How Germans Celebrate Christmas

A friendly reminder, this is Megan Green who has been posting on this blog on behalf of Elder Pinyon for updates during this mission and I have been updating his Facebook account during his time as a Missionary too. Next month, he will be reaching 1 year since he left to go and serve the Lord for 2 years.

This is what he says for this week's email, I will share with you most of the email. I don't know if he wants it be posted on the blog but I will post it anyway.

"I would love to tell you about the germans and how they celebrate christmas :D So Christmas actually starts 4 Sundays before christmas actually starts. So the Germans have this thing called advents and they are so cool, so every advent you burn a big candle until its all gone on christmas day. So usually that is the start to Christmas here in Germany.

After the first advent the have weihnachtsmarkt which is christmas markets, where you can buy all sorts of stuff, it is really cool all the sweets and lollies and clothes and drinks and ornaments and everything that you want is there. There are also rides, so the christmas markets are opened everyday from the first advent until the day after christmas. During this christmas season the german people become more open to the gospel, so crazy it is.

So than on Christmas eve is when the FEASTS begin. So christmas eve is called heilige abend and that is when they think Christ was born and Santa (der Weihnachtsman) comes to the children at about 6pm. Also Christmas eve is their Christmas day. All the presents are put under the tree and the family will then have dinner and it is about a 5 course meal haha. So great, I love food. After the first feast they open the presents and enjoy themselves that night.

Than the next day, which is christmas day for us and for the germans it is (1. Weihnachtsfeiertag) 1st christmas public holiday. They have a massive lunch (another 5 course meal) and it is really great and
they do the same thing on the next day which for them is the 2. Weihnachtsfeiertag (2nd christmas public holiday). That is roughly how Germans celebrate Christmas from what I have seen haha.

Also I am being transfered to Kiel to go and be a zone leader there, so  we will see how that works out haha. I think that I will celebrate christmas like this when I get home.

Elder J. Michael Pinyon"

Stay Tuned.