While shopping hours in Germany have been extended and improved over the years, it still is a tiring and challenging experience during this time of year.

Whether you go by U-Bahn or car, masses of people are crowding the shops and after three hours of walking around, I am beat for the rest of the day. Additionally, at least in the state of Hesse, shops are now closed on the four Sundays before Christmas. This only leaves Saturdays to shop. This also goes for the other one million shoppers crowding downtown Frankfurt and its nearby shopping malls. In our case, with two teens in tow, it adds an additional challenge of having to buy things secretly. At least, we still pretend that Christkind exists and presents should come as a surprise in our family.

This is why I prefer ordering online. Packages arrive during the day while the kids are still in school. I save a lot of time, energy, and money this way. I let my husband do the ordering at night and I do the wrapping and hiding during the day.

Of course, first timers to Frankfurt enjoy the shops’ decorations, the local Christmas market, and children may not only enjoy the lights, but also the hustle and bustle which comes with it. For some reason, there is nothing in regards to besinnliche Vorweihnachtszeit (contemplative peaceful advent season) for me when shopping in Frankfurt on a crowded business day.

For those who want to brave the busy streets, lack of parking spots, occasionally unaccommodating service staff, and the onset of a headache, Nordwestzentrum in Frankfurt has the following hours of operation:

Fri 18 Dec – 8 p.m.

Sat 19 Dec – 10 p.m.

Sun 20 Dec – closed

Mon 21 Dec – 10 p.m.

Tue  22 Dec – 10 p.m.

Wed 23 Dec – 10 p.m.

Thu 24 Dec -   2 p.m. (most retail closes for the day)

Amazon de has improved its delivery service for the holidays. Sit back, enjoy your mulled wine from home, gaze at your neighbors’ window lights, and see what Amazon de has in store for you.

The Bergmannsfigur is a traditional Christmas decoration in the Erzgebirge area of Germany. They are wooden figures that hold a candle in each hand.

On becoming a father it was the duty of each man to make one of these figures, in the shape of a miner for a boy or an angel for a girl. These were placed in the windows of the houses and provided candlelight for the streets during the winter months when the miners would be going to and from their shift in darkness.

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There seems to be a common misconception about Germany’s gift-giver on Christmas eve among my newly arrived foreign friends, acquaintances, and students.

It is not only Santa who brings the gifts in Germany! Additionally (and sometimes understandably so), some confuse the German Nikolaus, who brings small presents on 6 Dec, with Santa. When I prompt the question of whether they thought Santa would come twice, hence 6 and 24 December, most have a puzzled look on their face. Then it is time to clear up the difference between the Weihnachtsmann and St. Nikolaus.

A bit of history knowledge wouldn’t hurt either as the Weihnachtsmann seems to belong mostly to the former Prussia and Christkind to Bavaria, along with a couple of neighboring states.

Here in central and southwest/southern Germany, we well as in parts of Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Slovakia,  and Hungary, it is the Christkind bearing presents for the children on Christmas Eve.

Traditionally, German families keep the tree in hiding until the afternoon of Christmas eve. The children are kept busy while the tree is secretly pulled into the home and decorated. In our childhood, seeing the tree for the first time would happen on Christmas Eve. And yes, we did have starlit eyes! I remember, along with my four siblings, trying to steal a look through the locked door to get a glimpse of the Christkind. The door would be locked so my parents could decorate the tree and arrange the presents. By the time we got called in to the living room, after asking continuously Mama, war das Christkind schon da?, we would be faced with an icy cold and bright lights. Before being let in, the window had to stay open for a certain time, as the Christkind can enter the home only that way. Well, the cold in the living room made it more believable.

Adults will approach the children after Christmas Eve, the day of our gift-giving, with: Was hat das Christkind Dir denn gebracht? (What did the Christkind get you?)

On 24 Dec, all retail (besides gas stations, fast food restaurants, etc.) close for the day in the early afternoon to let workers go home early to prepare for one of the holiest day of the year.

I like Santa, but they can keep him employed in northern and eastern Germany. Just this past weekend, a campaign to save the Christkind from Santa Claus took place in Graz, Austria. Some feel Santa’s popularity is getting out of hand here on the European continent.

"Coca-Cola" Santa by Steiff

This Santa was given to me as a birthday present in 1999. Steiff designed this 35 cm tall Santa Doll, as it was first illustrated by Haddon H. Sundblom for the advertising campaign of 1931. The “Coca-Cola” Santa carries in its bag, among other gifts, a small snow-white little Steiff Teddy bear made of mohair. Limited edition of this Santa: 10,000 pieces worldwide, 1999.

The following year I bought three more of the same Santa, but each with a missing sack and holding a shiny package instead of the Coke bottle. Sad to say, but these Santas were forced to let go of a few things. Those I got at a steal of a price because of the missing items as well as the lack of the original boxes.

For our family, it will be the Christkind delivering the presents. Nine more days until I open the living room window. It would be hard for Santa to come through the chimney anyway, as most German homes do not have a fire place.

Sorry, no photo of the Christkind, as nobody has ever seen it. If you do, please feel free to submit a photo!

Enjoy the season!

千里の道も一歩から

せんりのみちもいっぽから

(senri no michi mo ippo kara)

Selbst eine Reise von tausend Meilen beginnt mit einem einzigen Schritt.

Eine Reise von 1000 Meilen beginnt mit dem ersten Schritt (Amazon de)

Whatever you have planned, get started now. Many a good intention and idea gets lost if it is not initiated within the first 72 hours. Start small – it might just be an initial phone call or taking notes.

Just wanted to show my smoking Santa off with this little post. He is one of the five Räuchermännchen we have smoking, one at a time, in our house (for every other two-legged creature, it is: please go outside!). They do come with smoke-stained mouths after a while and dentists would have a field day with them.

Santa smoking on our living room window sill.

The Räucherkerzen (smoking candles) are available in different scents and come with beautiful sounding names: Weihnachtsduft (Christmas scent), Tannenbaum (pine tree), Weihnachtsabend (Christmas Eve), Weihnachtskekse (Christmas cookies) etc. But – I would not be able to tell the scents apart. They all smell a bit like church on a warm day!