Advent season and Christmas markets are somehow special in Germany...

We mostly celebrate in our families. On Christmas Eve we go to church, have dinner afterwards and then we give presents to each other (on 24th!). If there are young children in the family, the handing out of presents takes place after church and before having food ;-)

Many songs are sung in front of the Christmas tree. For example: Silent Night, O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree), Alle Jahre wieder (Year after year and so on). Musical families get out their instruments and play music. Others tend to read together or watch something on tele.

On Christmas Day and Boxing Day people tend to visit other parts of the family, further relatives or very good friends. Of course, there are services and masses, too. But the best aprticipated ones are on Christmas Eve.

A typical farmer's dinner on Christmas Eve is 'Kartoffelsalat und Würstchen' (potato salad and saussages). The reason for this is that Christmas Eve was and still is a working day. The farm and the animals needed care (in the past). So the farmer's wife did not have much time to prepare something in the kitchen.

Food on Christmas Day is totally different: The meal would normally have several courses and a Christmas goose, a turkey or any kind of roast, dug... as a main course. Some habbits change now and 'brunchen' (to have a brunch) is getting popular, too.