It's all about eating and drinking
From early December or sometimes even mid-November onward you won't find a German city nor village without its own Christmas market.
Enjoying all sorts of punch and mulled wine with friends and family next to little booths ("Glühwein-stand") is the thing to do, no matter how low the temperature.
A popular German variation is the 'Feuerzangenbowle,' mulled wine with a rum-soaked sugar loaf lit above it.
While hot drinks, no matter how exquisite, are not everyone's cup of tea during the summer months, Christmas pastries and cookies certainly are.
There's a wide range of typical and delicious German Christmas desserts, with Gingerbread (Lebkuchen) being probably the most famous one. Unfortunately, some of the sweets are easier to make at home than others. SBS has collected some of the recipes:
want to make something German on your own this year?
How to make German Christmas Treats in Australia
Baking is an important ritual ahead of Christmas. This German tradition is also being celebrated in Australia. Last weekend, SBS German visited Melbourne's German-Lutheran Trinity Church, where young community members enjoyed an afternoon making their own cookies.
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Young Germans making traditional Christmas cookies
"I used to bake large amounts back in Germany," Ruth Mikeska, who serves at the German church, told SBS.
"I have to say it´s a little less here due to the hot weather."
However, Ruth really enjoyed showing to the kids how it's been done the German way.
"We organise a large number of events around the Christmas season," the church's deacon Sascha Dornhardt says. "We bake with kids, we put together a nativity play and much more."
"And we definitely celebrate Advent in a very German way."
But how do German Christmas traditions differ from Aussie ones?
At the start of the Advent, most families get a wreath, which includes four candles. A new one is lit each Sunday. This is a great way to come together as a family, to sit around the wreath and sing Christmas carols. Every Sunday until Christmas.
Almost every German child has its own Advent calendar filled up with chocolate and other treats, very similar to Australia.
A German Advent wreath (Pixabay) Source: Pixabay
But German parents enjoy a special tradition which ensures their children are well-behaved.
Nikolaustag on the 6th of December, a day to commemorate Saint Nikolaus, is a big thing in Germany. On the evening of the 5th, children place their boot or shoe in front of the street door. If the children were good, Nikolaus fills the shoe with sweets overnight. Otherwise they are left with a rute (a cane composed of birch twigs).
The Nikolaus, which is also popular as a chocolate version, has a similar appearance to Santa Claus, however, the tradition behind it is a complete different one.
The actual Christmas tree is not put up in most German living rooms before the afternoon of the 24th.
Chocolate Nikolaus (Pixabay) Source: Pixabay
Almost everyone gets a real tree, which can't keep up with its plastic counterparts when it comes to life expectancy, however, it comes with a unique and unbeatable smell. The species known as the 'Caucasian fir' is a favorite in many households.
Germans decorate their trees with real candles and they usually gather around the tree to sing Christmas carols.
"The real candles are what I probably miss the most around the Christmas season," SBS listener Constance Banks banks says.
"As soon as I hear 'Silent Night' in Melbourne's German Catholic Church, I feel really homesick," Maria Groner tells SBS German.
Another typical thing to do is put up a nativity scene with little Jesus and his parents, especially among religious families.
Christmas eve is the time where families come together for a feast. After singing in front of the tree and exchanging gifts, traditional meals are being served, ranging from roasts, fish, sausages and more - often accompanied by a potato salad.
Nativity scene (Pixabay) Source: Pixabay
As it turns out, most Germans in Australia stick to their German eating habits around Christmas. Totally understandable, given the country's rich traditions.
