Weihnachten ist ganz schoen, oder?

Currently, I'm experiencing the kind of headache that makes you dizzy whenever you turn your head suddenly. I canceled a meeting in the Altstadt with Maryle in order to get some rest, only to discover fifteen minutes later that one of the kids has a guest...which equals typical child loudness. The day just keeps getting better.

But, a few observations are in store for this post, concerning the appealing North German accent and German Christmas traditions.


Oder: The North German "Eh?"

No, I'm not kidding, nor do I believe that I originated this. In my conversations with my coworkers and the students, there is one word that usually ends their sentences: oder? The literal translation for "oder" auf Englisch is "or." So, "Heute ist das Wetter schlecht, oder?" becomes "The weather is bad today, or?" But, really, "oder"'s place in the North German (or perhaps just Niedersachsen? It being my first time living in Germany, my naive little self doesn't really know) lexicon is parallel to the Canadian/some-exotic-northern-state-in-the-U.S.-like-Wisconsin "eh." "Das ist eine gute Idee, oder," "Vielleicht koennen wir den Kadaver in dem Garten vergraben, oder," etc. are good representations of this.

What is amusing is that I've been gradually (and unintentionally) incorporating oder into my German, and I know that once I speak better German and travel to different regions (which will hopefully begin during New Years), I will be ribbed for definitely being a foreigner imitating a German Canuck.*

*On a semi-related note, a native Celler mistook me as Russian.


Weihnachten und der Weihnactsmann, AMG! (Ach, mein Gott!)

Christmas, or Weihnachten, is celebrated a bit differently in Germany than in America. Yes, the Christmas tree has German origins and whatnot, but there are different traditions here in Germany that I find quite charming.

Right before Advent, Weihnachtsmaerkte, or Christmas markets, open all across Germany, and almost every (if not every) German town hosts one. These markets are very much like flea markets (Floehmaerkte), only local vendors sell holiday wares/junk instead of plain old regular junk. Such wares include ornaments, toys, spices, tea, candy, Schmalzkuchen, and, one of my personal favorites (along with most other ex-pats), Gluehwein. Gluehwein is warmed sangria that has been combined with spices to provide a tasty drink to warm the body while browsing the booths and rides. One can also keep the mug that the wine comes in or receive about half the money back when the mug is returned.

Also of interest in these markets is the sale of German paper stars that one can light up. These are quite beautiful, but it's been difficult to find a good deal, especially when the cables and the bulbs are sold separately. Regardless, they're quite charming.

Advent is also kind of a Big Deal here in Germany, as many, many Advent calendars (Adventkalendar) are purchased for the kids (and, ahem, adults) to mark the days until Christmas. These calendars also come with little pieces of chocolate for each day, which are accessible only when the children punch through the numbers. Also beginning with Advent is the lighting of four candles, with one candle lit every Sunday until Christmas. We have this right outside of the teacher's lounge at work.

This Sunday is when the Christmas celebrating become Serious Business (like my capitalization? I do, too). Nikolaustag, or St. Nikolaus Day, is this Sunday, the holiday when children place a shoe outside his/her door the night before and receives small gifts, like the stocking stuffers of the English tradition, in the morning. Also, a nice breakfast is in order, as I've been invited to the host family's breakfast celebration this Sunday...

The surprising thing that I've just recently discovered (and I'm kind of ashamed to admit that, as I've studied German culture for four years and counting) is that Christmas in Germany is celebrated mainly on the 24th. This is why the buses won't run on this day. That night, after feasting on very tasty food (being hungry, I will not describe the feast) and obtaining Dickbauch, families traditionally decorate the Weihnachtsbaum, or Christmas tree, and open presents. The 25th is also dedicated to good food and merry-making, but the true holiday lies on our Christmas Eve.

So, Christmas is pretty much a month-long ordeal here, and not particularly in the commercial sense. More like the "Hey, it's cold and dreary; let's stick it to the man and have merry-making for an entire month" sense.


Other, Miscellaneous Matters

Other things of note:

I don't sing to anyone. I refuse to do so. And yet, I've sung, solo, "Up on the Housetop" in front of two sections of third graders this week. As I've stated before, my musician's ears wept with sorrow.

Speaking of musician's ears, I've taken up the clarinet again. I can't believe how bad my breathing and articulation have become, but I remember the notes and the posture. I fear, though, that with the poor quality of the clarinet itself I'm restricted as to how much I can recover my old aptitude at the instrument. Also, Rico reeds suck.

Today is Karolin's birthday. Unlike in the States, it is considered good manners for the person having the birthday to provide a cake for his/her coworkers or even buy his/her friends a round of drinks or dinner if one goes out (rest assured, I will make a point not to even mention my birthday, especially since it's on a Saturday early next year...partly because I just don't want to acknowledge it and partly because I don't want to spend the money). Anyway, an interesting tidbit for you Amer'can folk.

It's the weekend. Schaf sei Dank.