German Christmas traditions: Advent calendar

We count down the days up to December 24 (the day we celebrate Christmas) with the help of an Advent calendar. The original version was made out of paper with flaps that cover 24 pictures. Nowadays, a great variety of Advent calendars exist: you can buy chocolate filled calendars in the supermarket or create an individual one for your loved ones with 24 little presents. Obviously, Advent calendars are intended for children but very often, couples or good friends create them for each other, too.

German Christmas traditions: Adventskranz/Advent wreath)

The story of the Advent wreath goes back to the 16th century and is actually an old German Lutheran tradition. Nowadays, nearly every family has one on their dinner table. Traditional Advent wreaths are circular in shape and made out of evergreens. Four candles are placed on the wreath and one after the other is lit on every Advent Sunday.

German Christmas traditions: Nikolaustag/Saint Nicholas Day

On December 6 we celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers and students and according to the legend he loved to give gifts to people.

Nowadays, Children put out one boot on the evening of December 5. When the check the boot the next morning, it is filled with nuts, oranges and chocolates – maybe even small toys. This was the secret gift of Saint Nicholas. Some kids might find a switch in their boot, too, telling them that they have behaved badly from time to time in the passing year and should be better next year (for the record: there was a switch in my boot EVERY SINGLE YEAR by the way! :-D)

German Christmas traditions: Christmas cookies and more

Advent is all about sweets. Not only on the Christmas markets you will find all sorts of candy, also the regular supermarkets are filled with chocolate Weihnachtsmänner. Moreover, it is a German Christmas tradition to bake your own Christmas cookies (called Plätzchen). There are many different types of Plätzchen, my favorite ones are Vanillekipferl /vanilla crescents (click here for recipe on bbcgoodfood.com) are Zimtsterne/cinnamon stars (click here for recipe on bbcgodfood.com). Pssssst: If you don’t want to bake them by yourself, check out the shelfs in the supermarket 😉

German Christmas traditions: Christmas Eve

In Germany, we celebrate Christmas on the eve of December 24. Families gather and have dinner together. Then everybody sits around the Christmas tree (that might be presented to the family for the first time that day). The tree is decorated with (false or real) candles, Christmas ornaments and glass baubles.  Presents are exchanged and opened and in some families songs are sung. It depends on the family tradition if Santa Claus (Weihnachtsmann) or the angel-like Christkind is the bringer of the gifts. In the end, both will work 😉 Religious families go to church – when they have small children they might choose the mass in the afternoon, families without small children usually prefer the Christmette at midnight.

German Christmas traditions: Christmas dinner

Don’t laugh but the traditional German dinner on Christmas Eve is sausages with potato salad! 😀 And it makes sense: December 24 has not been a public holiday for a long time – even today many employees have to work in the morning. So the afternoon was filled with wrapping the gifts and decorating the Christmas tree. There was no time to prepare a big dinner. Plus – obviously – we Germans love our sausages 😀 Even today many families keep the tradition alive and serve this simple meal on Christmas Eve. However, there are other meals that are served all over Germany as well, roast meat for example.

German Christmas traditions: The thing with the Christmas pickle…

You might have heard of a “German tradition” where Germans put up a pickle in the Christmas tree. I wrote about this before. If you want to find out, if this is a real German Christmas tradition, check out my former post – but be prepared for the truth… 😉

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Christmas Markets in Stuttgart

• The most obvious Christmas Market to visit for anybody living in Stuttgart is the big one in Stuttgart. It stretches from Schlossplatz via Karlsplatz all the way to Marktplatz. Stuttgart Christmas Market is not only one of the biggest Christmas Markets in the area, it’s also particularly pretty because all of the stands display an individual roof decoration. There is even a competition going on and one lucky stand wins a prize for the most beautiful decoration every year! Next to many food stands you also find some fun rides for kids at Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt. Moreover you can enjoy a concert for free every evening as choirs are performing daily on the stairs in front of the city hall. Tip from a local: Take the public transport to get to Stuttgart Christmas Market! The U-Bahn stations Schlossplatz, Charlottenplatz and Rathaus are close by as well as the S-Bahn stations Hauptbahnhof and Stadtmitte. Stuttgart Christmas Market is open from November 27 until December 23.
  
• One special part of Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt is the Finnish Christmas Village (Finnisches Weihnachtsdorf). Here you can enjoy smoked salmon, drink a glass of Glögi (the Finnish version of mulled wine) and shop for Scandinavian products. The Finnish Christmas Village is located at Karlsplatz, right next to the U-Bahn station Charlottenplatz and it is open from November 27. to December 22.
• Also part of the Christmas Market in Stuttgart but technically a market for itself is Wintertraum at Schlossplatz. If offers an ice rink as well as several food stands. Moreover, it is open even after Christmas, from November 20 until January 1.
• Not really a Christmas Market but a very special Christmas attraction is Christmas Garden at Wilhelma. When it is getting dark, the botanical and zoological gardens at Wilhelma light up brightly. More than 20 light installations await you along a 2 km loop and food stands invite you to take a break and enjoy the romantic atmosphere. Christmas Garden is open between November 14 and  January 6. Mind that you have to buy a ticket in advance in order to get inside. If you want to get an idea of what awaits you check out my post about my visit to Christmas Garden at Wilhelma from last year.
  
• There is an alternative Christmas market going on at Marienplatz between November 29 and December 15 called Wouahou Winterdorf / Wouahou Winter Village. Not only food stands and little shops await you but also information stands for sustainability and a big tipi.
• At Adventsmarkt im Hospitalhof you can shop for handmade products on December 3.
• A Beer Adventsmarkt will take place on December 6 and 7 at Cast Brauerei Stuttgart. There will be more than 50 different beer styles available to drink and purchase as christmas gifts for your special someone!
• A small and very cozy Christmas market is Adventszauber at Mozartplatz/Heusteigviertel on December 15. Local shops like present themselves with stands and next to yummy food and drinks, live music, a special fire show and attractions for the kids await you.
• On December 21 the first Vegan Christmas Market of Stuttgart will take place at Karl-Kloß-Jugendbildungsstätte. Next to vegan food you might find the one or other Christmas gift.
• Most  the quarters of Stuttgart have their own, small Christmas markets going on, mostly only for a weekend. For example in Vaihingen from November 30 to December 1, in Weilimdorf from November 30 to December 1 too and in Bad Cannstatt from November 26 to December 23.

Christmas Markets around Stuttgart

• The Esslingen Christmas Market is probably one of the most famous markets in the area because of its medieval part. At the Esslingen Medieval Market you can find merchants in historical garments offering their goods, craftsmen like pewterers, felt-makers, and glass-blowers demonstrating their craftsmanship and artists fascinating their audience with juggling, music and more. Definitely worth a visit! Tip from a local: Go early and during the week! It is always crowded there but it get’s worse on weekends and in the evening. The Esslingen Medieval Market and Christmas Market is open from November 26 until December 22.
• You find another historically themed Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg. With all the light installations the  Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market is definitely a beauty. Nestled between two baroque churches and underneath the huge illuminated wings of angels you will feel enchanted right away. It is open from November 26 to December 22.
• Another very special Christmas market takes place between December 3 and 8 in Tübingen: chocolART! You might guess it already: it’s all about chocolate!! 😀
• In Fellbach a Christmas Market as well as an ice rink await you. Moreover a special program for kids is organized next to the town hall. Fellbach Christmas Market is open from November 30 until December 21.
• The beer garden Schwabengarten in Leinfelden has turned into a Winter Village. WinterdörfLE is not a real Christmas Market as the stands where you can buy gifts are missing. But you find four food stands and an open fire there. And if you’re into curling, you can go for it here, too.
• Castle Hohenzollern is worth a visit anyway but on when it turns into a medieval Christmas Market it is even more stunning. You can visit the Royal Christmas Market / Königlicher Weihnachtsmarkt from November 29 to December 2 and again from December 6 to 8. Please mind that you have to pay an entrance fee to get in the castle.
• Ever visited a Christmas Market in a stable? You can do so at Gärtringen-Rohrau on December 7 and 8 as well as 14 and 15. Rohrauer Stallweihnachtsmarkt awaits you in the stable of an organic farm. Here you find stands from local producers who are selling handmade goods and you can watch traditional craftsmen performing their work.
• At Waiblingen Christmas Market you will find something very special: Christmas cellars! In these cellars handmade goods as well as an exhibition of Christmas calendars await you. The Christmas Market in Waiblingen is open from November 29 to December 19.
• Shop for the perfect Christmas tree while enjoying a glass of Glühwein or browsing through locally produced artwork at Christbaummarkt Prevorst in Oberstenfeld-Prevorst on every weekend before Christmas starting on December 8.

These are just some of the many, many Christmas markets in the region. What are your favorite ones?

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I’ve heard a lot about Christmas Garden in Stuttgart already and definitely wanted to visit it. Last Sunday I finally went with two friends. When you buy the tickets for Christmas Garden in Stuttgart you also have to choose an entry time. Ours was 6:00 to 7:00 pm. At first I wondered why they are so strict about this but then it made totally sense. Thanks to the different time slots it doesn’t get crowded inside! Of course there are other people there, too, but you can’t compare it to other big events like Lichterfest or Weihnachtsmarkt. It was definitely very relaxed inside.

They have organized a 2 km loop through Wilhelma that passes all the installations and that is easy to follow. Moreover you find food stands after every few hundred meters so you don’t have to be afraid of running out of Glühwein.

Here come some of my favorite light installations:

This one is called “Lights of Damaskus”:

Also extremely beautiful were the shining Water Lilies in the pond:

I could have stood there forever and watched them float around. Luckily there is a Glühwein stand close by so at least you can enjoy a hot drink while watching 🙂

My personal highlight was the “Magical Giants”: illuminated Redwood trees.

Simply stunning.

Of course you also find more playful installations like angels, animals or Santa’s sled for example:

Definitely something for the kids 🙂

Moreover there are many lovely picture opportunities. You can stand in an illuminated frame in front of a Christmas tree for example or underneath a Mistletoe:

And there is one more thing I have to mention: the marshmallows! Oh my god, SO good! There is a stand with gourmet marshmallows. You can choose between flavors like raspberry, popcorn, vanilla, champagne and more, add cookies and real chocolate if you wish and then put it on a stick and hold it above the fire. Have I mentioned already that they are SO good?! 🙂

So here is what I think about Christmas Garden in Stuttgart:

• I loved the relaxed atmosphere! No pushing, no yelling or anything. A visit there is suitable for families, couples or groups of friends who want to enjoy a special evening.
• Christmas Garden in Stuttgart has more than 20 light installations and some of them were truly amazing. Even though the loop is only 2 km long, it took us nearly 2 hours to complete it because we took our time and couldn’t get enough of some of the installations.
• The food stands we got our snacks from were great and the food and Glühwein of very good quality. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I am a huge fan of the marshmallow stand 🙂
• What I didn’t like that much was that at some points you get really close to some of the animals. I would have assumed that they want to sleep at night-time. Well, I guess Wilhelma knows what they are doing but from my personal point of view it would have been nicer to keep a bigger distance to the animals.
• The price is definitely something. Adults pay 17 Euro during the week and 19 on weekends or public holidays. They offer family tickets though which you should check out if you bring the kids.

So altogether: When you want to spend a special evening, like light installations and appreciate a relaxed atmosphere you will enjoy visiting Christmas Garden in Stuttgart. I absolutely did 🙂

Have you been to Christmas Garden in Stuttgart already? What do you think about it? Was there some installation you liked in particular?

More information about:

Christmas Garden Stuttgart

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• The Christmas Market in Stuttgart is still on until December 23. Don’t miss the amazing Finnish Christmas Village at Karlsplatz. If you’re into ice skating, visit the ice rink of Wintertraum at Schlossplatz. This mini Christmas Market within the Christmas Market is even open until January 1.
• Wouahou is a Christmas Market with a twist. You can visit this alternative Winter Village at Marienplatz until December 10 for upcycling workshops, locally produced gifts and great food.
• If you don’t have all the Christmas presents you need already, don’t worry! There are quite a few opportunities and events this December in Stuttgart where you’ll certainly find great gifts for your loved ones. The fair Schöne Bescherung is one of these events. Designers from the region present their products at Römerkastell on December 9 and 10.
• The German-Turkish Music Club will hold its Winter Concert at Liederhalle on December 9. Theme of the evening: Colorful Music.
• How about an Advent boat ride? Neckar Käpt’n offers a special Advent cruise on December 10, mulled wine and Christmas cookies included 🙂
• Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will be performed in English on December 12 at Filderhalle in Leinfelden-Echterdingen.
• Enjoy a great open-air gospel Advent concert on December 13 at Urachplatz in Stuttgart-Ost.
• On December 16 is long shopping night in Stuttgart. Find Christmas presents until midnight in the shops in downtown Stuttgart!
• Visit St. Catherine’s Church for an Christmas service in English on December 16, starting at 5 pm and on December 24 for the Holy Communion at 8 pm.
• Let’s get wild! – At the Rock & Roll Festival that lasts for three days, from December 29 until New Year’s Eve!
• You like the circus? Then you will love Weltweihnachtszirkus! Enjoy world-class acts from the famous Circus Knie, the Chinese State Circus, the Circus Festival Monte Carlo and many more. I personally love this circus and it’s great fun for the whole family. The Weltweihnachtszirkus is in town until January 7, 2018.
• You like a great dinner AND being entertained while enjoying it? Then Palazzo is your thing! Exquisite delicacies are garnished with award-winning acrobatics, tension-loaded wire rope acts and heart-felt humor. You can visit this fantastic dinner event until March 11, 2018 – so tickets also make a great Christmas present, wink wink 😉

There will be a special post about events on New Year’s Eve in Stuttgart on the blog soon, so stay tuned.

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It takes you around three hours on the autobahn to drive from Stuttgart to Garmisch at the food of the German Alps. We were lucky and had the road nearly to ourselves and got through quite fine. As we haven’t had breakfast before we left, we were quite hungry and decided to eat something first, before we head for the snow.

We went to Café Krönner, which I knew from another visit to Garmisch with my friend and blogging idol Anne from fannetastic food. (I met her in Garmisch in January 2011. Because of this visit, I knew that this place is the real German Winter Wonderland and planned for my friend Nadi and me to come here if winter let us down in Stuttgart).

Café Krönner is a lovely place that reminds me on old-fashioned coffee houses in Vienna or Prague.

We both ordered something for breakfast. Nadi went for Weisswürste (German white sausages) with sweet mustard and a Brezel,

and a hot chocolate that you create by yourself by dropping three Pralinen (chocolate truffles) into hot milk:

I myself ordered just a regular breakfast, nothing special…

😀 Isn’t that an awesome breakfast for one?!! And it was delicious!

They also have a shop where you find the most mouth-watering cakes and chocolate truffles in the area:

Before we got in danger of buying the whole display, we decided to go out into the snow!

From the center of Garmisch it took us five minutes by car to go to the Hausberg, a mountain right next to the town. We rented to sleds called Zipfelbob,  bought two tickets for the gondola and up we went into the German Alps.

We practised to look as cool as the Snowboarders we saw…

… but who are we fooling? In the end we are only two little girls with sleds…

🙂 Our sledding adventure was about to begin! On the Hausberg, there is a special piste for sledding. It is 3.5 kilometers long (sorry, you have to calculate the miles for yourselves… 😉 ) and some parts are a bit rough and steep.

It was tricky to find the piste at the beginning. From the station you have to turn right and then left and left again. Ok, to be honest, we missed it the first time and ended up in between skiers. But hey, we’re still alive 🙂

On the first meters you have to drag your sled sometimes, but then, the fun begins…

The sign saying “Rodelbahn” explains that we finally found the piste for sledding 🙂

After ten years in hot, snowless Australia, Nadi had a blast sledding:

This is the perspective you have on the sled:

See Nadi in the red circle? Well, where she’s going is wrong. When you reach this blockhouse, you have to turn sharp right… Well, I reckon everybody finds out after they’ve gone straight the first time… What awaits you behind the house, you ask? The end of the piste in form of a truck, so better be not too fast…

Sometimes, the piste is close to a steep edge. Here, they have put up this red net for the safety of the sledders… Have I already mentioned that this piste is not really suited for small children?? I mean it!

After we had fallen off several times from our sleds, we decided to take a break and enjoy the view.

Man, was I happy that we’ve survived the first part of the piste.

So, that’s what lies behind us:

And that’s what’s still to come:

Let’s do this!

The last few hundred meters, we had to share the piste with skiers. But there were not many around plus this part of the piste was very wide and well maintained.

What a ride! After this, we truly deserved our Glühwein (mulled wine) from this little ski hut.

Sledding down the German Alps is a blast. And Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a really nice village for a getaway. There is even an US army base and a hotel that was built as an Armed Forces Recreation Center 60 years ago, so a lot of Americans and English-speaking people are around.

More information about:

Café Krönner (only in German)

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Edelweiss Lodge and Resort

fannetastic food

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I was talking about Christmas decorations with a colleague last week and he told me about the American exchange student who stayed with his family last Christmas. When they decorated the Christmas tree together, he asked where the Christmas pickle is. My colleague was confused and thought he might have misunderstood the question. Then the exchange student told him that it is commonly believed in the US that it’s a German Christmas tradition to hide Christmas pickles in the tree.

I didn’t believe him and thought we has making fun of me. So the next day, he brought me the pickle the exchange student gave him and his family as a present when he left.

Well, I have to admit, I actually like this pickle-tradition-thing. When I googled it, I found out that the idea of hiding it in the tree is that whoever finds it first, receives a special present. Maybe we’ll adopt this (American!) tradition next year 🙂

But for this Christmas, we are quite happy with our picklefree tree. Merry Christmas, today especially to all Americans! Be good to your pickles 😉

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