Christmas Roundup – Three Months of Travel and Culture!
Some highlights and Substacks we recommend
Merry Christmas and frohe Weihnachten!
Marie Powell and I have been blogging on Substack for three months now, taking you around the world and introducing you to some of our favourite foods and cultural traditions. For Christmas, we’re bringing you several tasty tidbits – some German Christmas traditions you might not know, a summary of our most popular posts, and recommendations of Substacks we like to read.
If you want to read about all the foods we’ve written about, take a look at our recent recipe roundup!
We are also offering a Christmas discount to our readers for an annual subscription to Travel and Culture. Sign up by December 30. Our next Substack will come to your inbox on January 8, after the holidays.
Some fun German Christmas traditions:
St. Nick stuffs your boots on December 6
I suppose Santa is too busy delivering presents in North America on Christmas Eve to make it out to Europe. So he does Europe first. In Germany, St. Nick visits on St. Nicholas Day, or December 6. The evening before, children put their boots out in front of their bedroom door. Nicholas comes during the night to stuff the boots with goodies. Chocolate, nuts, and oranges are popular gifts.
This is what my husband gave me one St. Nicholas Day several years ago. The eggplant is an unsual gift, but as long as he considers me his mon cheri, I’m fine with it.
Christmas markets
Roasted chestnuts, candied almonds, hot mulled wine, and gingerbread hearts are all parts of the German Christmas market tradition. At least half the stalls are for food, but you can also purchase candles, Christmas decorations, clothing, and jewellery. The best part is the atmosphere with music and all the lights, especially in the evening.
Christmas tree on Christmas Eve
Don’t even think about putting your Weihnachtsbaum up before Christmas Eve in Germany! Part of the fun of Christmas Eve is setting up the tree and decorating it. Germans leave the tree up for all twelve days of Christmas – until January 6. They also open their presents on Christmas Eve.
Did we get you in the mood for Christmas? Now here are our gifts to you – a review of our most popular posts, followed by the Substack bloggers we like to read.
The posts our subscribers liked best
Accidental Pilgrims: A serendipitous visit to Corbridge: Have you ever heard of God’s Rottweiler? Do you know the oldest pub in Northumberland? This post was our absolute winner in terms of views. Marie Powell tells about her visit to an unassuming English town that’s quite rich in history.
Stopping a cow attack at Hadrian’s Wall: This post got the most likes and comments. Ann Marie Ackermann tells a hair-raising story of stepping between a fleeing woman and a charging cow at Hadrian’s Wall. She survived to tell the tale, but was never sure if her deed was bravery or stupidity. She’s kind of hoping you will read this and tell her.
We sometimes interview authors about their travel experience. Into Africa with Canadian author Maureen Ulrich proved to be popular. Her experiences in Africa with baby elephants inspired her to write a children’s book.
Bavarian Beer Gardens gives you the inside scoop on a beloved Bavarian tradition – how to behave, what to bring, and why you might want to choose this dining experience over the Oktoberfest.
How did an East German motorcycle end up in a West German tree? If trees could talk, what kind of stories would they tell us? Witness Trees takes a look at several trees that could write best-selling memoirs.
Scarecrows are such a fun symbol of the harvest. In Explore the magic of scarecrows and sweets, Marie Powell explores a unique harvest festival in Lumsden, Saskatchewan that focuses on scarecrows.
Substacks we love to read
Sleuthing Adventures with Angela Buckley. Ann Marie has been connected with Angela Buckley via social media for at least ten years. Both are historical true crime authors. During that time, Angela went back to school and got a Ph.D. in crime history at the Oxford Brooks University. Her posts about historical true crime are always fascinating and well-researched.
Travel Doorway’s Bridges across Cultures. We love any kind of post that has to do with travel and breaking down cultural barriers. This is one of them.
Betty Carlson’s France in Between. Betty Carson, an American transplant to southern France, writes about visiting French towns that would usually be off a tourist’s radar. That’s exactly the kind of travelling we like to do, because then we connect with locals and the real culture. Betty Carlson also does a great job engaging with her subscribers. Comment on one of her posts and you’ll see what I mean.
Jill Swenson Memory, Time, History on Lake of the Woods. Jill Swenson was Ann Marie’s developmental editor and is very supportive of other authors. If you’re another author, I’d recommend subscribing and making the connection with Jill. On Substack, she writes about another kind of historical true crime: Kakaygeesick, an indigenous chief in northern Minnesota, was deprived of his cultural lands a century ago. Jill dives into archival history and looks at how that history affects the present.
French Countryside Companion. An American transplant to France runs a chocolate shop and explores the art of French cooking. Her photography is just gorgeous.
Gabi’s Gab is a fun travel blog with tips and cultural insights.
Andy Adams’ FlakPhoto caught Marie’s attention right away, with photography news, recommended resources, and artist spotlights.
Rona Maynard’s Amazement Seeker shares thought-provoking stories every Sunday.
Enjoy the holidays! Remember, we’ll be sending out our next Substack on January 8.
We wish you all a happy holiday season,
Ann Marie Ackermann and Marie Powell
Lots of interesting information in this post. I learned a lot about German Christmas traditions. I read there is also a German Christmas pickle? I'm not sure how true it is but read it on Reddit!
Thanks for the mention and I'm honored to be on your list of favs (next to Rona Maynard, I'm so flattered). I've enjoyed these first three months. More to enjoy in 2025!