Today my Aunt Jess is going to share about her German Christmas Tradition that she does every year with her family! We have talked about traditions and how fun they are especially during the holiday season! This one is no exception! I find traditions that include different cultures even more fun!

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Jess McConnell

Hi everyone! I’m Jess – Sydney’s aunt. I’m married to her mom’s brother, John. John and I live on the lake in Michigan, not too far outside of Chicago. We both work as designers. We have one cat – Gary. 

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, John and I go out and get our tree from a local tree farm, and then the Christmas music, decorating, and snacking commences! 

This year (as I imagine it is for many) the comfort of Christmastime can’t come soon enough. It almost feels like it will never get here! That’s probably because I’ve been dreaming about it since August. 

I would not describe myself as traditional – I prefer to try new things and question my own assumptions about things, but, when it comes to the holidays, I’m all about tradition. 

Memories in Germany

While I was in high school, my family and I lived near Munich, Germany. Outside of the super fun Octoberfest, Christmastime in Munich was one of my favorite times of the year.  Where we were living, you could see the snow-capped Wetterstein Mountains in the background, and on a snowy, clear skyed, starry night, we would take walks after dinner with glühwein in hand, breathing in the brisk winter air and snowflakes tickling our noses. On the weekends, I’d take the train into the city, and my friends and I would meet at the Christkindlmarkt in Marienplatz where various vendors have cute little booths set up in the pedestrian area of the street. I’d grab myself a paper cone of roasted chestnuts and then I’d move on to bratwursts on a Bavarian roll with a side of potato pancakes and applesauce.

There were always these giant heart-shaped, soft, gingerbread cookies (braune lebkuchen) that were decorated with icing and hung on a long ribbon that you had to share with a friend because they were so giant – and of course, you had to share a giant warm, pretzel as well. Oh, and did I mention the glühwein? Ah, there’s nothing like a nice, hot mug of spiced wine shared with great friends against the wintery and Christmasy backdrop of the Christkindlmarkt! And in case you were wondering why I was drinking all of this wine while I was in high school – the legal drinking age in Germany is 16. 

Even though I haven’t been back to Germany during Christmas since I lived there, John and I always go to the Christkindlmarkt in Chicago to get our Christmas market fix – it’s pretty good – not entirely the same because you don’t have the old churches and traditional German architecture surrounding the area, but, the apple strudel is fantastic and you can get a fancy boot-shaped mug of glühwein. 

Tradition Continues

The German Christmas tradition of my family continues even though we are not in Germany. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, as John puts up the tree, I make a batch of glühwein. I created the recipe based on little bits of information my mom and I got from local Bavarians on what they put in their glühwein. Each family has its own recipe and way of making it. So here’s my version. You can definitely make a nonalcoholic version with nonalcoholic wine and then just skip the brandy. And if you like it a little bit sweeter, add another ¼ cup of sugar. 

We sip on the German glühwein while we decorate the tree and after we’ve admired our tree for a bit, we heat up some Thanksgiving leftovers (stuffing waffles topped with turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy) and then we cuddle up on the couch and watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and I bust out the lebkuchen for dessert.  

German Glühwein

• 1 bottle of dry red wine (red zinfandel, pinot noir or merlot)
• ¾ cup brandy
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole star anise
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 cardamom pods (optional)
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 8 whole, black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Earl Grey tea bag

In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients and heat over medium heat until it reaches just barely a simmer. Strain into mugs and enjoy! 

I also recommend pairing it with a little lebkuchen, which is a soft, cakey, spiced cookie. If you are interested in trying some or if you happen to be a fan of lebkuchen, Leckerlee is the place! I order two tins every season (and the tins are so super cute)!

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How fun right? I think it would be so special to experience the holidays in a different country! To witness all the unique traditions and activities!

If you could choose any country to spend the holidays in, which one would you choose and why? Drop your answer in the comments below and share this post on your socials! Thank you as always for hanging out here on Essentially Sydney!