Getting to grips with a multi-culti Christmas
I’ve never been a bah humbug type. For me, the festive season is magic, and always has been. But since I moved to Germany, things have changed. Now, there’s one stonking great chestnut of a problem that has to be dealt with before I can relax and get down to enjoying that seasonal swing—how to combine my husband’s German traditions with my British ones. Those of you with partners of different nationalities to yourselves will know exactly where I’m coming from. For, no matter how open you are to different cultures and how keen you are to discover new ways of life, Christmas is the one time of year when tradition holds fast and you become more patriotic than ever before. The first year I was here, I was told, outright, that the species of tree with which I am familiar, apparently, has the wrong sort of needles. (Sounds like one of British Rail’s better excuses as to why their trains are always late.) A German tree it was to be. Then came the question of when to put the thing up. For me, there’s nothing nicer than getting the whole family together, decorating the tree and piling up the presents underneath. But no, apparently that’s wrong too. A Christmas tree should go up on Christmas Eve, behind closed doors, with the decoration left to the man of the house. Oh, and presents on show beforehand are a definite no-no. Feeling them and guessing what’s inside, it seems, does not register as fun in a German’s book. Then there’s the lights or candles debate. Ok, so there is nothing more frustrating than spending hours unraveling the fairy lights, and painstakingly trying to work out why the damn things won’t work. But, although real candles add a certain magic, it’s not exactly relaxing, knowing one little bump could turn the whole spectacle into something more worthy of Bonfire Night. As for the carols, no German effort can match the likes of “Ding Dong Merrily on High”—unless you’re after something to send you to sleep on Christmas afternoon, of course. (They don’t have the Queen’s speech, after all.) Don’t even get me started on the food. You wouldn’t think it possible for two grown people to spend so much time (year in, year out) discussing which bird is best—turkey or goose (it’s turkey, by the way)—and why in the world God ever invented Knödel. Come dessert, however, and our loyalties change—while I’d much rather have a vanilla-scented Plätzchen, he’d go straight for plum pudding, doused in rum sauce. Which, of course, goes to show that a mix of cultures can be as much of a good thing as a bad. By making the most of the local traditions around you, you can have a more enriching experience, be it at Christmas or any other time. Indeed, no matter how you choose to celebrate, we hope you find something in this month’s bumper magazine to help the season go with an extra-special swing. Stuck for somewhere to hold your company Christmas party? Then try one of the more unusual ideas featured on page 28. If you still have some Christmas shopping to do, check out some of the great gift suggestions on page 32. If you want to give in a different way, how about doing your bit for society? Find out how to get involved in local volunteer work on page 31. Or remind yourself of the origins of Christmas with a visit to Munich’s fascinating collection of nativity scenes, as featured on page 38. Whatever takes your fancy, here’s wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, from all of us here at MUNICH FOUND.