route, in the surroundings of the Swabian Jura Mountains (Baden-Württemberg) does not leave travelers indifferent, especially if the sky is starry and the snow shines between the light of the lanterns . The path passes through thick forests, breathtaking viewpoints and the majestic Hohenzollern Castle, covered in lights at its feet, 50 kilometers south of Stuttgart.
