This was my second Christmas in Germany. I learned quite a bit last year as I took part in Christmas celebrations, but this year I made a rather huge yet simple and obvious observation. They celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve!
Actually, I knew that. I knew that families go to church and open gifts on Christmas Eve, and that on 1st and 2nd Christmas days (yes, they have two Christmases) they usually drive to visit relatives or receive visitors. But what I did not really get until this year, was that they actually celebrate Jesus' birthday on Christmas Eve. Last year I did wonder at the contradiction in the German culture norm to celebrate birthdays only on or after an actual birthday, with celebrating Jesus' birthday the day before his 'actual' birthday, but thought maybe it was a traditional exception or something. But in Germany, Christmas Eve, or Holy Evening as it is literally translated, is when they celebrate the birth of Jesus. (and to be clear, I know that neither the 24th nor the 25th are Jesus' actual historically accurate birthdate).
This changed things for me. I still went to church on Christmas Eve, just like I would have in the States, and I exchanged gifts with friends on the 24th just like I did last year. But it felt a bit more like Christmas. The being together; the gifts; the main meal... it all made more sense doing it on the day when we were celebrating Jesus' birth and not the day before. Of course, I still woke up on the 25th thinking 'Today is Christmas!'. After all, these cultural insights take time to really sink in. :-)
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