| A German Christmas | |
24. Dezember
Die Bescherung 2
As we mentioned in Bescherung 1, the main part of a German Christmas happens on Christmas Eve (am Heiligen Abend).
Shops and offices close in the early afternoon of the 24th. People go home to get ready for the evening's festivities. Practices vary from family to family, but usually there is an early Christmas dinner before exchanging gifts. As mentioned in The Secret Christmas Tree, this is usually the first time the children have seen the tree. Everyone admires the decorated tree with its candles (in traditional homes) and then gathers around it for handing out gifts.
In religious families, especially in Catholic regions (Austria, Southern Germany, Cologne, etc.), die Christmette, the Christmas Mass, is also an important part of the Christmas Eve celebration. In some homes the Christmas dinner isn't served until after the Midnight Mass.
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
Merry Christmas!
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