Expat Chatter

Nuremberg is world-famous for its Christmas market but every German town worth its gingerbread has one, too. It isn’t just tourists who flock there but locals, too, all hoping for a white Christmas to create the perfect mood. But this rarely happens. One contributor to the mystique of holiday snow is Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers and the iconic classic, A Christmas Carol. Both featured harsh winters like those experienced by the author in his childhood in mid-19th century England.

Snow or not, after a few sips of holiday cheer it doesn’t make a difference. I visited a Christmas market in Regensburg, which has the perfect medieval setting to make you particularly nostalgic.

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Brenda Arnold

Christmas is confusing enough with Santa, St. Nick, and Father Christmas. In Bavaria they also add the Christkind, the Christchild to the mix. Oh yes, and let’s not forget the three kings who arrive on Epiphany. It took me quite a while after arriving in Germany to figure out exactly which of these Christmas representatives would be bringing the presents. Of course, in the end it was me all along.

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Brenda Arnold

Germans could never afford to celebrate a big holiday like Thanksgiving at the end of November the way Americans do. But there’s a good reason for this: They’re already getting all revved up for Christmas! Germans invented the car, truly a great achievement, but making Christmas last half the winter is at least on par with that.

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Brenda Arnold

After moving to Germany, I was excited to recreate Thanksgiving the way I knew it from my childhood. But then I learned that the traditions I wanted to recreate were not as traditional as I thought.

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Brenda Arnold

It's not a holiday without pumpkin pie, but what I bake is a far cry from my mother's version. I was shocked to discover that Germany  didn’t have ready-made, canned pumpkin mix. This was followed by the equally shocking prospect of having to make pumpkin pie from scratch. Is that even possible? I was about to find out.

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Brenda Arnold

Americans celebrate fall with Halloween, but Germans have St. Martin. Children carry lit lanterns in processions through the dark, singing. It sounds so lovely, until you’re the one out there battling the cold wind to keep the lantern lit. After freezing to death a few times in icy November winds, I decided that this is a festival best enjoyed indoors.

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Brenda Arnold

If you’re just settling in on the couch, then don’t let any Germans into the room. They’ll open up all the windows to let in fresh air – regardless of the outside temperature.

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Brenda Arnold

Some Germans celebrate Halloween, but not all of them. I was determined to find a way for my kids to enjoy it the way I did, spurring me to take some unusual action. 

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Brenda Arnold

My experience with mushrooms was confined to cans as a kid. In Germany, collecting them is a cherished hobby. But don’t bother asking anybody where to find them because they’d rather sacrifice their first-born before revealing their secret mushroom spot.

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Brenda Arnold

School has started, a good moment to consider the burden on mothers with children in German schools. The extra work required to support their children in German schools  – or rather systems of schools - is so great that women from other countries literally do not believe it. Until reality hits.

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Brenda Arnold