Post 5: Christmas (and Christmas Shopping) in Germany

           Germany is one of the most enchanting places one can be for the Christmas season. The old city streets light up with lights, the Christmas markets in the town squares, the general warmth of the atmosphere, despite the cooling weather. The Christmas season in Germany seems to start even sooner in Germany than it does in the United States; there is no big holiday like Thanksgiving to stop November from succumbing to the Christmas spirit. Instead, almost as soon as Halloween has passed, Christmas lights go up and presents can be season lining shop windows.

            Just like in the United States, with Christmas cheer comes Christmas shopping. The streets lined with lights are also filled with stores and shoppers, eagerly preparing for the holidays. This means gifts, food for big holiday meals, and decorations for the festivities. Although there is no insane blitz on the shops comparable to Black Friday in the United States, there is still a strong feeling of consumerism in the air. Slashed prices, holiday deals, and end of year sales are all common sites during this time of year.

            My favorite part of Christmas in Germany has to be the Christmas Markets. Nowhere else can one feel more in the spirit of Christmas than when wandering through the cheery shops and restaurants in the old city squares. The best way to view these makeshift shopping plazas is at night, when the glowing lights of the city and the Christmas Market come together and people huddle over mugs of Gluhwein and munch gingerbread cookies. I cannot imagine a more festive place to enjoy the Christmas season.