Christmas in Germany [intermediate]

Christmas is a very popular festive period all around the world, and also in Germany! It is a time of remembrance and a time that you spend with your loved ones. Most households do decorate their houses in the run up to Christmas, and most Germans do have an "Adventskranz", with four candles on it, each one representing one of the Sundays from the first in December to the last one before Christmas.

People start baking special Christmas cakes and biscuits, called "Plätzchen" Very popular, not only with children, are Christmas calendars. Presents are given on Christmas Eve, unlike in the UK or USA. This is the most important evening that people like to spend with their families.

Throughout the day, food is prepared, the Christmas tree is decorated, and late afternoon, families go to church. Once home, presents are put under the Christmas tree, and after everyone has unwrapped the prezzies, the family enjoys a festive dinner, which can be anything from goose with dumplings and red cabbage to fish and potato salad, or even those very sausages that us Germans are famous for! Christmas Day and Boxing Day are also days to spend with friends and family.

So I wish you all "Fröhliche Weihnachten"!

Inga Totzauer

Vocabulary:

festive period remembrance loved ones in the run up to Christmas popular unlike throughout once home unwrap the pezzies goose with dumplings red cabbage famous Boxing Day

festliche / fröhliche / gesellige Zeit Andenken / Erinnerung the people who are close to us the countdown and time before Christmas bekannt im Gegensatz zu im Verlaufe wenn man zu Hause angekommen ist to open up the present presents Gans mit Knödel Blaukraut berühmt / bekannt 1st day of Christmas