Last year Hans-Peter was rather despondent around Christmas, and remarked that Christmas was just not the same in South Africa. I did not really understand, until I went to the famous Nuremberg and Munich Christmas markets. Christmas, in fact seems to be in a completely different spirit than that of South Africa, and it is not a matter of rampant consumerism either.
Firstly, in many parts of Europe, Christmas gifts are actually not exchanged during Christmas but during St Nicholas day around 5/6 December. Yes, Santa has his own day!
But the main difference in my opinion is really the actual decorations and spirit. It is not just a matter of Gluhwein and snow - Christmas decorations in Germany did not feature fake trees and an assortment of fake presents and lights. Instead, most decorations almost tended to tell a story of sorts, and decorations went beyond just lights and tinsel. There is even a town in Germany (Rothenburg ob der Tauber) dedicated to the production of Christmas decorations, and the craftsmanship in some of the decorations (such as nutcrackers) is particularly impressive.
Interestingly, Christmas markets can only operate from a certain date, and it seems that tradition has somewhat controlled rampant consumerism. In a way, I think I finally get what the fuss is all about ...
No comments:
Post a Comment