Best country for Christmas

OK leading on from the What we Brits like about Germany thread, Chrimbo got mentioned a few times, that here in Germany it's less stress has more meaning etc. What do you lot think?

In my opinion Germany is still better for the reasons above but is rapidly catching up with the consumer chaos that is Chrimbo in the UK, however for me the best country has to be Poland (that's me off on a tangent now) and more specifically Silesia, I'll be there for the 3rd time this year stuffing my face on baked Carp and all sorts of other goodies and enjoying the relaxed, traditional, stress free atmosphere at the (distant)future out-laws.

So come on where is Chrimbo really Chrimbo for you, UK, Germany or other and why?

Got to say the UK, the German Xmas starts around 12:00 on the 24th, in the UK I'm still planning going shopping after work at this time !!!

On top of that the clubs are open on the 24th for a right good "bring in Christmas" party, I worked as a DJ in both the UK and in Germany and must say that the clubs were always packed in the UK as opposed to "mildly empty" in Germany.

Add to that the fact that the TV is better, if it falls on a weekend you get the Monday and tuesday off work !! (Like last year and this year!!) and the fact that it's much more commercialised and it wins hands down for me.

I always found hamburg to be sooooo boooooring at christmas, everywhere was partially opened, the shops are shut until the 27th, no sales nowhere to get away from the Christmas Volksmusik Pararde on ARD !!

Canada - skiing in the Rockies ... or come to think about it, anywhere tropical!! Boracay comes to mind!

Christmas for me has to be in the Holy Land. Away from the hustle and bustle of western dictated commercialism, I like to return to the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of the little baby Jesus, the shephers a'watching their flocks by night and the Harking of the Herald Angels of the glad tidings of the birth of the little baby Jesus and three wise men travelling from a'far following yonder star to the place where, away in a manger in the O so little town of Bethlehem, the little baby Jesus was asleep in the hay, surrounded by lowing cattle and donkeys and his Mother the Virgin Mary, and Good King Wenceslas was trampling the snow and his paige followed in his sods, and the Little Drummer Boy (parap-a-pum-pum) was banging his little drum and chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

Nah, bollox, as long as there's a pub somewhere, don't give a toss.

That must bring tears to your eyes

Yes, can't wait to see the great escape for the 15th time!

still better than "dinner for one" for the 47th time !

Do I get this right?

means you are blaming "Germany" that on the 24th loads of ppl who are not totally off work have to work only until 12:00? Correct me if I understand it wrong.

at the same time you blame "Germany" that ppl have to work Monday and Tuesday, if it's unlucky and falls on a weekend?

For me it seems a bit strange to get off on different days as the actual day of the "happening", which gets celebrated, not only christmas. No matter on what days it falls: The actual meaning of christmas (i thought) was, to celebrate, that Jesus was born. Unlucky for the workers, but if it falls on a saturday or sunday, why get monday and tuesday off instead?

Thats Silvester, not Christmas
Why watch it, if you don't like it?

I prefer Germany - seems to be less commercialised and more emphasis on family. Plus I get more snow here than I ever did in Billericay!

Never have watched it hannah, German humour (for want of a better word) has never really floated my boat.

As to my point that on the 24th in Germany no one is working compared to the Uk where it's a normal day, this was merely to reflect that the whole crimbo thing does indeed start quicker in Germany, what's the deal with celebrating on the 24th anyway? the baby jesus was born on the 25th, or does Germany need to take time differences in to consideration.

German Christmas is bland, had enough of them to last me a lifetime, that's not to say that others won't find them better. The whole thread was not meant to be a slagging match merely a question... Where do you prefer Christmas, I prefer the UK and you prefer Germany, get over it !

Prove it, I want to see the birth certificate.

you do realise it was originally a travelling show in England, don't you?

I think you'll find that Jesus was likely to have been born on a completely different day altogether, but traditionally the idea is that he was born in the night between 24th and 25th - that's why people go to christmas mass on the 24th.

because it is on every bloody channel here I must admit i have got the colour version of this

what i don't understand is why anyone would want to watch TV on xmas or New Year's eve anyway...

because they're sad and lonely and dont have the imagination to do something more interesting may be?

I would jsut say that the best country to be for Christmas is the country you feel happiest in.


maybe they're on their own and can't get out or something simple like that.

Why do people have to "understand" other peoples choice rather than just accept that people are different and these differences don't always necessarily mean that they are twats, sad, stupid etc, just plain old different.

i'm sorry if you think i was accusing someone of being a twat. I simply said i couldn't understand.

and I only said sad, lonely and no imagination which (especially the last reason) is usually the case.

So come on then Jade, enlighten us...what would YOU do over Christmas other than watch TV.

I'll give you a few pointers, here's my normal schedule

#Going for a drink with mates who have returned home for the festive season
# Spending quality time with my daughter
# Enjoying her face as she goes to bed (in anticipation on the 24th) and then rips open her presents at 5am on christmas (25th) morning!
# Going to the Cinema/restaurant with my wife and friends
# Taking in a show/musical at the theatre
# Eating enough Turkey and Christmas Pud to kill a horse
# Shopping at the Boxing Day sales (26th)
# Resting in front of my TV after a hard day through the sales
# thanking the lord for looking after my family

Can't think of any more that I could fit in in the four days off (2 in Germany)

So come on smarty pants, what's wrong with my schedule, what makes me a twat/sad/lonely individual??

I wasn't pointing the finger.

But why Fuchs if people choose to watch TV are they sad, lonely and have no imagination. I personally don't watch TV a lot but if people choose to what makes them what you say.

What is with people at the moment? Seems like everything is being taken out of context and people are looking for fistycuffs?

EVERYONE, deep breath and smile and lets all be friends and accept each others OPINIONS please???

and you think it requires a lot of imagination to collapse in front of the box? I'm just of the opinion that there are lots more interesting things to do than vegetating infront of the TV especially at Chrimbo or other holiday periods.

Dont worry Andrea I didn't have you down as a couch potato

Depends on what you're watching


So why couldn't you have just said that in the first place instead of calling people sad and lonely because they aren't like you.


Oh I'm sure you have me down as a lot worse

I've got a date with my playstation. 24,25,26 Dec
XMAS starts on the 27th for me.

Its the kids that make Christmas for me especially my 6 yr old who still believes in Father Christmas...tbh I found Xmas in England becoming more and more of a strain...people going crazy spending mega amounts on gifts and food. How much food can one consume over 2 days? Looking at some of the supermarket trolleys, you'd think they were feeding the 5000. The first time I spent Xmas in Germany was 2 years ago and I loved it as did the kids. Seemed less stress to me and more emphasis on family. And no I didnt watch the TV as it was all German. We stayed in a house in Schwarzwald for 5 days. We couldnt get a signal on our handys unless we travelled about 3km away. It snowed on the morning of the 24th, the kids thought they had woken up in paradise! One big playground for them! It was one of the best Xmas's we've had. To top it off we then experience Silvester here...fireworks galore! Fantastic

Last year we spent our last Xmas in the UK before moving here. Again the dreaded feeling and pressure of it all loomed...yes I sat and watched a lot of tv tbh with a drink or two. Had no money at this point to do anything else. but with Monopoly and several other board games, the kids and I made the best of it.

This year we are staying in Germany, have absolutely no urges to return to the UK, infact my brother is so fed up with Xmas in the UK that he is driving to us for a German Xmas.

My vote goes wholeheartedly to Germany for Xmas at the moment...but its early days for me in this country, I suppose that could change in the future but somehow I don't think so.

OK ramble over...

It may surprise you, but no

The thing that surprised me about German Christmases was how un-family oriented it was. Many of my friends thought I was weird for always insisting on seeing my parents and no-one seemed used to the big family get-togethers that for me have always been part of Christmas. Did I live in abnormal bits of Germany?

For me - points for for Germany: Christmas markets, Christmas preparations start later (although I think it's just as commercialised but more bearable as it's 1 instead of 2 months before)

But all in all I'd go for Britain - why - because in all the years I lived abroad, it was only Christmas that made me really homesick. I missed the familiar Christmas carols, for the Chistmas foods that never turn out right with German ingredients, for family and in general all the familiy traditions that made it special.

I thought in Germany it was a real family thing aswell actually, at least for us.

This year we'll go to England for the first time since my bf lives in Germany. The last 3 times we spent it here and went on holiday afterwards.
In England I expect (same as when we've been there for easter once) that my bf's mom and auntie will start to cook in the morning, which will last all day, the rest of the family hangs around talking and watching telly, then we will eat the stuff (their portions will be 3 times bigger than mine but mine still will be to much though I asked for a small one). They will finish within 5 Minutes, I will still struggle with my meal for 10 minutes longer until I'll give up and say thanx it was great, but just to much. This will be a good excuse for me because then I don't have to eat the dessert cuz it's mostly something horrible sweet or looking disgusting. Then we'll prolly go to the pubs where my bf will get rotten cuz hes not used to drink so much anymore.

Merry christmas

@ Hannah

Sounds like a wail of a time , I'd pretend to be sick and stay here if I were you

nah it's ok. I like going shopping on 24th, getting some stuff from boots for example, which i cant get here or only more expensive.

Good chance also to go to a hairdresser in some shopping center and my bf can buy some cheap books while this time.

Since its not usual in England as it is here to sit in a coffee place for a while and have coffee and cake we will shock ppl again, when we'll have a break at Sayers (hope thats right?) and order a piece of cake and coffee not to take away but sit there. Since they dont have proper forks or spoons to eat cake, we will just rape it with a big fork. I like the views we'll get there again

AND I understand, that my bf wants to see his family again and wants me to be there aswell. Prolly we can go from 23late night until 26 afternoon anyways, since we both will have to work probably. Guess I'll survive it.

oh and since he puked on the wall and my jacket in his sisters bedroom one night, he knows that if i get the feeling he's gonna puke he has to sleep in a different room.
So no worries for me

I know people who travel to places like India or Thailand which arent christian and so have no Xmas, in order to escape it all. Kind of like fleeing Köln during the Drei Tollen Tagen. Not a bad idea.

Give or take the odd Tsunami :doh:

when I go back to Germany for xmas, this is what i usually do:
24th:
- visit my substitute grandmother in the afternoon as it's her birthday
- in the evening have a nice xmas eve dinner with my family, spend some time with them, play some games, possibly exchange some presents (we aren't big on presents - usually we only give each other things if we know the other person needs or really wants it)
- then possibly go to midnight mass or just go to bed

25th:
- my uncle usually comes over for a nice big lunch (luckily my 8 aunts stay where they are - most of them live too far away to visit just for a day anyway)
- after lunch we go for a nice long walk in the snow
- have some time to myself sorting out things that i can't do while i'm in england
- in the evening meet my friends who are visiting their families over xmas too down the pub

26th:
- i usually go tobogganing with my two best friends
and the days after that, i like to visit people and places i haven't seen for a while and play some more games.

Oh I think I can top that one. An ex bf puked in my hair once I was not impressed to say the least!!!

Whats this about people not stopping for coffee and cake (and not having the correct implements to eat with) Whenever I visit friends and relatives in England and we go shopping we always stop for a break and a chat and have a cup of coffee and sometimes a piece of cake and there are always forks provided. Admittedly the coffee and cake routine is not as popular in England but it certainly exists. I don´t think I would ever buy a piece of cake to take home with me most of my family bake their own cakes. One of the things I miss about eating out or at friends in Germany is the puddings, it´s almost always ice cream here.

dunno, jwn, where I mean is downtown Liverpool. But I heard they opened some coffee houses there now (not to mix up with coffee shops in Amsterdam though).

I went with my bf's sister and her bf and when I bought a whole cake in Sayers cuz they had no nice single pieces or "Torte" and brought it to the table to slice it with a plastic knife they looked at me as if I was crazy

Am I being really dense here but what is Sayers??? A local Liverpool confectioner?

Remember guys my reason for not knowing this is probably that I never eat cake as am constantly on a diet

Liverpool ! Say no more

Liverpool is not so bad actually, some areas at least. I had the same prejudices until I was there for the 1st time.

Dunno if Sayers is located only in Liverpool but I found a link:

http://www.lyndale.co.uk/sayers.htm

hmm i just saw there is only one adress on the site but there are many of this shops in Liverpool.
Guess you could be right and its a local chain.

That's because all the slices have been sent to the local prison with files in

It must be just Liverpool then because wherever I've been in the UK coffee and cake has always been widely available in coffee shops etc.

Having spent 18 years living just outside Liverpool long before any regeneration was thought of, I have never been given a plastic knife to eat cake except at the airport. I have to admit though I've never been in a Sayers cafe - I thought it was a bread shop chain?
There's lots of cafes in Liverpool that do coffee and cake though and not just the new ones in the Ropewalks and Albert Dock: on this visit Hannah try any of these: Everyman bistro (better still for lunch), Bluecoat chambers cafe, Egg cafe (if you like organic cakes), etc not to mention all the cafes in the department stores, museums / galleries etc- the one in Liverpool Cathedral does a particularly good coffee and walnut cake...

My vote goes to Germany i miss the family get together, unfortunately i have to spend christmas here in the uk again

This will be my first christmas back in the UK for four years. I must admit I did miss it when I was in Germany, mainly because of the doing it on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day.

Haven't even started my shopping yet so have no idea what it's going to be like.

I am looking forward to having some crackers that aren't battered and dented from being posted

I will miss the New Year fireworks in Germany, but I'm pretty sure there is a display here in Cardiff Castle, so will probably take the boys to that.

I think it's all a bit mix and match, there's things I like here and things I liked there.

organic cakes? Erm, if I wanna cake, I wanna real one with loads of calories (or what is an organic cake?) :$
I am talking about Schwärzwälder Kirsch, Käsesahne, Schokosahne...all this nice "Torten" which you get here
And please NO fruitcake, YUCK


that might be MY thing then! Thanx for the tip


I know, but don't you get my point? This kind of places are not what I call a nice cafe to sit there for a while, what we Germans like. Might be nicer than Sayers, but they all are more like a canteen in Germany

It's a cake where all the ingredients are organically produced (Bio) doesn't mean they dont have lots of calories, the only problem is that the people who make organic cakes tend to over do the wholemeal side of things and the result is something with the texture of a breezeblock

YUCK

does not fit to my imagination of a cosy coffee place then

reminds me of TOFU sausage ... if i want a sausage then I want a sausage and not TOFU urgh