EP8: Christmas Traditions in the US vs. Germany (Are St. Nikolaus and Santa Claus the same?!)

Lighting a candle each Sunday, opening a "door" every morning, and putting a shoe in front of your door on December 5th? These are some of many many German Christmas traditions that we talk about in this episode. And, of course, we talk about how Christmas is celebrated differently in the US where you'll see Santa Claus at the mall, stockings on the fireplace, and fake Christmas trees popping up everywhere as early as November. Grab some tea, eggnog, or Glühwein, and dive into the wonderful world of Christmas with us. :) ++We’d like to apologize for the echo that you can hear on the recording in some parts, we hope it doesn’t bother you too much while listening. Also, Feli got some of the dates wrong in this episode: Of course, Heilige Drei Könige is on January 6th (not Dec 6th) and the second Christmas Day is on December 26th (not 24th).++ 0:00 Intro | 8:55 Advent time in Germany | 17:32 Christmas Decorations | 26:45 Advent calendars | 31:32 Christmas songs | 34:51 The Christmas Pickle | 35:58 St. Nikolaus & Krampus/Knecht Ruprecht | 45:30 Who brings the presents? Santa Claus/Christkind/Weihnachtsmann | 56:16 Other Christmas customs in the US | 01:01:19 Baking (gingerbread, cookies) | 01:04:56 Christmas Eve in Germany | 01:15:46 Christmas Eve & Day in the US | 01:27:01 Heilige Drei Könige (Three wise men) | 01:28:18 Christmas Markets | 01:33:33 Outro Mentioned Videos: Christoph Waltz Explains Krampus to Jimmy Fallon ▸https://youtu.be/VbkGuCozc9MLast year's video on Christmas ▸https://youtu.be/dROdQIwRzKcVideo on Karneval ▸https://youtu.be/IVQL_70rBggQ&A video with question about the Christmas pickle ▸https://youtu.be/wUrNyaHuaj0 You can also listen to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and Amazon Music! Follow us on Instagram▸instagram.com/understandingtrainstation • Support us on Patreon▸patreon.com/understandingtrainstation • Buy us a coffee▸buymeacoffee.com/utspodcast • Email us▸understandingtrainstation@gmail.com • Website▸understandingtrainstation.com Check out all the videos with Josh and Feli on the "Feli from Germany" YouTube channel▸https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcmNAGhcEEMm1zpbbFcz41YALTd2eAed

Om Podcasten

In our podcast “Understanding Train Station”, we (Josh and Feli) explore the intricacies and pitfalls of living between cultures. The title is derived from the German idiom “Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof” which literally translates to “I only understand train station”. Similar to the English saying “It’s Greek to me”, it is used to express a lack of understanding which is an all too common feeling when dealing with another culture and living abroad. Feli (aka “Feli from Germany” on YouTube) is a German living in the U.S. and Josh is probably the most “Germanized” American you’ll ever meet.