Everything You Need For a Real, German Christmas (+ ANNOUNCEMENT!) | Feli from Germany

And get your own German Glühwein mug on my shop ▸felifromgermany.com/products/...! In 2023, 20% of the profits will be donated to the Miracle Foundation to help orphans and children in the foster care system.
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0:00 Let's create a German Christmas at home!
1:16 Essential parts of German Christmas
6:17 Christmas Food
21:26 Glühwein & Glühwein mugs
25:15 Advent Calendar
27:49 Christmas Decorations
31:16 Christmas Songs
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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 28, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other topics I come across in my everyday life in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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Music by ARTMAN MUSIC www.artman-music.de/ based on a theme by www.twinmusicom.org/ (CC BY 4.0)

[@FelifromGermany]

W hat else do we need for a real German Christmas? *2023 UPDATE:* Use code FELI23 to get 10% off on europeandeli.com! And my Glühwein Mugs are back this year too! You can now shop them at felifromgermany.com! This season, 20% of the profits will be donated to the Miracle Foundation to fight homelessness in the US.

[@arlarl7176]

Do you know "Weihnachts-Pyramiden" from "Erzgebirge"? Or these "Glockenspiel" which makes bell sound when you light the candles? And Nutcracker and "Räuchermännchen"?

[@SoneaT]

Those are so pretty Feli! Though I'm German... I don't like the mugs, who are to colorful, you know which one I mean... right? I guess they have them on the München Christkindlmarkt. Is there a chance we Germans can buy them without sending them back to Germany 🤔🤣? Wegen then Postgebühren?

[@formgeben]

@@arlarl7176 Yes, Weihnachtspyramiden, Nutcracker and Räuchermännchen are very important in a lot of families aswell. They're often passed down from parents to children to grandkids etc. My nutcracker and Räuchermännchen are about 50 years old (much oder than me 😀) and in perfect condition. They're all handmade

[@arlarl7176]

@@formgeben That is absolutely true. These characters are often passed down through generations. Which also has to do with the fact that the real figures are mostly hand-carved and therefore relatively expensive, just like the Christmas cribs. In Germany, these figures are traditionally mostly made in the Ore Mountains in Saxony. Nowadays, however, cheap products from China are also often offered.

[@kilsestoffel3690]

@@formgeben my mom has a lot of figirines from the Erzgebirge, even a little musicbox (Spieluhr). I have a big (60cm = 24inch) nutcracker.

[@OMGitsaClaire]

I grew up in a German-American family that has been in the US since the 1880’s but my dad grew up in a mostly German small town in central Minnesota where many families still spoke German at home and German traditions were still very important. One thing my dad always insists on at Christmas is mixed nuts in the shell. He puts them in a big bowl with metal nutcrackers and another bowl for the empty shells. I know this is probably a super old-school German thing, but do people in Germany still do this? He also insists on having oranges in the house.

[@ninjageiger5734]

they do! we have an exchange with a French town (30 min from Munich), so on the market, which takes place at the Advents weekends, you can buy a bundle of fresh walnuts and crack them later at home.

[@selinakonik8914]

Yes - we still do. And I love to do it like your dad - 2 bowls and a metal nutcracker. Sitting at the sofa next to the fireplace, eating nuts, oranges and cookies - that is perfect christmas feeling for me.

[@theresakir2366]

Omg yes. I am a 24 yo German and I never have any nuts (in the shell) or oranges in the house - except for December. They are ALL I eat

[@sungod86]

Mixed nut, especially hazelnuts and walnuts, that you crack open and eat at Christmas is very common here in Scandinavia as well.

[@darlingdim9656]

We used to do this, too..(Italian not German heritage)

[@roberthampton2820]

I was born in Berlin in 1951 while my father was assigned with the USAF. When we returned to the USA just as I turned two years my parents brought back a recipe for stollen, a taste for Christmas carols in German and a German style Christmas tree. To date I bake stollen every Christmas and have numerous CDs of German Weihnachts lieder.

[@MIKEL843]

Feli is just such a genuinely kind soul. She makes learning about a foreign culture and language a wonderful experience.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

Who really cares ??? She is in America now living here about time to start living as an American !!

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

@@wilburfinnigan2142 You clearly miss the entire point of the channel, but keep being that sad bitter person.

[@MIKEL843]

@@wilburfinnigan2142 If you don't care then why are you even watching the video?

[@kar460]

@@wilburfinnigan2142how about you move along. Nothing wrong about learning about other cultures. What kind of culture do Americans have?

[@ingobund8793]

@@wilburfinnigan2142 But she'll NeVeR get rid of her German rooted Weihnachtstradition...

[@keviny1936]

Our Advent Wreath always had a fifth candle in the middle that was either white or a different color from the other four that was lit on Christmas Day.

[@kl.5191]

Yes German is typically red with a white center candle for Christmas. Usually lit midnight service or Christmas day. Amerika is purple and pink with a white center. Don't think the color is as important as tge meaning.

[@SmewCat]

My mother-in-law (93 years old, from Frankfurt) has lived with us for over 20 years now, and the German Christmas traditions are embedded in my psyche! My daughter and I have always loved spekulatius, while my husband and m-i-l love the marzipan. Thank you for this wonderful video! I’m living the German Christmas vicariously through you, as I no longer eat sugar. But I do know how wonderful it tastes!

[@timtom8679]

Hahaha 😂. It‘s such a joy watching you unpacking and tasting the Lebkuchen. You suddenly turn into a little kid fulfilled with Christmas happiness. All the best for Christmas to you! Norbert (from Munich 😊)

[@steffenschneider6289]

Genau das gleiche hab ich mir auch gedacht. Ich konnte das nicht ohne Dauergrinsen anschauen :D Vorallem wie sie gegen Ende noch "I´m so froh now" sagt, das hat mir den Rest gegeben :D :D

[@lilih3697]

Ja man sieht die kindliche Freude wirklich in ihren Augen auffunkeln

[@gwillis01]

Hello Feli. The Advent wreath that my family used while I was growing up had a fifth white slender candle that was taller than the others in a separate metal holder in the center of the wreath. This center candle was called the Christ the King candle. The center candle was only lit during the evening meal of Christmas day.

[@islandgirl7056]

Growing up in the US with a German mom, I know and love all these special German Christmas traditions. We had the Advent wreath (my mom still makes one very year) with 4 red candles.... I had a plain but beautiful Advent calendar, and our Christmas tree didn't appear until Christmas Eve, also with real candles. We were also so lucky to get a huge package of cookies and marzipan and Lebkuchen and Stollen (and a new Steiff for me, every year!) from my Oma in Germany. Omg, and Dominostein, my FAVORITE!!!! I love your videos because I can relate to so many of the topics. :D Just ordered my Gluhwein mug and can't wait to use it!

[@michelletodd4893]

Same background. Miss the large tins with all the goodies. You can order and buy all the treats, but not as special as airmail from Germany.

[@donaldbie8481]

I also have a German mom

[@davidh.4649]

Same situation. Large German family on my mom's side in the region from Stuttgart south all the way to the Bodensee. I recall the packages from Germany around Christmas with home baked cookies as well. I have never been to Germany at Christmastime but it is on my list once I'm retired in another year or so and all my time is mine! Feli some of the Christmas treats are readily available in the U.S. now at the Aldi or Lidl markets that are fairly pervasive now.

[@webpig711]

Take good care of the Steiff Tiere, they are collectors items and may become quite valuable! I have kept every single one I got including a big bear on wheels from the 60ies.

[@JamesDavidWalley]

Interesting that the German tradition is to use red candles on the wreath, which is also done in the French-speaking part of Switzerland where I spent several years of my childhood. Here in the U.S., I'm finding the usual tradition is to use purple candles for the first, second, and fourth Sundays, and rose/pink for the third (Gaudete Sunday), which is a Roman Catholic tradition that is also practiced among Episcopalians - although you're more likely to find the wreaths in churches than in homes.

[@UnderTheSummerSun]

I make an advent calendar for my husband every year. Last year I was pregnant with our daughter, so I made a “advent calendar for young father”. It had 12 tiny baby essentials and 12 male skincare products

[@jameslovelady7751]

My boss at Lockheed in 1960 was Dr. Kutcher who had lived in California for several years. He received a Christmas chest and was just as excited as Feli to open it and share with us. I've sought out Lebkuchen ever since.

[@happycook6737]

Trader Joe's has 2 types of Liebekuchen right now and for a good price. They also have stöllen!

[@claudiakarl7888]

@@happycook6737 That’s because they’re German owned. 😉 They’re owned by Aldi.

[@aquilapetram]

@@happycook6737 Lebkuchen has shown up in the California stores for at least the last five years, and usually disappears pretty quickly; I stock up when it's available. I haven't seen stollen yet this year; if my memory is accurate, last year Trader Joe's only had marzipan-filled stollen, which is not my preference. Like a lot of the commercial stollens brought in from Germany, it's more "cake-y"; the traditional German and Danish bakeries in the SF Bay Area that have been disappearing one by one made more "bread-y" stollens, which I greatly prefer.There's an organic North German restaurant in my neighborhood that did a pretty decent stollen last year (a little dry, perhaps, but I like to get them well in advance so they get a little stale, then I toast and butter them with coffee for Christmas Day breakfast). I need to check there this week to see if the owner's baking them again. There's also a Hungarian-style cukrázda (cake shop) in town that's done a very good stollen in the past, but they haven't done them since the pandemic hit. Stollen is an immense labor to make.

[@user-uv9fz5rw4z]

I’m a Lutheran and German on my mom’s side. My wife and I always have an advent wreath on our dining room table during the season. Also at church. I also grew up celebrating St. Nicholas Day on December 6 with candy, oranges, and potatoes in my stocking. All the other kids in my class thought it was strange because for them, the stockings were filled on Christmas Day.

[@ornleifs]

I live in Iceland and I have also ordered from Lebkuchen Schmidt - for me Lebkuchen are the best cookies in the world, absolutely love them and Marzipan is also a big favourite and I have already ordered some Niederegger Marzipan for this Christmas. I loved the Christmas songs clips in the end of the video, there are so many good German Christmas songs and I collect old German Christmas Sheet Music which I love to play from, on the piano in December.

[@arlarl7176]

Yeyyyy! I order every year a BIG package from Lebkuchen-Schmidt! I LOVE IT. It's so funny that someone from Iceland likes it too.

[@petrabeschorner459]

Lebkuchen Schmidt and Niederegger Marzipan is simply paradise😍😍😍🎄

[@razor6552]

I love lebkuchen!

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

Feli is quite the singer!

[@heidevanness2788]

What a wonderful video. I'm trying to get back into the spirit of Christmas again. This will be my third Christmas without my Mama and she loved Christmas SO much. We always had a beautiful Christmas with German Christmas songs. When I heard the songs in your video I just cried because I miss her but I want to honor her by keeping the Christmas traditions alive. Thanks for making me want to keep Christmas in my heart. Your singing is so nice. Frohe Weihnachten Feli.

[@deutschmitpurple2918]

❤️🥰❤️🥰

[@deutschmitpurple2918]

❤️🥰❤️🥰

[@karlschneider9479]

I know how you feel my mom passed away in 1973 when I was 9.

[@Luv2tickt]

What an awesome video!!! Perhaps because I grew up Catholic and went to a Catholic school, Advent Calendars were always present. Each and every Christmas season, they've always been a part of our family, both Catholic and Lutheran sides. It's interesting how you mention that it appears as if you're seeing more German-themed celebrations where you live. In the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, once highly populated with German immigrants, we continue to loose those once popular traditions. We've even lost our Christkindlmarkt. So thank you so much...and now...on to spend some money at the European Deli!!!!

[@mallorymyers7525]

That company couldn't have picked a better person to show off their products. You are beaming with joy.

[@ieweg]

Our Advent wreath follows the Catholic tradition of 3 purple and 1 pink candle, because of the symbolism: 1. Advent - purple, symbolizing Hope. 2. Advent - purple, symbolizing Faith. 3. Advent - pink, symbolizing Joy. 4. Advent - purple, symbolizing Peace. And the white candle added in the middle on Christmas Eve symbolizes the Life of Christ. The wreath itself is full of symbolism. The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering. The pine, holly, and yew signify immortality and the cedar signifies strength and healing. The pine cones that decorate the wreath symbolize life and resurrection. And of course, the Adventskalendar!!! I like the ones with little bottles of booze in them. 😊

[@Nils.Minimalist]

There is nothing better than a cozy Advent evening listening to Loriot's beautiful Advent poem 😂

[@timstaudacher8921]

My family is German Lutheran and we had many of these traditions, like Advent calendars and some of the decorations. Lutherans originated the Advent wreaths and ours actually have five candles: four in a ring symbolizing God’s infinite mercy. These are lit on successive Sundays during Advent. Three are purple, the liturgical color of penitence. The third candle in the ring is pink, symbolizing Gaudete (rejoice) sunday which is a brief respite from the solemn theme of the rest of the season. Then on Christmas (eve or day) we light a white central candle called the Christ candle, symbolizing Jesus’ arrival.

[@user-uv9fz5rw4z]

Same here. We use an advent wreath at home. Did you also have St. Nicholas Day on December 6? We got our stockings filled with candy, oranges, and potatoes and usually a little present. My wife and I continue that with our kids.

[@Rosedawn321]

My father’s side of the family is German-American (emigrated during the Franco-Prussian War) and we always had an advent wreath and advent calendar for the entire month of December. My mother’s family is Presbyterian and every church we ever attended has had a wreath lighting ceremony throughout advent.

[@StarWarsFans98]

My friend from Germany used to mail my kids an advent calendar every year. Sadly, she passed away a few years ago. Now when I see an advent calendar, it makes me miss her so much. Our church does the 4 advent weeks and candle lighting. I think most churches do.

[@rittarod]

Loved your video! I’m German living in Texas. The end of your video definitely brought tears to my eyes. Remembering days gone by.

[@momfourboys1340]

I lived and worked in Feankfurt for almost a year. Christmas in Germany was a wonderful experience. I brought home many decorations and after 20 years they still are a huge part of my decorations. My children love seeing them come out every year!

[@dagmarszemeitzke]

"Stille Nacht" was composed 1818 from a catholic priest Joseph Mohr (text) and the village teacher and organ player Franz X. Gruber (Musik) in the Alps (church St. Nikola in Oberndorf bei Salzburg) because it was too cold that the organ in the church can't play, so they composed it and plays it with a guitar and sings it.

[@R.o.d.y_the_p.o.n.y]

„I can`t eat one more bite“ - stuffing in another Dominostein. It`s wonderful to see your excitement.

[@CathyS_Bx]

I do love the tradition of putting up the Christmas tree later and keeping it until January 6. Growing up, my family (Irish and German) did just that. A lovely video, Feli. If anyone would like to follow an older German couple who now live in the UK, do check out the channel Kirsten and Joerg. They recently decorated their home for Christmas and cooked up their own stollen.

[@rjsieder]

How wonderful to see you so excited over the Christmas traditions from home! I grew up with some of those as my father and grandmother were Austrian, and there are some similar things from there. My grandmother would spend days grinding walnuts to make vanillekipferl, and those were one of my favorites. More ground walnuts went into LinzerTorte, made with current jelly, and into schokoladenwurst. We would also get marzipan made by the Otto Biermann Co. in Hoboken, NJ, which I believe is still around, that were shaped and colored like fruits. We would wrap each one individually and hang them on the tree, between the ornaments. We would also hang marzipan Christmas pigs with gold coins in their mouths and the chocolate St. Nicholas candies. Oh, you brought up so many memories!

[@conlon4332]

I'm Catholic, and I live in England. While I never had an advent wreath at home, they always have one at church. It actually has five candles - the fifth one is in the middle and is generally taller than the rest, and is lit on Christmas day.

[@tobarstep]

My mother was an Army brat and grew up in Germany in the 1950s. She has always made sure to give us advent calendars every year.

[@hwerner5087]

I lived just outside of Nuernberg for a year while doing graduate studies just over 40 years ago. I was thrilled to visit the Nuernberg Christkidlmarkt, enjoyed all the German Christmas goodies and, of course, the Glühwein. This video brought back so many WONDERFUL memories, including, yes, the Lebkuchen. I may just have to visit European Deli! Thank you so much for a marvelous trip down memory lane!

[@Mj323_bb]

Oh, how fun! In the USA you can sometimes find the full German Christmas packages at Fresh Market, and usually very good Lebkuchen at Aldi's and World Market. But the Schmidt Lebkuchen Chests and Parcels look so nice and so good! Over the years, I have bought and gifted quite a few, and still use some of the round metal containers as special storage even now. I was lucky enough to visit Rothenburg ob der Tauber one year during Christmas season, and the fresh made giant Lebkuchen with the sugar glaze on the wafer base were insanely delicious! My family had east euro heritage, and we also did the tree "late", the same days you mention, which I think tallies up to "the twelve days" count. Oh, what memories! Happiness = happiness + 1

[@TracyII77]

When I lived in Frankfurt as a child, my church would rent out the little old church in Hessenpark for a "Silent Night" service. (Hessenpark is an open air museum featuring historic buildings). Dressed for the cold of the Taunus mountains, we would bundle together inside the church. There we would tell the story behind the Christmas hymn Stille Nacht (Silent Night), followed by singing the song. We would also sing other hymns as well as read the verses about Christ's birth. We would end by praying and then ringing the church bells. After the service was over, we would head back to our regular church and eat hot soup prepared by a few members who had stayed behind.

[@tedmaxfield3382]

After watching your video, I bought the chest for my wife's birthday, and we all loved it! I met her in college in a German class 30 odd years ago, so this was kind of special. Thanks for recommending it!!

[@AnjelikkaKowalski]

Loved this...I actually had tears at the end with the singing, because I miss that from Germany. My family would sing before we would open all the gifts. Frohe Weihnachten!!!

[@melissabeth5224]

We are a military family currently stationed in Germany. We're so excited to visit the Christmas markets. 🎄

[@heleneinge3840]

What a fantastic video. I grew up in Canada, but my mom is German, so we did all of these, including the angel pyramid. I was also fascinated with it. We always had an advent wreath and calendar, but I think the chocolate calendars we're always fairly common in Canada. Another great point is the tree. We always had a real one, with candles. I've since changed to twinkle lights, but I will always have a real tree. The smell alone makes it worthwhile. Great job on this week's video. It was truly excellent and lovely to watch. 🎄

[@eisikater1584]

"I think I already ate the filling. There was a filling." Feli, I trust you and believe you. Happens to me all the time when I eat Lebkuchen. And you're right, the ones from Nürnberg are the best, but also by far the most expensive ones.

[@VoodooMcVee]

Yes, the german christmas triumvirate: Nürnberger Lebkuchen, Lübecker Marzipan and Aachener Printen.

[@eisikater1584]

@@VoodooMcVee You mean the Three Holy Kings? That's January 6th. But let's not forget Dresdener Christstollen. You eat it once, you'll never forget.

[@VoodooMcVee]

@@eisikater1584 No, I didn't mean the Three Kings. I meant that the three items I mentioned are the three most important christmas sweets, at least for me. And Stollen, well, some people might swap it with one of the other items, but personally I don't really care for it. I think it's too dense, too heavy and I really don't like the thick sugar coating on the outside (also the reason why I don't like Berliner, for example, the sugar on top). I prefer panettone over Christstollen.

[@domicspinnwand679]

@@VoodooMcVee Well, but you have to have a good dentist to eat the Printen - at least those I tasted so far were quite hard... I would prefer Baumkuchenspitzen, covered in dark chocolate.

[@VoodooMcVee]

@@domicspinnwand679 Haha, yeah, well, my teeth are beyond saving anyway. But you can also soften them a little bit in your mouth, then the taste comes out even better, or dip them in coffee. And also yes to Baumkuchen, I like that stuff, too.

[@esce69]

I don't think I've ever seen you this happy and excited! It's slightly contagious.

[@krisiglehart3061]

Feli, would you PLEASE do a video of you singing complete Christmas songs in German? It sounded like like you had a beautiful voice, but the others covered yours up.

[@patfoxnwa1]

I grew up in a little town founded by Germans in North Carolina. I a Lutheran and we always had the Advent Wreath over the pulpit. My wife has a large Hummel Nativity which stays up all year. I gave her a Krumpus from Byers Choice. On a river cruise one Christmas I got a Chocolate Krumpus in my shoe.

[@davedoe6445]

I'm a Lutheran too (LCMS) in Colorado and we always have an Advent Wreath in the church

[@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410]

I was raised methodist and we had one as well. As far as I'm aware they're quite common in the US, at least in the church setting

[@Sailor-Dave]

Your obvious enthusiasm for your German Christmas and your non-stop ear-to-ear grin put a huge smile on my face for the entire video. Outside of Rick Steves videos, I don't know much about German Christmas, but I'd certainly like to know more now. I hope you saved enough of those goodies for the whole class. ;) There is a home in University Park (a wealthy suburb entirely surrounded by Dallas) that has a huge Weihnachtspyramide...probably at least 12 feet tall. It's electrically driven with electric lights for the candles, but it's very impressive and beautifully carved. I'm also told (but haven't seen) that there's a 23-foot tall Weihnachtspyramide at the Dallas Arboretum. Fröhliche Weihnachten!

[@Sailor-Dave]

I need to add a big THANK YOU to my earlier comment. Thanks to this video, we got some Stollen at Aldi, did a little research on options for German Christmas in our area, and attended the Christkindlmarkt between Dallas and Ft. Worth. We had a great time, learned a lot, and really enriched our Christmas experience. Thank you, Feli!

[@lynnstevens9666]

Thank you for this video. I never realized how much of our Christmas cooking was German. My grandfather learned English when he went to elementary school and his family spoke German at home, but by the time he was our grandfather, he'd forgotten the language. But he didn't forget the cooking. BTW, I make stollen every year. Everyone who tries it loves it.

[@tomb5372]

Thank god Trader Joe's opened a location in my area a few years ago. Now I can at least buy authentic Lebkuchen, Stollen, Adventskalender, and sometimes even Spekulatius, which they usually carry around the Thanksgiving time.

[@DarkPesco]

When you just posted a Christmas short (2023) I wondered what you did about Christmas in the past and looked back to find this video. I'm 3/4 through this one and you put me in the Christmas spirit (I wasn't there, yet.) You covered so much and most importantly expressed a great joy for the season and how your home culture celebrates! Thank you! I'm now celebrating with you today from your post from a year's past! You are awesome!! - 50+ year old man -

[@TheExi123]

In primary school after every advent sunday, the whole school came together on monday to sing the popular songs for advent. It was magic for us as children.

[@shermanlee8507]

Wow - loved this video! I got some unanticipated Christmas shopping done (the big gift box and also Glüwein Mugs), and really enjoyed the musical segments at the end. Additionally my wife and I reacted to the comment about lack of Advent songs because we know of one from our church - a German Lutheran church in St. Louis. Then we realized we know the English translation of what Feli played: Adventsonntag. (A couple from our church did the translation many years ago.) Thanks for sharing!

[@Sandikal]

I'm a life-long Lutheran and we sing Advent hymns in church. They're all really ponderous and depressing though.

[@EddieReischl]

This post was really fun, it was nice to hear you speaking so much German in between bites. Cute sweater too. It was really nice to see the Christmas song singing at the end, too. I'm surprised we don't all sing "Silent Night" in German, I think it's a Moehr/Grueber composition.

[@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410]

Growing up, my Church would sometimes sing Stille Nacht in the og German, though that was more common with O Tannenbaum.

[@berniej.rucker4252]

My family always celebrated: Saint Nicholas Day; making an Advent wreath out of willow branches; pine cones; Winter Berry sprigs and getting a poinsettia to create the "leafy" look to it; Advent calendars were purchased just after Thanksgiving; there was a "baking day" set aside where we would make: gingerbread house out of gingerbread slices; pfefferneuse; anise cookies; rum balls; sugar cookies; a fruit and nut roll; peanut brittle and a black forest cake. Decorating would start: outside the evening after Thanksgiving; indoors on the 29th of November; trees.. .we had two every year...would be freshly cut either from our woods; across the street or a tree farm nearby which had hot apple cider; homemade doughnuts; and anise drops for folks and you could either walk out to the fields to select and cut your own or ride on a horse-drawn sleigh to cut your own. Then came the every year visit to Frankenmuth on Dec. 21st. (my mother's birthday) to buy Christmas lights; and gifts of originality including...every year...we would pick out a "special bulb" to put on our main tree and it had to be as unique as could be. (I remember one year it was an opaque snowman with a teddy bear inside his belly and a red chest and blue opaque face! VERY RARE INDEED!!!) The Frankenmuth trip was an all-day event and kind of like a "family reunion" because we'd go buy fudges from different confectioners there; have a bratwurst and cheese luncheon; and a nice dinner at The Bavarian Inn complete with an imported wine from Germany. The trees would then get trimmed the next day and decorated with the rarities we bought from Bronner's Christmas Store and a manger scene was set up with plaster figurines!!! YES....There wasn't ONE room in our house that DIDN'T have Christmas decorations...INCLUDING the BATHROOM!!! Which had a two foot fake tree with its OWN bulbs and lights on it!!!! Not one door leading outside didn't have a wreath hanging on it; not one window wasn't adorned with lights around it and we even had a REAL fireplace complete with a mantle that was always so cozy and inviting!!!!! We would drink hot cocoa...made with Nestle chocolate powder; milk; and water...and sometimes bake apples in the fireplace!!!! AH YES!!!! Christmas was TRULY MAGICAL for me!!!! Which reminds me.... YOU NEED to get your bottom dollar to Frankenmuth, Michigan!!!! It TRULY WILL make you feel like you're in Germany for Christmas!!!!

[@CutandShoot5x5]

Hallo Feli. I’m of German decent , my last name is Maier and my Grandfather came from Germany and made his American home in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fun video, Danke!

[@angelarasmussen1800]

I feel like advent calendars are not rare in the USA. I did them as a child. I don't do them now, but I have heard of adult advent calendars that might have mini fingernail polish or high-end chocolate. There are a ton of traditions we do here that we got from Germany. Btw, a good portion of my ancestry is from Bavaria or other parts of Germany. Thanks for sharing the details on your specialty cookies and the beautiful singing!

[@crystalflaschschimmels8848]

I went to the German Christmas markets a few years ago with one of my friends- we went to Berlin, Nuremberg, and Munich. From visiting the markets, I have a 'small' collection of Gluhwein mugs😉 Munich's market right under the Glockenspiel is so beautiful and one of my favorite places 😍 the Chicago Market is somewhat a substitute, but it's totally not the same- I want to go back to Germany to see the markets again!!! 😫🎄 great video, thank you for bringing back these great memories! ❤

[@petrabeschorner459]

Please do it! But consider Northern Germany, too for your next trip and you may be amazingly surprised! In Hamburg, at the City Hall they have a flying Santa several times a day. Germany's most northern town surprises with beautiful little yards next to the city's main (pedestrian) street. Even Schleswig-Holstein's ugly Capital Kiel manages to establish 4 beautiful Christmas Markets. Anf there is UNESCO town Lübeck and so many more! I guess, you just have to come back! Merry Christmas!

[@wendydana8642]

Holy cow! Just went on Amazon and this chest costs $299! They must really love you 💘 The deli is $135 so a huge difference!

[@emehlhar]

My Dad would mail order this in summer time from Nuremberg Germany to have shipped to Western Canada for delivery in December. It cost so much but it would have all the same Lebkuchen you showed. This was in the 70s and noone had this locally except us. Good memories. Thank you.

[@Nana_Nanini]

Wow, Feli, you've got a beautiful voice and I loved the part where you sing Christmas songs! But with Christmas decorations I think you forgot a thing which might be not so common in Bavaria but is where I live: Schwibbogen :-) Wishing you a happy Christmas season. Fröhliche Adventszeit und ein wunderschönes Weihnachtsfest. Liebe Grüße aus dem Erzgebirge 💕

[@aguyinnc2865]

I think I gained weight watching this video! I have always heard we have German ancestry, and I find German Christmas customs interesting. Thanks for sharing, please save some goodies for Ben!

[@jgcurtissr]

I'm lutheran and we have them in our homes, and I've never been a lutheran church without one. We light every evening with a devotion and a carol.

[@patmaurer8541]

Special foods, cozy clothes, and music--everything you need for a Merry Christmas! 😊

[@pjschmid2251]

I grew up with advent calendars and this is going back to the 60s. We bought them every year for my sister‘s kids and now for her grandkids so they’ve always been around. Of course now that we’re grown up our advent calendars have more grown-up things 😉 like wine or my sister got me one with tea but I’ve also seen advent calendars with yarn or with cosmetics or anything you can imagine. We also had an advent wreath when I was growing up but I imagine that’s probably attributableto growing up Lutheran and having German and Austrian grandparents so that was just part of the tradition my mother grew up with.

[@jbeers1234]

Thanks for another great video. It’s fun to see which parts of our traditional American Christmas have German roots! I would love to hear a bit about how Christmas has changed and evolved over the years in Germany (pre-war, interwar, Cold War, etc), I know that’s a lot, but it would be super interesting.

[@tillmanmcadams1534]

I was young when I lived in Kaiserslautern then Kitzingen….still remember the amazing Christmas market at Nuremberg (1975)

[@corpi8784]

Originally Advent was a time of fasting. 4 weeks in the catholic tradition, 40 days in the byzantine-oethodpx tradition. This is why many people will still not feast on 24th but the 25th.

[@mattlaubhan4991]

The absolute joy you emit in this whole video just makes me so happy. The lebkuchen really has me missing my grandparents who always had them for Christmas. The stollen…omg I need stollen! Going to that link! Danke!

[@maratb5291]

Feli, you are such a cheery and friendly soul. I love your posts not only for the information, but for the German language lessons. Fröhliche Weihnachten.

[@ellispring6216]

Die Weihnachtszeit beginnt für uns immer am Totensonntag

[@markphippsify]

Wow - you are positively glowing. It's very evident that you love Christmastime.

[@larrybell1859]

Thanks Feli. This bring back very warm memories when I lived Wiesbaden, Hesse, FRG in December 1985. The German Christmas Market in Wiesbaden was very magical. Germans really know how to celebrate Christmas. Thanks for the Christmas magic. P.S. I really miss the German glühwein.

[@tiredofallthis7716]

I’m definitely watching this again Christmas Eve. Better yet, I hope she makes another Christmas special. It’s not just her stories and experiences, I like hearing about others listeners experiences.

[@clivewilliams3661]

In UK we have the advantage of having Lidl supply all the German festive goodiesthat seems to have taken off given the speed that the shelves empty. Advent calendars have been around for many years and are not necessarily seen as German. My daughters aged 28 and 32 years still look forward to their calendars each year. Europe is becoming much more eclectic in their Christmas festive goodies, which is great news for diversity.

[@dagmarszemeitzke]

White Glühwein was sold in my home town. In Germany you can get from a great teabrand (Teekanne) "Glühfix" it is a teabag with the spices for a Glühwein you put some orangeslices in any wine you like. You can also make fruit-tea with Glühfix as childrens punch

[@h4wk133777]

She hits it all, in both videos. In the past we had to go to church on christmas and the "Krippenspiel" (nativity play) was shown. I prefer on christmas goose or duck, dumplings, cooked red cabbage. 25th rabbit with potatoes and "sauerkraut". 26th the food is more like on regular days. There is a lot of traveling on those days, because of visiting the relatives.

[@reginaphalanges7331]

You just defined my entire childhood!🤣 And I still love Domino Steine! I hope you recover soon from this zucker rush!🤗

[@shannonprice2711]

Merry Christmas

[@richardfredericks4069]

Have a Merry Christmas Felicia and a Good New Year.

[@picardythirds]

I absolutely love how excited and happy you are for this video! you can feel your love for Christmas. happy Advent!

[@Maggies87]

Feli, singing Christmas songs with your family at the end of the video is lovely. I hope your mugs sell well! Also…LOVE all the Lebküchen options and the treasure chest!

[@h.g.wellington2500]

Frohe Adventzeit to you too Feli! 🙂

[@johnpalmer5082]

In December of 2009 I had the opportunity to go to Cochem to there Christmas mall, and ate lunch at the rathaus I hope someday I have the chance to take my family to see it. It was amazing!!!

[@gaedingar9791]

There is no real christmas feeling without real candles! We always have them, even with a dog in our household. In our familiy we seperate the christmas singing from the christmas eve and gather at one of the advent sundays, though. 😊

[@JasonManners]

I was in Hohenfels for three years while in the military and I remember Christmas there in Germany was a great time of the year.

[@allisonp7041]

Thank you for sharing your Christmas traditions with us.

[@mocopacetic]

Omg it was so much fun watching your delight at all of the wonderful Lebkuchen and describing your Christmas.

[@rockyracoon3233]

German Christmas traditions are the best!

[@finianlacy8827]

???

[@markrossow6303]

Prince Albert introduced the Tannenbaum = Christmas Tree to the English-speaking world, while married to Queen Victoria Since it is not cut and brought indoors until Christmas Eve, putting lit candles on it was ~safe (altho' keeping a bucket of sand nearby was advisable)

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

Then WHY don't you just go back to Germany then ????

[@rockyracoon3233]

@@wilburfinnigan2142 . I am not from Germany.

[@lynnsfo8325]

@@markrossow6303 its a Tradition from the ancient Turkic culture. They used to dekorade so called wish tree before christmas tree exist

[@pidjones]

I learned O Tannenbaum (in German) at age 5 when my mother taught it to the high school chorus in Centerburg, OH.

[@dickkapp336]

One of your best ! Merry Christmas !

[@kilsestoffel3690]

I inherited a Adventskalender from my grandma: a story, each day a few lines of a christmassy story to ready with the big happy end at december 24. I love it so much!

[@lenab5266]

Thank you feli! You really got me into Christmas mood with perfect timing.

[@Carol_65]

Beautiful video

[@dondash8921]

Merry Christmas to you & yours. Fröhliche Weihnachten

[@user-by7cy8zw5g]

Wow your family is a whole choir! All beautiful voices 🥰

[@StormyDay]

Great video! Christmas sounds like a warm wonderland dream in Germany. I smiled through the whole video. No wonder you miss it so much. Thank you for sharing this with us. (The carols made me cry.)

[@MDobri-sy1ce]

I liked the classic wooden rocking horse ornaments my mom used to put on the tree.

[@shivrajrana6405]

Very happy Christmas 🎄

[@caroleannbrunnock8793]

I was brought up in Germany and we left when i was about 10 x My family are of German descent and so we have always had certain customs that are German. When I got married and had children they were the only ones who got to celebrate St. Nicholas Day, had pfeffernusse in their stockings, Stollen instead of Christmas cake and my absolute favorite Marzipan !!! I love Stollen xx

[@Habakuk_]

what should christmas cake be i only know stollen

[@caroleannbrunnock8793]

@@Habakuk_ in the UK it Is traditional to serve fruit cake with marzipan and icing for Christmas xx I absolutely loathe it and would eat all the marzipan x

[@Habakuk_]

@@caroleannbrunnock8793 oh i can understand that :)

[@danherrmann8755]

Thanks. Love to try. You are so helpful. Merry Christmas.

[@Dave85262]

A proper Advent Candle wreath has three red candles and one white., Gaudete{Rejoiice!!!} Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent! Stollen should be thick sliced then warmed in thr oven and butter!!!!!!!

[@tiredofallthis7716]

she always smiles but have any of you seen her smile quite like this? cutest thing. I get it, though. remembering home and childhood.

[@dianaash8077]

I thought the same thing....she is as excited as kids on Christmas morning!

[@annikaschmauser7245]

I'm watching this while baking Plätzchen! It would be so great if you film a video baking traditional Plätzchen like Vanillekipferl😍

[@neilfisher7999]

I just received my Lebkuchen-Schmidt Nuremburg Chest today. I have never tasted Lebkuchen before and it is amazing!! I am so glad you shared this in your video. I also purchased a bottle of Gluhwein today, so I am ready to enjoy these treats for the holidays. Dankeschon!

[@emmanuelgoldstein1918]

Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch!

[@kcthesledgestoryteller]

I always see Advent Calendars at my local grocery stores here in Utah. What’s pretty much keeping me from buying them is that I can’t just eat chocolate like that -little by little- over that length of time. But my wife caters to my love of Rittersport as a stocking stuffers.

[@markrossow6303]

there used to be a mint Rittersport too, and it was my favorite Gone now :'-(

[@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410]

they're quite common in my area in Georgia as well, yeah

[@Habakuk_]

there are also advent calendars without chocolate but with sayings and rubber animals. toys, etc. However, I don't know if they are available in the USA, but I'm sure they are online. :)

[@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410]

@@Habakuk_ Some of the ones I remember growing up had like a bible verse or something or other in the little cubbies