America has such a big holiday season from Oct. 31 until Jan. 1.
Since the beginning of October, everyone spoke about Halloween. Halloween was so much bigger here than in Germany. As a little kid, I went trick or treating but I stopped in fifth grade. But that was different from what I experienced here.
In Germany, you ring the doorbell and hope that someone opens it. In America, people sit outside, sometimes listen to music and just have fun. The older children in Germany usually have to recite a short saying or poem to get any candy. But here, everyone just says “Trick or treat.” In the United States, I also saw more decorations, especially before Halloween than in Germany. My family in Germany decorated on Oct. 31 and took it down the next day.
This year, I experienced my first Thanksgiving because it is not a holiday celebrated in Germany. I really liked that the whole family came together and ate. The most similar holiday in Germany would be Christmas. However, my family lives farther away and my parents work around Christmas. So in my childhood, I mostly celebrated Christmas with only my parents and my brother.
I really liked it that here we were seven people at the table. My host sister and I also made dishes from our home countries to share at dinner.
In November, the Christmas season already started. My host father started decorating for Christmas on Nov. 1, and we got our Christmas tree at the end of November. In Germany, the Christmas season begins on Dec. 1 with an Advent calendar – which is very popular. Everyone has at least one and it is normal to get the Christmas tree on Dec. 23.
A holiday we are celebrating in Germany but isn’t popular here is Saint Nicholas Day on Dec. 6. In the evening of Dec. 5, everyone cleans a pair of shoes and puts them outside. The next morning there are little presents – chocolate, mandarin oranges or nuts.
The biggest difference I experienced during Christmas is that in Germany we open presents on Christmas Eve and not on Christmas Day. Also, the decorations here were so much more than in Germany.
Otherwise, it is very similar in that you spend a lot of time with your family and have fun together. A thing I wished that you would have here are German Christmas markets. When you visit one of the big markets, it feels so much like Christmas with all the decorations, little houses with food and drinks. You always have a good time with your friends and family.
On New Year’s Eve, I went with my family to the beach. I had never done that before, because it is too cold in Germany. In Germany, my family and I start in the afternoon by watching “Diner for One” and other German shows. After that, we eat Raclette, which is very popular in Germany to eat on New Year’s Eve. We also play board games until shortly before midnight when we watch the countdown on TV. Then we go outside, do some fireworks and wish the neighbors a Happy New Year.
