The Local’s guide to Christmas in Germany

We’ve been busy exploring all aspects of German Weihnachten, from traditional carp dinners to the country’s obsession with Wham! holiday tunes.

Just in case you’ve missed anything we’ve rounded it all up for you here. Frohes Fest!

Portnoy’s Stammtisch: Opening the door to holiday torture

In the latest installment of Portnoy’s Stammtisch, The Local’s column about life in Germany, Portnoy cracks open the tiny door to Advent calendar torture.

Germany celebrates 25 years of Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’

Move over Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, Germans prefer British pop duo Wham! to serenade them into the Yuletide spirit. This year they celebrate the 25th anniversary of their favourite holiday song, “Last Christmas.”

The Local’s guide to Germany’s Christmas markets

Put on your mittens, don your cap, and join The Local for a tour of Germany’s best-loved Christmas markets.

‘Christmas Academy’ teaches Germans yule rules

Parents and children in the southwest German city of Trier took part in a “Christmas Academy” to perfect their skills at singing carols, reading aloud and making a good impression at the yuletide feast.

How the Nazis stole Christmas

As a new exhibition in the western German city of Cologne shows, the Nazis tried to skew the Christmas story to do away with the Jewish baby Jesus and impose their racist ideology and propaganda on the popular holiday.

Germany’s Holiday Food favourites

Invited to a German Christmas dinner and don’t know what to expect? Forget about Turkey with cranberry sauce, say goodbye to mince pies and Christmas pudding, and embrace these Teutonic holiday specialities.

Celebrating Nikolaus in Germany

Each December 6, German children celebrate Nikolaus. Why does the Santa look-alike come so early and why do all the children place their shoes outside their front doors on the evening before? The Local has the lowdown.

My dear Krauts: Yuletide greetings from China

Roger Boyes, the Berlin correspondent for British daily The Times, gets in the Christmas spirit with toxic Chinese toys and Yuletide pawnshops.