Things moved in overdrive the last several weeks in Hamburg, and the holidays sneaked up on me. The last month was bloated with Weihnachtsmarkts, fried dough, plenty of Bratwurst and even more Glühwein.
The Germans probably have some of the best (read: delicious) Christmas traditions I know. They even make the cold weather enjoyable with a warm cup of mulled wine in your hands. I officially went to chop down a Tannenbaum this year with my host family, and as a kid from Miami, I was bright-eyed and verzaubert by the endeavor.
I still don’t know what presents to buy or how many or for whom, so expect me to be one of those last-minute shoppers running through the streets like the Grinch already stole my Christmas.
In spite of all the years I’ve lived away from home, this is the first ever Christmas I’ll spend without my family. I’ve done Thanksgiving on my own every year since I was a fresh-faced 18-year-old. Yet, I always flew home for Christmas.
I’ll be spending it with my host family in Hamburg and I’m still not quite sure what that entails. Apparently I just have to make a traditional family dish. Something tells me their Northern German palettes are ill prepared for my super seasoned Cuban food, but they’ll have to live on the wild side for a night or two.
It’s funny, as I’m about to wish you all well in the coming days, to think about today’s Germany. Here, most people always wish you Frohe Weihnachten (Merry Christmas) and you never really come across any other message or farewell greeting in this time of year. The majority of the country is Christian, and they are famous for celebrating the birth of baby Jesus. But in a country still loaded with guilt, you would think they would make their holiday greeting a bit more open. Just something I’ve noticed since 2012 when I lived in Munich, Germany’s Catholic stronghold. Yet it’s something that continues to surprise me here in Germany’s liberal port city.
That said, I wish everyone many happy holidays and an enjoyable end of the year in general. Whether you’re celebrating with German traditions in Chicago or Cuban food in Hamburg, it should be — to be as corny as possible — all about appreciation and togetherness. Something we’ll need to keep in my mind as we tackle 2016’s challenges.
Be on the lookout next week for my 2015 wrap-up. I’ll look back at how this year changed me, the world, and predict what next year will bring.
The Montero Project 