An English German Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt)

Now that my most favorite holiday has already passed, I'm looking forward to celebrating my second most favorite holiday - Christmas. Let it be known that on Christmas Day, I'm in Florida. While you're out and about dreaming about a White Christmas, I'm ever grateful to be with my husband and family in a place where having BBQ in addition to the traditional holiday meal is a viable option.

One Christmas morning a few years back, my husband hoisted our nephew up on his shoulders so that the little guy could pluck an orange from my parents' tree in the front yard. I took a picture to commemorate the moment and it still makes me smile every time I see him wearing a little long-sleeved shirt and a pair of green shorts. Yep, to me, that's Christmas.

Not to say that I don't get my fill of German Christmas spirit before going to warmer places. Because I live in a very Catholic region of the country, Adventszeit is a very prominently celebrated time of year here. So, in addition to the decorations which have been up since SEPTEMBER in some stores (thanks to gross consumerism, and nothing else), the real celebrations are about to take place. One tradition that I truly enjoy and admire is the Weihnachtsmarkt, or German Christmas Market.

There is always a great possibility for you to eat, meet up with friends, drink mulled wine (Glühwein or vin chaud) or my personal favorite, the alcohol-free version often referred to as being "Christmas Punch", or shop for some lovely handmade crafts and other gifts. Nothing beats holding a nice warm punch in your hands in a wintry atmosphere, twinkling lights surrounding you above and below, laughter, animated conversations with strangers and friends alike, and almost everyone being in much more amicable moods.

Interestingly, we discovered a German Christmas Market along the Thames in London this past weekend. It was a fun and pleasant surprise to be able to kick off another chapter of the holiday season a little bit earlier than planned, especially because it also gave my parents another great opportunity to experience new German traditions in two European countries!

It's time to get those UNICEF greeting cards (or those from your favorite charity), and place those orders online - or better yet, with your favorite local mom and pop retailers… they do still exist, and with all of our help, they'll continue to do so.

Take care, and have a great week.

xoxo CountryEuroCityMouse

©2012 CountryEuroCityMouse™. All rights reserved.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my absolutely favorite holiday. There are so many reasons why I totally love this event, and I don't care where I live or who I'm with - I'm bound to celebrate this day with joy, gratitude and excitement.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Germany can really be an awesome experience. For me, it always has been. I love throwing dinner parties, and although they may seem a tad bit semi-formal at times (although, in my defense, there have only been a few times where I have actually used seating placements), most of the time, I try to make them as relaxing and welcoming as possible for all. When I was at the point where we were 19 people, including 5 children under the age of five, I drew the limit and decided to keep it between 4 and 10 from now on.

My husband and I celebrated with friends last year; this year, my parents are visiting us for the holiday! I'm convinced it's going to be the perfect American Thanksgiving - we'll celebrate Thursday evening in Germany, and then fly to London on Friday for the weekend. No better way to remember why the pilgrims were so thankful in the first place than on British soil.

In preparation for Thursday's feast, we're taking complete advantage of Germany's fresh, economical and delicious local markets. We bought 4.5 pounds (2 kg) of potatoes for a Euro 50! Afterwards, we ordered our turkey from our favorite poultry butcher, so we'll be able to pick it up early Thursday morning along with all of the fresh vegetables! Our menu is pretty straightforward, simple, and best of all, homemade. In addition to the must-have turkey, we'll have dressing, mashed baked garlic potatoes, salad, almond string beans, traditional gravy, cheese gravy, macaroni and cheese made with ricotta and three other cheeses, and cherry pie, muffins, rolls and brownies for breads and desserts. Yep, I hope that'll do.

It's such an exhilarating feeling preparing delicious foods and desserts for your family and friends, sitting at one huge extended table that generally only serves two, and knowing that the Christmas season is now really about to begin.

Of course, many people still proclaim that their most favorite holiday is Christmas; and there are many others who feel as though it is an infringement on their faith or lack thereof… To be quite honest, it would be quite lovely to have a holiday that can't be too grossly politicized or commercialized - no matter how hard many people try. For me, Thanksgiving is that holiday. I love focusing on the amazing cooking, enjoying the cold weather outside and the warmth and delicious scents that greet you as soon as you come through the door. There is a feeling of welcome, and as soon as you arrive, laughter erupts immediately followed by boisterous conversation, hugs and smiles. You're with your friends and family, and those few hours - or days if you're fortunate - are, in my opinion, a wonderful way to get a refill on the energetic goodness that Life is really all about.

Happy Thanksgiving with love from Germany!

xoxo CountryEuroCityMouse

©2012 CountryEuroCityMouse™. All rights reserved.

Eat There if You Dare (But I Wouldn't Recommend the Gyros)

Finally! The 2012 US Presidential Election is over.

Currently, the overwhelming feeling that I have is relief. Obama was fired up during his victory speech, and with it, he set the tone for the nation in a way that all parties need to embrace. The kind of deep passions that were awakened within us voters throughout the campaign need to shift from the negative nature to a more constructive gestalt. We are so much better than this campaign has allowed us to be portrayed.

This has been the most nerve-wracking, disturbing, emotionally charged election I have ever experienced in my life. Waaaaayyyy back in 2008, I can recall the media jumping the gun and being so self-congratulatory calling President Obama’s first-term victory the beginning of a “post-racial America”. Well, they couldn’t have been more wrong than that. This election campaign was not only starkly racially divided; it was also impassioned and divisional on so many incredibly polarizing issues. It was often sickening to hear, read and see such animosity and distain between supporters of the two major parties and smaller parties. These election years tend to bring out the best and the worst in people, but it’s especially disturbing to notice that more and more people are becoming quite comfortable with being beyond disrespectful publicly on any side of the fence.

The real threats of being wrongfully denied the right to vote, or to have to wait multiple hours in line to cast a ballot, or to be afraid that your vote would not count in the United States of America is a disgrace. The name-calling, mud-slinging swill fest has got to come to an end now, especially for those who disrespect the President with such ease and comfort.

In his concession speech, Mr. Mitt Romney took the high road – a path that many people on both sides have strayed far away from a long time ago. He was gracious, he acknowledged his genuine sense of disappointment and gratefulness for his supporters, and wished his opponent well and encouraged people to pray for the President, his family and our nation. As divided as the nation is now, Romney’s concession speech – however short and, according to reports, hastily put together – at least allowed him to march through it quickly and be able to walk away with his head held high. (Even if it took him over 90 minutes to admit his loss and, acknowledge that no matter how Karl Rove tried to reinvent it, math is math.)

Obama’s victory speech rocked. It was not cocky; it was personal, inspirational, impassioned and spoken with much hope, earnestness and maturity. Take the time to read the full text of his speech, but moreover, watch it. See how it resonates with you, no matter what your political affiliation or nationality.

Florida… my home state. The only “undeclared” state even though the election has already been decided. (*Sigh*)

Facebook: Please stop asking me to “like” candidates, their companies, and the news outlets that chose to endorse them. Actually, stop instructing me to “like” anything. I never went for that kind of stuff in high school, and I certainly don’t plan on starting now.

Now, for all of us (in one capacity or another), it’s time to get back to work.

 xoxo CountryEuroCityMouse

©2012 CountryEuroCityMouse™. All rights reserved.