Germany - Part 2

Now it's time for a little about Christmas in Germany.

We North Americans are big into the commercialization of Christmas. It's what brings us joy during the holiday season. We elaborately decorate our trees, houses, shopping malls, streets, and pretty much anything else worth decorating. When I was younger, the family tradition after my school's Christmas Concert finished was to drive around looking at the various Christmas displays at peoples' houses.

My belief prior to going to Germany was that I'd get to see this in all its glory...I had missed it last year in India. And I remember learning about German Christmas in Grade 4. It sounded really cool and in some ways much better than what we have in Canada. Now I had a chance to see for myself.

One of the Christmas decorations in my house was this interactive quilt that had you move a bear around a house and yard each day of December until he finally found Christmas in the living room. I liken myself to this little bear because I was indeed "looking for Christmas."

Airplane - no evidence of Christmas there
Munich Airport - nothing
Cologne/Bonn Airport - nothing
Downtown Cologne - nothing
Train to Koblenz - nothing
Koblenz - not much, with the exception of Christmas markets
Johanna's Parents' place - no decorations up
Schmalkalden - not much, either

Where was Christmas? Or, at least, where was my definition of Christmas? There were no lights up anywhere. No snow. No snowmen. No chrismtas displays. Not much commercialization whatsoever. When there were lights, they were just white and not very prolific.

We finally decorated Johanna's parents' place on Christmas eve, at which point it was decided that only ornaments gold in colour could go on the tree. No red, no blue, no anything. I did find this odd...as well as the fact that the tree was a blue spruce (a prickly one at that).

In the evening, we had a nice Christmas dinner featuring turkey and then headed off to church for Christmas mass. I had never been in the room where the services are held before, so this was all new to me. And the service was in German, so I didn't get any of what was said. I think that was for the better, though.

After church, we opened gifts. This is when I realized how important it is to be with a family on Christmas. Your own family can't fully be subsituted for, but it is important to be with a family somwhere.

So here's a basic rundown of Christmas in Germany:

1. They get three days off: 24th, 25th, 26th
2. Christmas isn't as much about the joy as it is the spirituality, i.e. it is much more of a religious holiday
3. Presents are opened on the 24th after church
4. Turkey is had for dinner on the 24th
5. Not much decoration is done.
6. Being with family is very important.
7. You get good potato salad this time of year.