Tag: Christmas

German Christmas Markets – Hamburg, Germany’s Most Elegant Christmas Market
Americans abroad · Buon Natale · Christmas · Christmas cocktails · crèche · European Christmas Markets · European travel · ex-pat life · Frohe Weihnachten · Germany · Hamburg · Insider Tips · international travel · luxury travel · Off The Beaten Path · The Unique and Unusual · Travel · White Christmas

German Christmas Markets – Hamburg, Germany’s Most Elegant Christmas Market

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Hamburg.jpgI love a Christmas market. In fact, I have yet to meet a Christmas market that I didn’t like. I love the vibe, the decorations, the music. I love the bustle and the throngs of people all enjoying the season. And living abroad, I like learning about how each country celebrates the season a little differently. Hamburg’s White Christmas Market is a little different than the rest.  It is smaller, set along the water, themed with all white market stalls and quite tranquil in feeling. The reason that I loved Hamburg’s all white Christmas market was that it was peaceful and elegant.  I think it is Germany’s most elegant Christmas market.  It evoked a feeling of respect for the season. The all white stalls set against Alster Lake were breathtaking.  The glow of the white stalls and lights drew us in like moths to a flame.

GERMAN CHRISTMAS | A CELEBRATION OF FOOD
While I cannot profess to be an expert on German Christmas after three days, I can tell you that the predominant feature of every Northern German Christmas market (and we went to no less than 5 in 3 days) was food!

Food, food and more food. We sampled flame broiled bratwurst, grilled sausages, hams, currywurst – a fried or grilled sausage is cut into thick slices and seasoned with spicy ketchup and generous amounts of curry powder (usually served with french fries), fischbrötchen – a fish sandwich served with pickled or fried fish and onions and sauerkraut – fermented cabbage.  We also saw big vats of boiled potatoes, sausage in green cabbage.  Also for sale were potato pancakes served with applesauce.

GERMAN CHRISTMAS | A CELEBRATION OF SWEETS!!
After your main meal, one finds a vast array of desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth. My favorite was fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar (called muzen in Lübeck and schmalzkuchen in Hamburg). We also tried marshmallow cremes dipped in chocolate (schaumkuss) which were surprisingly delicious as I am not a marshmallow fan usually.  These marshmallowy treats were not as sugary as their cousins in America. There were also lots of mini pancakes (profferjes) filed with your choice of Nutella, butter, sugar, marzipan, apples, mint, cherries, Grand Marnier, Baileys, Cointreau, Amaretto, vanilla to name a few.  We didn’t try those and I wish we had, especially with some Grand Marnier. Next time!!  Northern Germany is also famous for marzipan in every shape, color and form that you can imagine and these large gingerbread cookies with various messages of Christmas and other festivities written in hard frosting on them.

GERMAN CHRISTMAS | A CELEBRATION OF WINE
To wash it all down, one can stop at one of the many glühwein (mulled wine) forests constructed all over town.  Glühwein is usually prepared with red wine. It is heated with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, citrus, sugar and vanilla beans. It is offered as is or mit schuss (with a shot), which means that rum or some other liquor is added.
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GERMAN CHRISTMAS | A CELEBRATION OF DECOR
THE CHRISTMAS STAR
We noticed that the northern Germans also embrace the Christmas star as they do in Sweden, but more often than not, the German star is more three dimensional, resembling a thistle or bur.

THE CHRISTMAS PYRAMID
Another similarity to Swedish Christmas is the German 
Weihnachtspyramide or the Christmas pyramid which is like the Swedish änglaspel in that the pyramid device works by generating heat from candles to turn the wooden blades. While these beautifully carved wooden pieces look nothing like what I was taught a pyramid looks like, they are called pyramids nonetheless. They reminded me of multi-leveled carousels. All of them depicted a Christmas theme such as the Nativity, angels and the Wise Men.  Much larger than their Swedish counterparts, the German versions are often 3 or 4 stories high and made entirely from wood as opposed to brass in Sweden. I was told by one woman in a shop that the German Christmas pyramid predates the Christmas tree. Fascinating!
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CHRISTMAS TOWNS
Also wildly popular at every market were these miniature towns – very intricate miniature wooden carved people, houses, animals, trees – entire villages really complete with town halls and churches.

CHRISTMAS GNOMES
There also seems to be a German version of tomte, the Swedish elves that I have fallen in love with. Tomte are known to help you with your housework over the year if you leave them some porridge on Christmas Eve.  Unfortunately, I did not get an accurate name or story for their German relatives – the gentleman and I were trying our best to communicate across the language chasm. I did buy one and much to my daughter’s horror, I think his hair is real animal hair.  I love him and think he is adorable. Lena is creeped out by his hair. I only hope that bringing him into the house will not piss off the tomte in our basement as I am serious about wanting that help with the housework.
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Frohe Weihnachten jeder! Buon Natale! God Jul! Merry Christmas!

Italian Liqueurs | Day Drinking In Italy: The Italian White Russian.
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Italian Liqueurs | Day Drinking In Italy: The Italian White Russian.

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ITALIAN LIQUEURS ARE NECESSARY | Our First Winter In Italy

Big Snow for the Big Lebowki
Emilia Romagne snow.

Our first winter living in Italy was brutal. Snow for months.  My husband and I were snowbound, watching the movie, The Big Lebowski and dreaming of White Russians to keep us warm. A White Russian is a lovely concoction comprised of vodka, cream, and coffee flavored liqueur, Kahlua. The drink features prominently in the movie. Unfortunately, while Kahlua is very popular in the USA, it was impossible to find in Italy. Literally impossible. Our Big Lebowski dreams were shattered.

Then one day my husband walked in from work with a look on his face like a little boy with a frog in his pocket. He excitedly pulled out a bottle of Borghetti, a coffee based Italian liqueur. White Russians were back on the menu. And, we quickly realized that the regional Italian liqueurs, well, they are necessary to survive winter.

White Russian cocktail on the bar stand on rubber mat.
The classic White Russian cocktail. Photo credit: iStock Photos.

Now, after 2 or 3 White Russians,  you’d think that we would have been out cold. I am an insomniac, but my husband can literally sleep anywhere, at any time. Yet this night, no sleep was to be had. No sheep were being counted. At about 3:00 a.m., we were both wide awake with the edgy energy that only high amounts of caffeine have ever given me. We tossed. We turned. We tried to figure out why my husband couldn’t sleep. Eventually, it dawned on us to look at the Borghetti bottle.

ITALIAN INGREDIENTS | Hint, They Are Sticklers For Natural, Pure Ingredients. 

There it was right on the front of the bottle, “di vero caffe espresso.”  Arrgh. Our excitement had made us foolhardy. While Kahlua is a coffee “flavored” liqueur, Borghetti is made with pure espresso.  Italians do not believe in artificial ingredients. Not even in their liqueurs. We had essentially consumed 3 espressos each before bedtime.

ITALIAN COFFEE | Borghetti, Not Suitable For Evening

We concluded that Borghetti is only suitable for day drinking. Borghetti is a day drink because one cannot drink it in the evening and expect to get any sleep. If Borghetti bested my sleep connoisseur husband, a normal person doesn’t stand a chance. 

Borghetti is delicious. I like it even better than Kahlua. It has less of a sugary taste and more of a strong coffee flavor. So the conundrum. The stuff is tasty but there is no way we can drink after 12:00 noon and how many times a year does one sit around drinking during the daytime? Hum . . . when could we consume this lovely liqueur?

We decided that Borghetti is the perfect Christmas morning drink. A little Borghetti in with some cream and Nat King Cole singing Christmas carols is a pretty damn near perfect way to start your day.

Two Christmas gnomes with a bottle of Borghetti.
The Italian liqueur, Borghetti. The necessary ingredient for an Italian Christmas White Russian.

ITALIAN RECIPES | The Italian White Russian

Despite the name, the White Russian was not invented in Russia. I suspect that the alleged inventor so named it due to the inclusion of vodka, but I have no proof (pun intended) of that.

Legend has it that Gustave Tops, a Belgian bartender, not a Russian, created the cocktail in 1949 at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels. The drink was quite popular initially and eventually spread across the globe. In the USA, the concoction hit the height of its popularity in the 1970s. Today, not too many people drink them and it is considered a retro cocktail.

Our recipe adds a new twist with the addition of the espresso liqueur. In our house, we have cross pollinated 2 cultures and now our cocktail’s official moniker is Il Russo Bianco di Natale Italiano or the Italian Christmas White Russian.  

Makes one drink:

  1. 2 oz vodka.
  2. 1 oz Borghetti
  3. 1/2 oz whole milk or heavy cream.
  4. Ice.

Buon Natale a Tutti!

Wigilia – The Polish Christmas Celebration
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Wigilia – The Polish Christmas Celebration

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Wigilia table of Polish food
Wigilia table. The feast.

WIGILIA | THE VIGIL

Wigilia (pronounced: vee gee lee a) or “The Vigil” is the traditional Polish Catholic Christmas Eve celebration feast held on December 24th. The ceremony represents, and honors, waiting for the arrival of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.

PREPARING THE FEAST | 12 DISHES

The celebration commences only after the first star has been sighted by the youngest person in attendance.  This can be a bit of a problem if the youngest person is an infant or, if the weather is not cooperating, but somehow, it all gets worked out each year.  The sighting of the first star is a reference to the Star of Bethlehem.

The meal takes all day preparation.  While the adults prepare the feast . . .

the children occupy their time by decorating the Christmas tree.

WIGILIA TRADITIONS | SETTING THE TABLE

A girl holding hay to place under the table cloth for Wigilia.
Hay for the table.

The children also place a bit of hay under the tablecloth to symbolize the hay present in the manger where Jesus was born.

After placing the hay under the tablecloth,  the table is set. An empty plate is set on the table in case a traveler should need sustenance. The extra place setting symbolizes hospitality in honor of Joseph, Mary and Jesus who were in need of help from strangers.

An extra place setting on the table for Wigilia
An extra place setting in case a stranger needs hospitality.

 THE OPŁATEK | THE BREAD OF LOVE

Once it is time for the fest to begin, family members begin the celebration with a prayer and breaking of the Christmas wafer called the opłatek. 

The opłwatek
The opłatek

The opłatek is similar to the Catholic communion wafer.  The opłatek is known as the bread of love because it is often sent to the family members wherever they may be. We receive some every year from relatives in Poland.  After the prayer, the oplatek is broken and pieces are given to everyone attending. Each person breaks off a piece of their oplatek, and shares it with everyone else, wishing luck and joy in the upcoming year.

This wish is usually finalized by a kiss on the cheek and saying and Wesołych świąt or Merry Christmas in Polish. I admit I mumble through that one each year.  It is also customary to feed one’s livestock a bit of the opłatek too. Livestock are to be respected that day since they were present at the birth of Jesus. Domestic animals do not get to share in the celebration. 

THE FEAST | 12 MEATLESS DISHES 

After sharing the oplatek the feast begins. People are expected to fast from meat to symbolize the suffering of Jesus and thus, the meal is meatless. There are 12 dishes representing the 12 apostles of Jesus. Traditional dishes include: barszcz (beet soup); carp filets; pierogi (dumplings) filled with potatoes, cheese, mushrooms and kapusta (cabbage); dried fruit compote; fried fish fillets; herring in oil; mushrooms; meatless gołąbki, (cabbage rolls): cucumber salad; potatoes with milk and herbs; pickles; noodles with a sweet poppy seed dressing; and Polish vodka.

After supper families attend Pasterka or midnight mass. After mass, it is not uncommon for people to dine on a second meal which includes meat, particularly kielbasa (Polish sausage).

A store case of kielbasa
Kielbasa.

In addition to being a celebration of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, It is also believed that Wigilia will foretell your future. Polish families believe that whatever happens on Wigilia day will affect one’s upcoming year. For example, if you quarrel with your sibling, you may well have a year filled with arguments and trouble. Thus, it is important to be on one’s best behavior on Wigilia.

Wesołych świąt dla wszystkich! Merry Christmas to all!