Category: Celebrations + Holidays
The 14 Typical Questions from Family & Friends about Living in Germany
In June, I visited home in the United States, and it was the first time back in almost 2 years. I was home for only one week, and the time flew by. From visiting different family members and friends, the days just went by very fast. Before I knew it, I was back home in ...
Find Out the 25 Things Only an American Expat in Germany Can Truly Understand
Okay, so it has been two years since we moved from the US to Germany. Before we moved, we took German lessons, researched the area online, made some early visits to find a place to live, & talked to fellow German colleagues living in the States as well as American colleagues who had already moved ...
See How a Medieval Castle in Heidelberg Makes for a Festive German Christmas Market
Amanda & I were looking to visit a local Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) this past Sunday afternoon, and we had not visited Heidelberg together during December. Since Heidelberg is only a 20 minute drive, we headed out at noon, as a thin layer of fog filled the Neckar River Valley. Arriving somewhat early for the Market ...
How Did Today’s Christmas Traditions Start in America? Here’s a Hint German Christmas Markets.
Christmas in Germany is my favorite time of year! As a child growing up in the US, I always loved Christmas, and now living in Germany I feel as if I am living inside of a Christmas storybook come to life, since most of the images we Americans have of Christmas have their origins from ...
A Traditional German Housewarming Present
I have lived in Germany now for two years, and have just learned about a traditional German housewarming present. My new awareness of this very longstanding tradition is because of a relocation into a new office building at work. The tradition.... is giving the new homeowner gifts of bread & salt, as well as one ...
Do You Know about St. Nicolas Day in Germany? Do You Know the History & Origin of Santa Claus vs. Saint Nicolas?
As a child and even today, my favorite image of Christmas is "Santa Claus". Who would not love a figure that brings you gifts, right? Before moving to Germany, I never really gave much thought into the origin of Santa Claus, or why he had so many names (e.g., St. Nick, St. Nicolas, Kris Kringle, ...
See How German I Am Now After Living in Germany
After two years of living in Germany, I wonder to myself how 'German' have I become versus my American culture? The last time I visited home in the States was at Christmas last year, and I could already notice a difference after my first year. So, this got me thinking -- How German Am I ...
See the Differences of Celebrating Birthdays between US & Germany
So, with October 3rd being my birthday, I thought it would interesting to post the differences in traditions associated with birthdays between the US and Germany. Obviously this post provides general differences, but these can vary depending on the region of each country as well as the origin of the people involved. In other words, ...
See the German Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Ludwigshafen, Germany
The month of December is a wonderful time in Germany. Most Christmas traditions we have in the States originate from Germany. The Christmas Tree, most Christmas Carols, the types of Christmas decorations....even the tradition of Santa Claus has been influenced by German tradition. Almost every village in Germany has a Christmas Market (called Weihnachtsmarkt in ...
See the German Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Neuleingen, Germany
Thanks to our friend Gesine, we visited a very unique Weihnachtsmarkt today. Almost every village, town, and city has their own Wiehnachtsmarkt (or Christmas Market). Some cities have several, and they are open through the day and into the evening from the end of November until Christmas. Most have vendors selling crafts, foods, candy, etc ...
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