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Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

DW-WORLD's dossier on Christmas traditions and issues in Germany.

https://p.dw.com/p/7hCr

Image: dpa

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Christmas is a time for peace and contemplation, for friends and family, and, of course, celebration. What sort of tree do people have? What do they eat for Christmas dinner? And just how is Germany's relationship to Santa?

DW-WORLD has put together a selection of holiday-related articles, with everything from chilli Christmas trees to Santa bashing.

Happy holidays to all our readers!

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Reports & Analysis

Santa Takes a Festive Bashing

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la. Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la… not if you're a curmudgeonly shopper in the German city of Wiesbaden.

Bayern Munich Under the Christmas Tree

Shops selling souvenirs for soccer fans are doing good business in Germany ahead of Christmas and in the lead up to the 2006 World Cup matches.

Targeting Santa

Groups in Germany and Austria have launched campaigns protesting the commercialization of Christmas. The target of their ire is Santa, an American import who they say doesn't represent what the holiday is all about.

German Christmas Culinary Traditions Endure

Crispy goose or suger-covered raisin cake: Good food belongs to German Christmas celebrations as much as the Christmas tree. And many a traditional dish dates back to medieval times or even earlier.

Book Biz Gets out its Gladrags

If you're stuck for what to get family and friends for Christmas, a book is always a quick-fix solution -- if a little dull. But these days, publishers are pulling out the stops in their efforts to make books beautiful.

Train Service Aims to Reduce Yuletide Blood Pressure

Stressed-out commuters and over-burdened shoppers will soon have to opportunity to avoid a Christmas coronary thanks to a new relaxation service from the German railway, Deutsche Bahn.

Plastic Payment Gaining Ground in Germany

An increasing number of German consumers are making their Christmas purchases with plastic instead of cash. But the growing popularity of debit cards also makes it more difficult to keep tabs on personal finances.

A Fine Old Pickle

Some tradition-loving Americans have got into a bit of a pickle over their Christmas facts. The word on the festive US grapevine is that come Dec. 24, Germans hide an ornamental glass gherkin on their trees.

Germany and Gospel: Christmas Tradition, Year-Round Passion

In Germany, gospel music is gaining in popularity, and gospel shows are almost as much a part of the holiday season as Christmas markets, mulled wine and stollen.

Pushing for Pre-Christmas Peace in Germany

Germany's largest Christian churches and the country's retailers have called on people to hold their Christmas spirit until the end of November to keep the season from losing its significance.