We all have dreamt of Christmas seasons much in the way it is portrayed in the films and on television. Snow is on the ground, street side stores are fully decorated, window displays are full of toys or Christmas sweets. Carolers walk around singing, people bustling with arms and hands full of boxes and bags. The mood is festive and everyone is glad.
In reality, Christmas is a drudge for the most part. The weather here is mild and wet. Getting in and out of the mall is a hassle and is treated like the chore it is, not as a joy to be experienced. Definitely no carolers singing; perhaps some muzak playing over the PA system. The only real day that is like the Christmas we want is the day itself when the shopping is over and we are with family.
About eleven years ago, which is virtually a lifetime considering the changes in my life since then, I worked in Germany on a project for the German railroad (Deutsche Bahn) . The project was based in Frankfurt am Main, one of the more important cities in that country. For Germans, it was their business capital much like New York in many ways. It is a very cosmopolitan city, one that it was relatively easy to get around in if you are not a German speaker like myself.
Still, it is a German city and like most German cities, it celebrates Christmas like no other place I have ever seen. It is truly a festive time and one I long for to experience again.
The set up for Christmas happens just a few weeks before the holiday not the 2-3 months we have now in the states. What they have is akin to a fair. Booths are set up in the downtown area, around the town square, The Romerplatz, and the side streets. The booths sell a variety of goods: crafts, food, clothing and toys. Vendors sell a wide ranging selection of food, some seasonal, others more traditional German food. Stollen is everywhere as a snack. Arranged here and there are amusements like small Ferris wheels and carousels. Street acts perform and not necessarily Christmas entertainment. A concert stage is set up for choir singers and instrumentalists. A navitity performance is also done during the Christmas festivities.
Even though I was leaving Germany in a few days before Christmas, by spending time in the Romer, I felt very Christmassy. It was like being a kid again and you start to anticipate the day to come, a day of joy and not of relief. I recall looking at people and see that there was a sense of happiness about the season, that they were looking forward to it. This sort of happiness and joy must be contagious because it was on the faces of nearly everyone I saw.
Frankfurt’s Christmas festivities were truly memorable. But that city’s festival is a pale shadow of the one that takes place in Nuremburg which is renown throughout Europe.
Sometimes I wish it was possible to bring those Christmas traditions from Europe and transplant them into the United States. Perhaps, by doing so, we can make Christmas the way we always dream about but never experienced.
