Germany celebrates Christmas with traditions such as the Advent calendar, Christmas trees, wreaths and food and drink which reflect their past and present culture. During December, Christmas markets pop up all over Germany and bakeries offer Christmas time treats. Though the markets are temporary, they act as a gathering place for celebrating the season with traditional German Christmas food and drink.
Main Dishes
For families across Germany, a Christmas goose is on the menu whether eating at home or in a restaurant. Weihnachtsgans, German for Christmas goose, is usually prepared with potato dumplings, red cabbage and a wine sauce. Throughout the Christmas markets, residents and visitors alike can enjoy venison, or Rehruecken as it's referred to in Germany, which is often served with sliced pears. For those who prefer a lighter meal, carp, especially in northern Germany, is also a popular Christmas food.
German Christmas food doesn't always require a complicated recipe or an intense day of slaving over the stove. Fondue, both meat and cheese, is popular throughout Germany. For meat fondue, raw meat is fried in oil and dipped in an accompanying sauce, such as garlic sauce, while cheese fondue serves as the perfect dipping sauce for bread. In addition, Raclette, fried slices of lunch-meat and cheese, is prepared quickly and simply by restaurant patrons. Each guest is provided a small frying pan with which to prepare their Raclette on the circular stove located in the center of the restaurant table.
Sweets and Treats
German sweets may just be the best part of celebrating Christmas in Germany. Baked apples, cinnamon cookies called Zimtsterne and traditional spice cookies are common offerings throughout Germany. Stollen cake, a dry loaf cake which is filled with marzipan and dusted with powdered sugar, is offered by bakeries and vendors throughout the Christmas markets. Gingerbread, or Lebkuchen, is a traditional treat found in many Christmas markets, specifically those near Nuremberg. Often found dipped in chocolate, gingerbread is available in various shapes and sizes.
Beverages
A variety of traditional German Christmas beverages offer a perfect finish, or complement, to many of the traditional dinners served throughout Germany during Christmas. Gluehwein, a red wine served hot with cloves and cinnamon sticks, is a popular Christmas beverage in German Christmas markets and homes alike. Another popular Christmas beverage in Germany is Weinachtspunsch. Found throughout Germany during Christmas, Weinachtspunsch is a hot black tea, served with cloves, orange juice, lemon, red wine and sugar. If tea and wine based drinks don't fit the bill, consider trying another one of Germany's traditional Christmas beverages, such as egg nog or Pharisaer, a coffee drink with rum, sugar and whipped cream.
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