A walk through Christmas Munich

Although the Christmas tree prominently adorns Marienplatz in front of the town hall every year, strictly speaking, this festive plant hasn't been tolerated here for very long. It took a Protestant queen at the beginning of the 19th century to stop her beloved tradition from being taken away! But if you look back closely and far enough, you'll find in ancient times the common denominator between the "Paradeiserl" (a traditional Bavarian Christmas tree) and the Christmas tree that everyone takes for granted today. Incidentally, a good 200 years ago, people here in Bavaria were still strictly devoted to Saint Nicholas, who has since enjoyed a rather peaceful coexistence with the then-very-unusual Christ Child – even in our city.

Other saints must be sought to understand exactly when Advent begins and why dancing and feasting were once strictly forbidden in the weeks leading up to Christmas – unless someone found a clever way around it! "Platzerl" (sweet treats) also play a major role on our tour, as they once served as Christmas tree decorations in other regions as well, like cookies, gingerbread, or speculatius biscuits. Always well-seasoned, of course. The fact that typical Christmas spices had more to do with the taste buds has been forgotten in some places today.

Things get a little spookier when we talk about the gloomy nights of lottery that determine the fate of the earth's people during the dark season – there's nothing left to do but banish the dark spirits of winter. Or rather, bring light into the darkness! For this reason alone, candles are a very important topic on our walk, for they were of crucial importance not only to the gingerbread baker, but also to Saint Lucia and the famous angel services. And when we then clarify what a "Fatschnkindl" actually is at one of the nativity scenes set up in the city, you'll be perfectly prepared for Christmas Eve.

I'm looking forward to this very special tour!