Since Germany doesn’t recognize the Thanksgiving holiday, this year proved to be a little different yet still very good. Caro and I had great intentions a couple weeks ago of having a big American Thanksgiving dinner at our apartment and inviting friends that helped with the move and putting the place together. Unfortunately our kitchen is still underconstruction so those plans had to be scratched. So we just made plans to hangout and go out to dinner. However, I still wanted to cook at least one thing to remind me of home so I went to my friend Grace’s and used her oven to make pumpkin bars. Finding all the ingredients was a bit of a chore but thankfully another American friend, Abby, had a few things I could borrow that she had gotten at the Army base here. On Thanksgiving day two other great things happened though, we got internet hooked up at our house and Caro called me at about 2:00 and said the oven would be functioning by 4:30. So gears shifted in my head and at that moment I decided that I was still going to attempt a Thanksgiving dinner even if it was just for Caro and I. At first I was a bit nervous cause I hadn’t gotten anything at the store yet but then remember all the stores were open here and everyone was still going about their business like any other day. After stopping at the meat shop for a whole little chicken, picking up potatoes, green beans, a baguette and a gravy mix, I headed home to get preparing. I then was able to talk to my entire family over Skype, which was very exciting. At around 6:00, Caro called from work and suggested we go have some “gluewein” at the Christmas markets with some of her coworkers. So the food was ready to cook but we put it on hold for a little bit and went out. Gluewein is a hot spiced red wine served all over Germany during the christmas season. At the markets it is all over the place and is served in a token glass mug. I enjoyed it but understand how someone could definitely get into some trouble after a couple refills. The markets started on Wednesday and will go all the way up through Christmas Day. There are tons of Christmas décor, many food booths selling specialties: gingerbread heart cookies with loving phrases written in frosting, a sorts of Lebkuchen, Pommes, Wurst, candies, nuts, cookies, reibekuchen (potatoe pancake), and much more, many gluewein booths and booths selling advent calendars and handmade gifts. (The heart cookies and advent calendars brought me back in time to Scobey High School where the foreign language class sold vey similar items. Little did I know that over 12 years later I would be seeing those very traditional things in this Foreign country.) Four market places along the main shopping street are filled with the booths and loads of people. It just so happens, we can step right out onto that street from the front door of our apartment building and join in the festivities. After the gluewein experience, I think we finally sat down to eat Thanksgiving at 11:00 pm. Guess it was around the same time my family and friends were having it as well in the states. I was very proud of my moist little whole chicken, my fork mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and pumpkin bars. It made the house smell of Thanksgiving and made it so much more homey. Thanksgiving was then complete and was celebrated exactly how I would have wanted it to be away from home. I’m so thankful for my family and friends back home but also for my family and friends here in Heidelberg. I’m thankful for my faith, all the great experiences I am blessed with, and of course, Skype , making it possible for me to see people I miss and love so much :) Happy Thanksgiving from Heidelberg!
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