Frohes neues Jahr!

For years Adrian has told me about the New Year's Eve he spent in Mainz. How he went up to the hills overlooking the city and watched the valley below explode in a sea of fireworks at midnight as its citizens celebrated another year's beginning. And as someone who absolutely adores fireworks, this sounded like the perfect way to spend New Year's Eve. So when Adrian and I actually had the opportunity to be in Mainz for NYE, I was more than excited!

You'll have to believe me that there is a river behind this fog.

Unfortunately, a thick fog rolled in the day before NYE and just sat on the city, refusing to dissipate. Adrian and I went for a walk and the fog was so thick we could barely see fifty feet in front of us! The sun was shining, but it was barely visible. I kept hoping the winds would change and the fog would magically lift, but I gave up hoping around 9:00 pm on NYE. I was initially disappointed. I had been looking forward to seeing the fireworks from above for years! But Adrian's aunt Ulla told me not to worry; I would still see fireworks.

New Year's Eve: the fog thickens

At midnight, we all grabbed our champagne and climbed up to the little balcony on the third floor and looked out over Ulla's neighborhood. As soon as midnight struck, the entire street erupted with fireworks! Many of the fireworks were shrouded by fog, but it didn't detract from the beauty. Instead of seeing the actual explosion, I watched the entire sky turn green, red, blue as each firework went off. It was absolutely beautiful!

Not all the fireworks were hidden though. One of Ulla's neighbors really went all out -- I don't know how much money he spent, but it must have been at least €200! He would set off a round of fireworks and we would clap, thinking the show was over. Nope! He would walk over to his car and pull out another set and then another and then another! His show went on for probably forty minutes! It was an amazing and perfect way to ring in the new year.

Sometimes when plans fall through, it works out for the best.

Weihnachtsmärkte und Gemütlichkeit

I am not really a Christmas person. I don't hate the holiday itself, but I kind of hate the build-up. Each year, the holiday season starts a little bit earlier than the previous one. Because of this, once Christmas (or, let's be honest, December) actually rolls around, I am exhausted and ready for it to be over.

Which is why you might be understandably confused when I talk about how much I love German Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte).

Drinking Glühwein while waiting for the market to officially open.

There is a word in German that means coziness: gemütlichkeit. Well, not coziness exactly... Gemütlichkeit is more a sense of being snug and cozy together. If you are familiar with the Danish concept of hygge that has become super popular the past couple years, it's very similar to that. 

A stall selling cookies, candies, and nuts.

The Weihnachtsmarkt at Alexanderplatz

A Weihnachtsmarkt oozes a feeling of gemütlichkeit. The aisles are lined with brightly lit stalls that look like gingerbread houses full of treasures inside. The scent of pine fills the air, broken occasionally by the smell of warm, delicious treats. The paths are packed with people drinking Glühwein (mulled wine) and soaking up the holiday atmosphere.

A giant Weihnactspyramid!

A slightly smaller one during the day.

I was so overwhelmed with love for the first Weihnachtsmarkt we went to, that I insisted on visiting several more. If ever Adrian and I were walking down the street and I happened to see a market, it was understood that we were going to walk around. We ended up going to four Weihnachtsmärkte in Berlin and one in Mainz when we visited Adrian's family for Christmas.

The Weihnachtsmarkt in Mainz had my favorite decorations!

So why did this self-proclaimed Scrooge feel the need to visit so many Weihnachtsmärkte? What was so different about this Christmas? I think it had to do with the lack of the feeling of urgency. People at the Weihnachtsmarkt were there not only to do their holiday shopping, but to come together and experience the holiday spirit. Many people were there just to walk around, maybe grab a warm drink and a bite to eat. People weren't rushing to get presents or stressed about holiday plans (though I am sure that had I gone to the mall things would have been different). People were relaxed, warm, and together. And it was that sense of gemütlichkeit that kept drawing me back in.

Maybe I am a Christmas person after all.