We headed over to our friend Mandana's apartment with a group of about 10 people. I had brought over a few New Year's Eve hats and glasses from America. The Germans were loving it.
Mandana prepared a delicious meal for us, complete with wine specifically selected with our meal in mind. We had a fondue dinner with pork, beef, and a variety of vegetables. There was an oil blend to cook the meat in, a chicken broth blend, and also a cheese blend. She also prepared several "dips," including guacamole, chutney, a tuna dip, and a curry dip, just to name a few. It was all delicious! Apparently, fondue is a very traditional NYE meal in Germany. Here's a pic of the spread...
While we were eating dinner and enjoying the wine, we also enjoyed another German Silvester tradition, the viewing of a British stage skit called "Dinner for One." It's part of an annual German custom that began in 1963 when German TV first broadcast this 14-minute sketch. It was actually pretty funny. Just a little strange that it's a German tradition to watch a program that is all in English. Our friends said that they have asked English people about the show and it is not popular there, only in Germany. Very strange.
Another tradition is "Bleigiessen," or "lead pouring." Germans purchase packages of small lead trinkets. They then melt the trinket by holding a spoon over a flame. When the lead is completely liquified, they quickly dump it into a bowl of water. The "object" or "shape" that results is supposed to tell you something about your future in the coming year. Matt and I tried it 3 different times and every time, our friends insisted it was a baby. As they say in German, "Kein Chance" ("no chance"). It was pretty entertaining trying to determine what everyone's shapes were. The back of the box has a list of possibilities and the supposed meanings.
When it was close to midnight, we walked to one of the nearby squares for the fireworks. The city does not set off any official firework displays ("Feuerwerk"). Instead, all of the people set off their own. And I'm not talking about the little ones you set off in the street for 4th of July. We're talking legit, large, high in the sky fireworks. I can't believe this is legal! But it is pretty awesome. They go on forever. We also popped a bottle of Prosecco in the street (drinking in the streets - another bonus of living in Europe!)and lit some sparklers, or "Wunderkerzen," which literally translates to "wonder candles."
We went to another small party afterwards and were home by about 3 AM. It wasn't the wildest New Year's Eve, but it was pretty great for us. We were really glad that we got to participate in a lot of the unique German traditions with some of our fantastic friends over here. It was truly a "Silvester" that we will never forget. Hope everyone enjoyed theirs, as well! Here's to a prosperous 2013!
Cheers!
Kristin and Matt
No comments:
Post a Comment