Celebrating A German Christmas: Understanding the Crucial Elements

1) Glühwein

Glühwein, also known as spiced mulled wine, is one of the most important parts when it comes to celebrating a real German Christmas. The most important ingredients of Glühwein are, tada, red wine, cinnammon sticks, orange peel, and possibly hazelnuts. Glühwein has been successfully copied by countries such as Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands with variations in names, such as Glögg. Just kidding, people!
However, I do believe that there must be some common origin, because Swedish Glögg does not differ too much from German Glühwein. Spiced mulled wine is already served weeks ahead of time. Whenever those fancy Christmas Markets open is when you can snag your first cup of the great drink. Which leads me to my next topic…

2) Christmas Markets aka as Weihnachtsmarkt

Weihnachtsmarkets are widely spread throughout Germany, Austria, and yes, even parts of France. They are an important part of the German tradition for they offer great opportunities to sell hand-made merchandise, promote traditional German food and drinks, and provide a landmark in each city, so to speak. Holiday Markets can be small in range or tremendous in size. The Trier Holiday Market is an annual event that draws people from far away because of how it’s built up around the market place and the church. The Cologne one is rather disappointing in size considering the 1 million citizens the city houses and is rather chaotic. The Heidelberg one is parted in three different pieces so that you walk up the Hauptstrasse and run into them as you shop. Then there is a holiday market in Speyer that is open until January.

Typically, they close on December 23, one day before the Christmas craziness begins. They are a great opportunity for after-work happy hour (I am not joking) and socializing with your friends. Without them a crucial element of German culture would be amiss.

3) Christmas Eve Mass and opening presents

Christmas Eve is the most important evening on Christmas. Typically, Germans don’t work on December 24, or if they do, they stop after noon. Stores will not be open for longer than that and they are closed throughout the holidays. So what do you do in these 2 and a half days of blessed time off? You cook! And lots of it! While Americans invite their family over on Thanksgiving, we have our loved ones around us on Christmas. People start eating their first meal on Christmas Eve. After this, you might sing a few Christmas Carols. And then it’s time for Bescherung – the German word (yes, they actually have a word!) for packing out your presents on Christmas Eve. Why then? Because typically you would go to a Midnight Mass together and then give your presents in the night from the 24th to 25th of December. However, since most children do not or cannot stay awake for so long anymore, the tradition has changed a couple of hours earlier.

4) 2 Days of Christmas

I’ve always wondered why Christmas is such a big deal in the States. After all, you only have one day! Germany, on the contrary, has two full days of Christmas and then Christmas Eve (which is very important as you can see above). Usually, one day or evening is reserved for the close family and one day is reserved for extended family (such as grandparents, cousins etc.). However, as children grow older and turn into teenagers, they make a point in meeting up on December 26 – the second day of Christmas. Too much bliss around family can be annoying, therefore this is a great day to exchange gifts and spend time with your clique. Stores are not open on the second day of Christmas. In the US, this is one of the most important days when it comes to post-holiday shopping.

5) Keeping Your Tree Until Three Saints Day

This is something that is probably true in other countries, as well. When you have the courage to buy a real Christmas tree, then of course you have to keep it way longer than the actual holiday. You start getting rid of it around January 6, which is Three King’s Day, a significant Catholic holiday. In Germany, children actually paint parts of their faces with ashes and make a helluva lot of noise while walking through the streets of a small town or village. Their purpose is to write the date on everyone citizen’s door after spraying holy water on it. They also like to ring the doorbell and collect money while they’re at it. I believe the most accurate purpose of their visit is to bless each person’s house (and door) for the upcoming year (until January 6). It’s nice to observe and I hope it won’t become extinct any time soon because these small traditions is what keeps the culture alive.

6) Christmas Pickle IS NOT a German Tradition

The other day at work a co-worker mentioned the Christmas pickle and announced that it was a typical German tradition brought over by immigrants. I stared at her in disbelief and almost declared her crazy but then I did some research. Many versions of this story. circulate on the web: St. Nick brought with sweets and pickles and children hung these on the Christmas tree (false!). German immigrants carried over a glass pickle ornament on their voyage to America (false!). The lies go on!
To this date, I’ve never seen a pickle ornament hanging on any German Christmas tree nor have I ever heard a German speak about anything remotely resembling this concept. If I were to guess, I would say it comes from a country as exotic as Russia or Poland, but that is simply a guess. We hang Ginger Bread and sparkly red ornaments on our trees, I can give you that much. But pickles?! Please!

I hope this helped to clarify what to do and what not to do during a German Christmas. I wish you some happy holidays and don’t forget:

Be merry! Frohe Weihnachten!

Holiday Market at Columbus Circle and Rockefeller Tree

The days are drawing to a close as we approach Christmas Eve. Yesterday I had the chance to experience yet another fancy shmancy market: The Columbus Circle Holiday Market right next to Central Park and close to the shopping mall. Caved in between two cross-overs, it is pretty decent in size and houses many vendors similar to its sister markets at Union Square and Bryant Park. I’ve seen the exact same vendors at all three markets, such as the turning disks which display rapidly changing insects on them.

I’ve also gotten the impression that many more jewelry sellers are promoting their merchandise at Columbus Circle than elsewhere. Here I have come across really funky looking rings made of antique brass dating back to the 1940s and equipped with heads of medieval-looking queens. Judy Kaye offers more on her Web Site, in case you are interested.

Then I’ve seen Luminite stones featured by Peaceful Presents who were offering a drawing to win an entire set of their lovely art. Of course I had to participate after snapping this lovely picture.

There is an actual food court at this market and it looks more organized than elsewhere. People have the chance to eat a variety of different foods, observe their surroundings, and think about what they want to purchase next. Vendors come from different countries. Of course the German Delights stand cannot be amiss. I’ve also come across a French vendor offering oriental spices for cooking and decorating.

As a pre-holiday activity, I planned on checking out the Rockefeller Tree before all of those annoying numerous tourists get to block it on Christmas Day. My way over there was already eventful enough as I walked towards Fifth Avenue and ran across this forest of lit trees.

Then the glamorous Fifth Avenue with its displays at the Bergdorf Goodman (possibly one of the most expensive shops around). Hollister’s half-naked models portrayed in the windows (some things never change). A fountain of lights running down a façade.

Bergman Window Deco

Lit Facade

And then of course the one and only Rockefeller Tree, already taken in by hordes and masses of tourists. I got as close as I could without having to risk a shove in the elbow or neck and then I made sure to get out of there as safely as possible. I really can’t imagine how I’ve enjoyed a Christmas Day stroll around this part of town after seeing what was going on yesterday. Another cute highlight are the red ornaments displayed on fountains a block over, which I’ve always come to love when I am in the area.

The one and only Rockefeller

Cute ornaments a block over

The beauty about celebrating the holidays in the City is not so much the actual day but the entire chaos going on weeks before. Macy’s decorations, tree lightings, and all nations imaginable streaming into Manhattan to get some shopping done. Oh yes, this will be yet another eventful Christmas in New York!

[For more pics on the Columbus Circle Holiday Market go to A Picture Every Day!]

‘Tis the Season: SantaCon in NYC 2012

‘Tis the season! The season of giving, being merry, and acting drunk! Or swarming in a crowd of festive Santas singing “Ho Ho Ho” through Manhattan and Brooklyn.

This year’s SantaCon was a highlight to me in many ways: First, instead of only blogging about how thousands of happy Santa Clauses ran through Manhattan, I was actually part of the entire fun. Second, I got to wear a costume around Christmas time, something I have never done before in my entire life. Third, the pre-Karneval feeling and daytime drinking catapulted me back to the days when I was roaming the streets as a teenager in Germany and being merry for no reason other than hanging out with friends.

But all from the beginning:

Two weeks before the event was to go down, my friend, who just moved to New York and therefore rightfully earns the badge of “Newcomer 2012” had the exorbitant idea of being part of one of the biggest events going on at this time of year. I myself had secretly already given up hope on ever being part of the so-called SantaCon party – mostly for the lack of knowing the right kind of people who wanted to go out with me. However, this year was a bit different. This year we actually took our time to go from store to store, on the look-out for a cute Santa Clause or elf costume that would not cost an arm and a leg burn a deep hole into our wallets.

I really have to say, that among all of those very original reds and whites, in the end so original that they all look too alike from far far away, it was rather hard to find anything under $50. But after seeing the men’s choices (an entire Santa suit for no less than 200 bucks), we felt slightly relieved that we are lucky to call ourselves girls and simply come up with our own style in case all means fail. Somehow along the way of posing for a picture for a Lindt chocolate promotion and snagging free dessert, I finally found a decent elf shirt for only 10 dollars while my friend decided to go with a simply Santa hat in combination with a red shirt. Voila, that part of our mission was fulfilled, and quite inexpensively I dare say.

A few hours prior to December 15, more friends suddenly announced that this year indeed they had to be part of the one and only SantaCon. Had we known before, we could have possibly planned our encounters a bit better. But planning is for the boring people and since we’re flexible, I decided to meet up with a group in the early afternoon already. SantaCon runs from 10 AM to 10 PM, so 2 PM seemed like the perfect time to start day-time drinking, I told myself.

I didn’t know which bars were part of the entire shivaree, so I was lucky to have friends who were better informed and evidently followed the meticulous route starting out in Midtown. First stop: Playwright bar around the corner of Herald Square. But as soon as I got there, sober as can be, I discovered that none of us were really in the mood to push through the ridiculously overcrowded bar. After half an hour of entertainment outside, it was time to go to the next stop: Little Town Bar around Union Square. Here the same problem: More drunk people hanging inside and outside the bars, causing a bunch of chaos but not so much fun!

You’d think this might be hard to digest on a still alcohol-empty stomach. We therefore spontaneously decided to pre-game in the mild outsides with a bottle of whiskey and a ginger ale. Divide this by three people and you certainly have a party going on already. So off we went, to the back-up and much less crowded but still Santa-filled location called Bar 13. Here a DJ was spinning the wheels with mostly electronic music. Happy elves and red-hats were jumping around, all immersed in the fun and game. Sober friends who joined us regretted not having brought their own bottle of booze. But we were friendly enough to share the remnants of ours with them.

Very original costumes here: Santa’s best eggnog, Elf, and Christmas tree

Mirrored Ceiling of Bar 13

The last stop was scheduled to be in Williamsburg, where the Warsaw was supposed to end the entire shirade. We never really made it there. First we lost two-thirds of our group while using the restroom at Best Buy at Union Square. While we had thought it would be a great idea to wait on them, we decided to already jump on the L-train and make our voyage over to Brooklyn.

Three lost SantaConers at the Charleston

And indeed, we were the very first costumized people to make it to the Charleston, a bar on Bedford Avenue. Here we were craving some free house-made pizza (order a drink and get your pie) after a day filled with dancing and running around Manhattan. Then we slowly crawled over to Berry Park but found there were too many Santas inside to make us feel important. As we crossed the corner to Matchless, we finally ran across the rest of our 7 people we had previously lost. They had certainly waited for us at the one and only Best Buy in Manhattan but failed to check their cell phones (Stupidity, ignorance, or drunkenness? Who knows!) in order to find out we were long gone. On the downside, they had even made it all the way to the Warsaw but refused going inside after the bouncers demanded a $10 cover charge for everyone who wanted to rightfully celebrate SantaCon. The Matchless let us in for free, drinks were cheap and dancing was only partially prohibited. Shortly before the day changed over to the 16th it was time to call it a night. Almost ten hours of celebration came to an end and I would not have wanted to miss out on it again!

Celebrating until the early morning hours

And for all of those posting nasty messages a la “the Santa I remember never puked on the L-Train” : Stop hating and be part of it next year, when it’s once again: SantaCon in New York City!
And with costumes ranging from Santa hat over Eggnog to Christmas tree, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding something you feel comfortable with!

[To read about last year's SantaCon post, go here!]

“When Christmas Came Early” OR “The Day I Discovered Groupon”

You must think I am not from this world when you see the title above. “Groupon? Isn’t that the old deal of clipping coupons in an online fashion?!” you must think while slapping your head simultaneously. Let me tell you something about Groupon: It’s simply amazing!

A friend mentioned it to me about it a little bit more than a year ago: Elena and her husband actually went on a few dates at restaurants because they found really good online deals. She told me the site was great to try out new cuisines and acquire exotic tastes (this was after a discussion we had about whether or not restaurant week is worthwhile). Then, only 2 months back, another friend kept blabbing off how wonderful of a steak house she had discovered with her boyfriend when they found this amazing deal on Groupon. Once again, Groupon! But what finally got me convinced was not even that. No!

It was more-of when my coworker announced one day that he would be going to a “Cook & Go” Party the following weekend because of this awesome bargain he had found on …. you guessed it, GROUPON! This made me prick my ears! “So Groupon does offer other stuff than restaurants, doesn’t it?” where my first thoughts. I then skimmed through their web site and what I saw took more than a few hours to digest: Language classes, flight lessons, cooking courses, body language experiences, cocktail mixing licenses, fitness passes, and and and… And most of these discounted anywhere from 60 to 90 percent off the original price! I am now a convinced member of Groupon and grudgingly suck it up when they e-mail me their daily deals every.single.morning. I can hardly wait to see if the flight lessons are available or if I still have to save up a bit until I take that final step.

Some deals I definitely had to pass on. That Cook & Go bargain was certainly one I would have loved to try out but unfortunately I was too late. The way Groupon and other coupon sites work is fairly easy to understand: Deals are posted and then there is a certain time for them to close down. Sometimes it can take weeks, other times you won’t find the discount a few days later (such as with Cook & Go). Of course a good amount of the stuff might be re-advertised at some point in time, don’t panic. The more people to grab that groupon, the more it can be discounted for the next time (I believe). Either way, it’s a great concept to introduce people to a restaurant/gym/salon and to get them to come back to your joint. Every day is sales day on Groupon! Which was why I went overboard in the very first week and bought groupon’s worth almost 200 bucks.

First, I had to buy a gift voucher for that body language class I’ve never really been thinking about taking desperately always wanted to take (you get the self-justifying psychology in this one, right?!). Sometime next year I’ll be sitting in 3 hours worth of tutoring on how to detect signs of when my opponent might feel uncomfortable during our conversation. This could be helpful when it comes to interviews or everyday situations. Gah, I will be watching you!

Second, I will go for 10 fitness classes at a gym right around the corner from where I live! I’d been thinking about picking up on sports again but didn’t really find a place and price that suited my needs. 30 bucks for 10 classes seemed like a fair deal to me. But the best part about it is that I already know the location and feel quite comfortable with the walking distance from my house.

Third, after all of that zumba, yoga, and what not, I will pick up on self-defense in one of the best Martial Arts Schools in NY (at least that is what Yelp reviews brag about). I will learn how to stay fit, healthy, and confident throughout a two month phase.

Last, but not least, I will pick up on a new language next year: Time to learn Portugese! ABC Language schools offered this sweet groupon for less than 100 dollars during which I could do an All-Beginner-Class for 6 weeks straight. For 90 minutes each week I will hopefully know how to order a coffee or say hello and goodbye whenever I stop by in Brazil and Portugal. I figured this language would give me more benefit than Italian, even though this is also a beautiful romantic language. Other options, for those of you who want to know, are Spanish, French, and German. But since I already speak those three, it really did not make much sense for me to start from scratch.

Once again, I am baffled at all the choices this wonderful city holds open to those who seek. Of course you have to be careful that you don’t grab bargains from areas that are considered “ghetto” (stay away from certain parts of the Bronx and Bedstuy!). Or you have to take into consideration that if traveling time to Jamaica/Queens takes you more than an actual fitness course, the deal is most likely not worth it. The discounts apply mostly for a time frame of a few months. Anywhere from 1 month to 6 months – check the fine print. It’s a great way to pick what you might want to pursue, such as a passion for martial arts or getting to know other’s bodily expressions really well…

So, now you know more about my life and love to try out new things than I’ve recently posted. I’m still contemplating if that’s a good thing or a bad thing but meanwhile I would also like to tell you that LivingSocial is another biggie when it comes to Daily Deals. I have not yet purchased anything from them because I am still broke from Groupon but will do so when time and funds permit. Happy pre-holiday shopping to you!

(Author’s note: To get to all of those wonderful sites mentioned above, simply click on the different images!)

Holiday Markets in Manhattan

The holiday season has arrived! And with it some really quaint things to do in New York. Of course you could go shopping and box your way through an overcrowded Bloomingdale’s, a bustling Century 21 and other classics. Or you could go watch the holiday stories in the front window of the Macy’s Flagship store at Herald Square. Another really great thing to do? Visit one of the city’s four biggest holiday markets, all of them in Manhattan.

1) Union Square Holiday Market

It opened up last weekend and goes until December 24. It reaches in a half circle around the main subway entrance and looks especially fancy if you watch it from well above, let’s say the Burlington Coat Factory’s shopping window. Either way, it is hosted every year and I had the pleasure to stop by here every once in a while to even snag some old-school German Glühweinmix from the „German Memories Stand.” Of course it’s not actual wine but only the mix, so it tasted like fruit punch, but still. I also like to buy some gingerbread men and women from here – they just look too good to be ignored.

Gingerbread men at Union Square Holiday Market

This market offers original gift ideas and fancy winter accessories. It is here that we ran across some very unique lamps and some even more unique jewelry made from old watches. Waffles&Dinges, the by now very popular Belgian waffle sellers, have opened up their tents here as well as at the following holiday market…

2) Bryant Park Holiday Shops

This one is possibly one of the bigger sorts as it reaches throughout the entire park and leaves a nice gap for a unique feature: The Bryant Park Citi Pond. While shopping amidst the fancifully decorated huts and trying more Waffles&Dinges, you can now also stand in line for the immense ice skating rink reaching through 2/3rds of the park. It’s always a great sight to simply walk past here and see all of the happy faces falling dancing on the ice. Once Christmas draws closer, a huge screen is built on the Western part of the park and holiday movies are shown to please the busy audience.

Bryant Park Citi Pond

3) Columbus Circle Holiday Market

The only holiday market I have not yet had the chance to visit. It opens up on November 28 and goes until Christmas’ Eve, and is therefore just in the right time frame to be visited with all the other holiday craziness going on. It’s supposed to have great food as well, but once again, I’ve never been. I am quite desperate to go. Soon!

4) Grand Central Holiday Fair

This gem is the only market that is actually inside and it offers 76 vendors to choose from. So if you are tired of the cold and want to stop by at one of the most popular movie locations anyways, you should go here. You can possibly also run across fairies dressed in a similar costume, just to top the entire holiday spirit. Just try to avoid rush hour in the morning and evening because this place will be crowded then at both times.

Beware that of course most stuff is overpriced at these holiday markets. Nonetheless, they are still fun to look at and useful to obtain some ideas of what you might get your loved ones for Christmas. Happy Holiday Market browsing, y’all!

[For more pictures go to:
Holiday Markets in Manhattan
Citi Pond at Bryant Park
Union Square Christmas Market]