Thanksgiving and Black Friday….German Style…

So, this past Thursday I got together with a couple Americans, British, Italian, French, and Germans for a fun Thanksgiving experience! Carrie, from Georgia, and I went shopping on Tuesday and picked up a lot of food for the meal. Carrie was a fun host and made some delicious foods…including green bean casserole, mac-n-cheese, cranberry sauce, and opened her apartment for us to come over. Sarah, from Wisconsin, made a cheesecake and brought some varied breads. I made pasta, mixed veggie, and also brought along candy and supplies my mom had sent over in the Thanksgiving box. Also in attendance was Andrew (Tennessee), Matias and Anika (Germany), Katie and Catherine (London), Jehan (France), Andrea (Italy). It was a lot of fun explaining the meaning and history of Thanksgiving to everyone while enjoying much wonderful food. We didn’t know exactly if cooking a turkey would work out…so we had sliced turkey lunchmeat, neatly rolled and speared with autumn leave picks…fun!

Thanksgiving pics! http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?2RsCw1ZTAFljFEwe7Zefcrg

On Black Friday, people don’t get up at 4:00 to wait in line for super deals and great prices…but I was still at the stores then…haha, just kidding. I decided to enjoy sleeping in and shopping later in the day. Eventually I made my way towards the Kröpcke and the Christmas Markets. First was the Train Station Christmas Market where I eyed a 6 euro Christmas tree….but couldn’t decide if I wanted it. After a couple stops, shopping at Kaufland (like a German Wal-mart) and much debating…I decided to be a big spender and ‘go out on a limb’ (haha) and buy a German Christmas Tree! After the purchase…it dawned on me that now I get to carry it the rest of the day…but really, what is more holiday-esc than carrying a small tree around Christmas markets?!

There is much holiday décor all around the city. At the city center is a huge (maybe 5 or 6 story) German Christmas Pyramid which actually spins. The lower level is open to buy drinks and food. All of the streets are lined with garland, lights, bows, and scattered trees. I especially enjoyed the Hannover Christmas Market. It was like stepping into a small Christmas village with countless booths for food and gifts. The smells were wonderful, and I can’t wait to go back and explore again (without a Christmas tree….!)!

Upon getting back to the dormitory…Andre, Alma and I decided the tree would fit perfectly in the Kitchen…it just needed some rearranging. So, after several moves (including stacked tables, chairs in the hallway, and much more) we found out the tree would fit perfectly behind the coach in the corner. I have collected various antique ornaments (including a topper and 5 glass bird ornaments) to hang on the tree. We will also get some lights and other décor. Hopefully, we can decorate it on Sunday when everyone is in the dormitory…and I’m planning to have Gluhwein and making paper snowflakes, paper chains, and playing Christmas music…oh yeah, in case you did not know, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this season!

Here are some pics from the Kröpcke and our dormitories “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree!
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?2RsCw1ZTAFlgQfIZ0wYq0ZA

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and didn’t get into too many shopping fights on Black Friday!
Tschüs!
Dustin