How do you spend your New Year’s Eve where you live?
Michelle and I have lived in Germany for many, many years now and this time of year is celebrated very differently than how we used to celebrate it before we moved here.
So, what is so different about celebrating Silvester (New Year’s Eve) in Germany?
Watch our most recent video to find out our take on it.
Have you heard of ‘Dinner for One’ before?
If not, you can watch it here and learn more about it here. Then come back and tell us your thoughts on it.
This skit is about the 90th birthday party of an aged socialite. She has three old friends over every year and toasts them at the beginning of each course. The only problem is that all of these old friends have since passed away leaving the butler to be on the receiving end of the toasts (and drinks). This leads to the commonly said phrase “The same procedure this year?” and the ever common reply “The same procedure as every year.” If you say this to any German, they will completely understand what you mean, even if you don’t entirely.
Have you ever had Raclette or Fondu for New Year’s Eve?
Raclette is another way of eating melted cheese at the table, this time with a tabletop grill with the heating element doing double duty, melting the cheese on all the bits you’ve just grilled. It is a great way to slow down the events of New Year’s Eve as everyone sits around chatting and melting cheese all over their food.
Another very typical activity is to melt lead with a candle and then dip it into water to reveal your fortune for the coming year. This is called ‘Bleigiessen’ in German. Whenever my family does this, we usually get the same blob of shapes like bullets, teardrops, and similar-looking figures. It is both a fun and frustrating activity.
This year we created a fun and simple BINGO card for all of you if you would like to celebrate your New Year’s Eve like a German…Feel free to screenshot it or download a PDF below.
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Christina: @AmiDreamEU
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