(When you have spent Christmas with your family for almost every year since you were born, it’s hard to imagine spending it elsewhere. My first Christmas not at home was two years ago, in Wales, with a friend and her family. It was difficult to be away, but I cherished learning and living through another culture’s holiday and the ways other families celebrate. Each of us has our own Christmas memories, and that makes each of us have our own culture.
 
So this year spending Christmas way from home wasn’t so hard, not only because I had done it before, but because it was time in coming. Really for the last 10 years since my German sister Lisa spent hers with us, I have wanted to be here in Germany with her family, celebrating their way and with them. The Kohn’s have always been the most kind and welcoming second family. It all started when Lisa decided to come to America to study for her senior year, and my family decided to take a German exchange student. From the beginning it was kismet. And after a year with us, naturally we wanted to meet and visit with her family. So then, when it was my turn to study abroad in London, me and my parents stayed with Lisa’s family. Several years have flown by, and so we have all crisscrossed across the Atlantic to see each other. While I have been over here more often due to my proximity in London (a reason for me moving over here), Christmas was always on my list. Covid kept me away, but third times the charm, and here I am.
 
 
The Kohn Family Christmas is very traditional for Saxony, the region of Germany they reside in. Christmas Eve is valued highly over Christmas Day, because that’s when everyone give their gifts, sings carols, play games, eats, and chats. Christmas Day and the day after are also very important, for more rounds of meals, cake and coffee, discussion, games, and long walks.
 
Christmas Eve was incredibly special. Lisa’s family lives in a small village not too far from Görlitz, on the border to Poland. During the day, we helped prepare the meal and spent time together. We got dressed in the evening (in matching skirts made by me, no less) and went a short drive to the small village church, which naturally is around 500 years old, and so quaint, up on its hill. Due to its age, its naturally made of stone and not really heated (well-heated by people). Gradually, everyone poured in from the villages, young and old, families and couples, sitting in squashed rows of chairs, in several layers of coats and scarves that we didn’t dare take off. You could see your own breath. Children took part in a little Nativity play, the priest and locals recited a few texts, we all sung along to famous carols to the tune of the massive upstairs organ, but of course in German (which I was really looking forward to- and loved!). We all departed back into our cozy homes for evenings of love and laughter. It felt like a real-life Hallmark movie.
 
Back home, bratwurst, sauerkraut, and Kartoffeln (potatoes) were waiting for us. Oma and Opa joined, and we all gave gifts. A mix of Oohs, Ahhs, and Danke Schon’s were exchanged. It’s common to give a few little presents more than massive ones. Think quality and thoughtfulness over quantity (as it should always be the last thing we all need is more stuff. The scene from Harry Potter comes to mind when his cousin gets one less present than last year).
 
Then the highlight of my evening- Oma pulls out her famous accordion and serenades us with Stille Nacht, O Tannenbaum, and other classic German favorites. Lisa, me, and her mom sing from a small hymnal, as everyone else starts a game of Rummy while sipping Glühwein. The atmosphere is warm, cozy, and so welcoming. The dog and cats sit and observe, lights from the tree twinkle, and German conversation mixes with shuffling cards and sips. All is calm, all is bright.
 
Christmas Da is no less fun. Christmas dinner is a German classic- Goose. Cooked to perfection, and oh-so-tender. Accompanying it on my plate is delicious red cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and Kartoffelklößen (potato dumplings), all in a rich, hearty broth sauce. Lecker! A long walk through the forest, up above the village, is needed to settle the food and get some fresh air. Germans value the outdoors as much as their famous efficiency- so beautiful wooded paths are used by everyone. The dogs and Lisa’s baby nephew accompany us, and the sights are so picturesque. Once home, it’s almost time for Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake). Have you noticed yet how close German and English words can be? Lisa and I go to feed and visit the new baby sheep, which always cheers me up and makes it feel even more like a home away from home. Her grandparents and parents live next to each other and have a small farm with vegetables, fruits, woodworking, and sheep. It's not Christmas without cute farm animals, right? My Hallmark movie is being fulfilled further. More card games follow, dinner preparations are made, and leftovers are had from the evening before. Yum. Cards are played late into the evening. I hit the pillow and didn’t remember falling asleep.
 
Boxing Day is another round much the same, only this time, we have fresh deer- hunted by Lisa’s brother. When we head back to Potsdam the next day, I couldn’t be more fulfilled. Saying Vielen Dank and Bis Bald to everyone, I’m so grateful for what I have experienced, and so blessed to have been included.
 
What I take away from travelling is to just go with the flow. There are so many things you never know you will like until you try. Most food you try you will love. Most places you go will be beautiful. Most people you meet will be wonderful. When you realize all that, there is little room left for discomfort or fear, because it has naturally faded away. This Christmas was all I could have hoped, and more, and it’s my gift to share it with you all. Who knew, in 2013, when Lisa came to us, that almost 10 years later, two families would be connected across the sea in such wonderful ways. Life is incredible, if you want it to be.
 
Reflecting on it all, I highly recommend spending Christmas away from home. We are wired for it to be the one holiday that we will be home for, but life begins at the end of your comfort zone. It is incredibly rewarding to living amongst others, share in their customs, and connect with them in unexpected ways. We are all human, and we all have crazy families. It’s nice to take a break from yours, which usually is needed, and see another perspective. I can't guarantee it will be a Hallmark Movie, but it will be an experience. 
 
Frohe Weihnachten, und ein gutes Neues Jahr!
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        Sitting in German class in high school, I remember having culture days and learning about the famous Christmas markets, among many other traditions. My mother’s fathers family was German, and so traditions have been passed down to me and my sister- like St. Nicholas’ Day on December 6, when you put your shoe outside your door and in the morning there is a little goody inside. When you are a kid and there is an excuse to give you little presents, you don’t ask questions of origins. But as an adult, I have an inquisitive mind, so upon doing some light research, discovered that Saint Nicholas is a patron saint in Catholicism, and as his annual feast day is December 6, he became part of the Christmas holiday season. As his visit is common for delivering little sweets and goodies that could fit in a shoe, December 6 is seen as a preliminary round of Christmas. The shoe bit seems a bit less clear to me- except many German traditions were brought to America by immigrants, and I believe that shoe part formed from that. America is a beautiful melting pot, and it’s always good to have a reminder that these small traditions that we feel are ours started from hundreds of years of shifting cultural waves.
 
         While Nikolaustag (St. Nick’s Day) is still a tradition for many, the famous markets have the attention of us all for a reason. Many date back hundreds of years, the oldest known one being from Dresden (a favorite city of mine in all of Europe), at 600 years. These markets have trickled down into American culture in ways you might not realize- your community Christmas Bazaar. Every market has the typical touristy bits, but also incredible local heritage and gifts. Stalls of woodwork, ceramics, glassworks, jewelry, clothing, and countless artistry line both sides of the town main streets, here in Potsdam that is the gorgeous Brandenburger Straße. Mixed with gifts is its equal: the food. World famous warm Glühwein, Bratwurst freshly sizzled, and Quarkbällchen. Regional and other nations specialties are now staples too, like Langos from Hungary- a yeast dough covered in Quark (essentially sour cream) and Käse (cheese), but with many optional additions like meats and veggies. Massive amounts of sweets are on display too- chocolate covered fruits, fresh and warm salted nuts, and the large heart shaped German gingerbread cookies, with endearing saying like Ich liebe Dich, Liebster Opa, and Fröhliche Weihnachten. Is your mouth watering yet?
 
          To top it all off, and what makes it even more authentic for me, is to see mass amounts of locals out with family and friends- smiling, drinking Glühwein, wandering, and speaking in German (naturally). The beautiful lights twinkle and giant Weihnachtspyramiden (Christmas carousel pyramids) spin (fun fact, they traditionally move by warm air rising off the candles placed at the bottom, making the display turn as the propellors spin). The energy and festive spirit are everything I imagined, dreaming in my seat as that high school student. And here I am- in the flesh, loving every second. While Potsdam is one of my favorite cities, I’ve waited too many years to come to just one market. Every town in Germany has their own edition- and while I can’t do them all, I intend on doing as many as I can this trip. Dresden is tomorrow- and what I most look forward too, and Berlin’s are open until the New Year, which is rare and not common for most of Germany- when many close at Christmas Eve.
          Christmas Eve is the true Christmas Day in the country. That’s when families gather and give gifts, sing carols, and eat lots. The days after are for relaxing, more eating, and more visiting. For a gal who loves being out of her comfort zone and in new experiences, especially ones she has wanted to be a part of for her whole life- the time is nigh- and I can’t wait.
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Fröhliche Weihnachten!