Christmas-time in Germany is a cultural shock I wasn't quite expecting. It's just so full-on! And there's so much of it I find my brain whirling.
I've never been a particular fan of this festival apart from the fact that I can indulge my shopaholic tendencies with no guilt. I really enjoy that bit!
Christmas decorations are apparently necessary, as is a tree. So I will happily buy pretty tree baubles from many countries and let Tim and Rhiannon put the decorations up. But not until the second week of December at the absolute earliest. Bah humbug!
This was all easy in Japan. Japan, as a non-Christian country does not celebrate Christmas. Yes, as an acknowledgement of the event, decorations are put up and usually take the form of brilliant blue or white LED lights in extraordinary displays. But these are really for the main celebration of New Year.
Then, once midnight on Christmas Eve has passed, Christmas is finished. Themed goods in the shops are removed, decorations are deconstructed and life returns to normal ready for Christmas Day which is a normal working day there. Mum and I really enjoyed this aspect of Christmas in Japan. Once the presents were opened and lunch had been eaten, we'd leave Tim and Rhiannon to play with their toys and watch TV while Mum and I escaped from the confines of the house and go for a big shopping trip. It became our tradition for five, lovely, low-key Christmases.
Low-key is not a phrase I'd attribute to a German Christmas. Whilst thankfully not on a par with the tacky commercialism of the UK, the more traditional aspects of the holiday are in full flow already. After all, didn't Germany invent Christmas?
There is a lot of Christmas stuff going on here now. Enormous trees are being delivered by lorry to various institutions, wreaths are going up on doors already and the shops are filled to the brim with Yuletide décor. The lights are up and switched on along Ku'damm, and very pretty they look too.
And the famous Christmas Markets have started. Called Weihnachtsmarkt, they are popping up everywhere. Attractive little wooden stalls are to be found in most areas selling everything from knitted scarves and sweets to high quality and typically German decorations made of wood, .
We visited Potsdamer Platz at the weekend. Rhiannon was thrilled to find a sledging hill had been set up and for once was happy to queue for ages to have a go. She hurtled down the slope many times on an inner tube. I waited at the bottom clutching a tall glass of Glühwein. Well, I do like to try all new traditions at least once. Or twice...
I wandered around the stalls. The scents from the numerous food stands were incredible. Delicious fresh doughnuts, gingerbread, sausages of all flavours, the heady smell of Glühwein and, oh, what's that? Heiße Schokolade Milch mit Whisky... even my limited German can work that one out. Yum!
Looking around at the arts and craft kiosks I realised a lot of items from my childhood could well have been German-made. Strong, well-made wicker baskets and chairs, various knick-knacks associated with Christmas and carved wooden Nutcrackers. Both Rhiannon and I find these soldier-nutcrackers a little creepy so we won't be having one. I mean, look at that mouth!
But I like the German word for him - Nussknacker.
We shall explore more of these Weihnachtsmarkts in time. Mum wants to visit as many as she is able when she arrives, so there will be plenty of opportunity for me to try more Heiße Schokolade Milch mit Whisky, or Rum, or Schnapps or...
Perhaps I shall begin to enjoy Christmas after all.