Tuesday, January 20, 2009

My two cents on...Christmas.



I found a new game to play! Where I get to be as opinionated as I want...or need to be. This is my strong point. Tutu's Bliss is the mastermind behind this new carnival of goodness. Yay for that!

So this was my first Christmas outside the US let alone away from family. It ended up very nicely even though the USPS prevented us from getting our presents on time. (BTW Annie...I just got the dress and I do like it, but I think I'm going to have to hem the sleeves up.) The Americans do all their normal seasonal exploits but scaled down a little. They have their balcony decked out with lights and Santa in their windows. The PX had Christmas stuff on display before Halloween.

The Germans however decorate much less...tacky? Flashy maybe? I don't know what the right word is since I don't think its a negative, positive thing exactly. But you don't see any houses with 4802837879 million lights glued on. Santa isn't playing with the baby Jesus while Rudolph gives an angel a ride. They still have Santa stuff. I don't think they do the reindeer thing though. The decorations stay up until 12 days after Christmas which is considered a holiday here. The Epiphany. Unless you're Catholic in the states you have no idea what that is.

I find it refreshing here. I think that here it is celebrated as a season of giving vs a day of presents. Maybe not. But regardless I'm gonna bring some German Christmas love home with me. We're gonna decorate when we want. We're gonna keep the secular and the Religious parts of the holiday separate. We're gonna keep our tree up until January 6th at least and not lose the feeling of the holiday the day after. We're going to celebrate us a German Christmas and we're gonna do it with style.

So there's my two cents for the day. Take it, leave it, or better yet...give it back!

6 comments:

  1. Funny how you notice the differences. I've spent several Christmasses (is that correct?) in the States and adapted a few things for our own Christmas here in Germany.

    We DO have reindeer on our rooftop (clear lights though, I hate colored lights), we have a Santa that waves at you when you pass and we also have Christmas Stockings. ;-)

    I think a mixture of both American and German style Christmas is best! ;-)

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  2. I think a mixture is best too!! I have never spent christmas outside of the US. I was in Mexico right before for a honeymoon and they do tacky much worse than we do in the US!

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  3. Keep in mind that you'll not only be blending German and American holiday styles, but also Foote and Hill holiday style...do you have a big blender? There's a lot of mising it up that needs to be done! ;)

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  4. My brother in law was stationed there & just moved home last year. They use to send the kids this chocolates that had little presents inside. So cute. Oh and German coffee.... I miss that. Hope you have a German Coffee Giveaway & I am the only one who enters. haha

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  5. I think that its Christmases. But I sound out words so you were plenty close enough for me.=D And the eggs with the toys inside them are Kinder Eggs. You will now be charged with felony smuggling if you attempt to send them to the US. They are a choking hazard. Because American children eat toys apparently. When I figure out the finesse of doing a German coffee give away I will totally do one for you!

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  6. OH We lived in Germany while growing up and I remember doing the lantern parade and at the end St. Nick was there handing out sweet bread. It's one of my most favorite memories of xmas in Germany. I was pre-school to 3rd grade. We lived in Ramistine (SP?). We also used to put our shoes out!

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