Me and my Sister on Christmas Eve
This years Christmas was quiet different for me. All the normal German Christmas traditions my German Family has, were this year not part of my Christmas but there were a lot other nice American Christmas traditions my American Family has.
The Advent is not a big thing in the USA, but my German Mum was so nice to send me an advent-calendar. So I still had the tradition of having a little treat every day. In the USA they also don’t celebrate St-Nikolaus on the 6th December, but my American Mom was so nice to fill our shoes. I still missed it to start burning a candle every Sunday till Christmas.
On Christmas Eve my Family and me went to the Christmas Service, together with the Dad of my American Dad and my Cousin. It was really nice to go to church on Christmas Eve, my personal favorite was the tradition of lightening up candles and singing „Silent night“. After Church we went out to eat and then we went home to open some presents. In the USA you normally open all the presents on the 25th in the morning, because the American thinks that Santa Clause is coming in the night and brings the presents. So all the kids get up early in the morning to open presents. But my Family has the tradition to open each other’s presents and one present from the parents to the kids on Christmas Eve. This opening included a really funny tradition between my brother and my sister. They both pack their presents in a lot of different layers including tape and a lot different stuff that makes it super hard to open the presents. Then there is a contest who can open the presents faster then the other one. At this contest you are not allowed to use scissors, what makes it really hard but a lot of fun to watch. This year my sister won with 3 minutes against my brother with 9 minutes. My brother just made it to easy for my sister, while my sister had a lot of really tricky layers. Me and my sister also got matching pyjamas. Then after we opened presents we went to bed, because my siblings have the tradition to get up at to in the morning to open their stockings. The stockings are a really traditional American thing. In the past they put a big sock on their fire place and when Santa comes in the night he also fills those socks with little gifts and Candy. It was really hard to get up at two o’clock in the morning but at least u get to open the stockings and get the great stuff that is inside! It is a little bit like Sankt Nikolaus but bigger.
Then the next morning my Siblings woke me up pretty early to open more presents. After this we had an awesome breakfast with eggs and bacon my dad cooked for us. Then we went to Frankfurt to see the one brother of my American dad and his Family to celebrate Christmas with the Family of my dad. We ate great food opened more presents and played some card games. After this we went home, because the next day we started our road trip to Florida.
It was really nice, I got awesome presents from my Family and it was wonderful to spend Christmas with their traditions it made my Christmas a lot different but it was amazing to have this unforgettable experience.
Me and my Sister in the Golfcart
The next day we left at 6 o’clock in the morning to go to Florida. We planed on driving for 14 hours but at the end we spend 17 hours on the road. In this 17 hours some time is fly bye and other hours are passing so slow but with some sleeping, reading and watching movies I survived it. Then after all this time we finally arrived in Florida. There we had 26 degrees Celsius, even it was late in the evening. We went to bed and the next morning I woke up to sunshine and 28 degree. This weather made it kind of unbelievable that it was December and not Summer. The first day we just spend with hanging out swimming in the pool and enjoying the wonderful weather. My sister and me also had a lot of fun with the golf card my grandparents have. We were just driving around at the club where they are living in and had a lot of fun. The only thing that was a little bit sad was the fact that I was not allowed to drive the golf cart.
Then the next day we went to Legoland Florida. It was a lot of fun even though it was really busy there. It kind of felt like a joke to see all the Christmas decorations made out of Lego by 30 degrees. I mean who is walking around in shorts and a t-shirt in December while he is listening to Christmas music. That is kind of ironic haha.
After this day in Legoland we went back home where I got to meet the Brother, and his family, of my American mom. The next to days we just spend with hanging out at the pool playing games with my cousins and driving around in the golf cart. After one day the sister of my American mom, and her daughter, also came to visit. We spend a half day together until my moms brother his Family and the daughter of my moms sister went to Disney for two days.
This year I spend my New Year’s Eve a little bit different then normal. In American it is not as a big thing as it is in Germany some people normally have a party with their friends but that is everything. New Year’s Eve was our last evening in Florida before we got back home so my parents went to bed early to be fit for the long drive on the next day, my grandparents also went to bed so at the end it was just me with my siblings and my aunt sitting on the couch and watching the New Years show that is happening in New York. It was really different way to spend my New Year’s Eve but the only thing that matters is that I was together with my Family. Then the next day we went back home to the cold Indiana where u should not were shorts and T-shirts in December.
I really enjoyed this time of my year. It was just great to spend time with my Family and to Celebrate Christmas the way my American Family is doing it. I also really enjoy the week in Florida, it is beautiful there and I am sure I will go there again in my Future.