Categories: seasons, culture, germany
Date: 04 December 2008 22:50:01
The Ancient Roman City hosts a German Christmas Market for two weeks at the end of November/beginning of December. If you visit in the evening, it is particularly atmospheric with the little white lights on the chalets sparkling and twinkling in the darkness; the smell of Glühwein, Lebkuchen and Wurst drift on the air and the chill of the year reminds you of cosy evenings around the fireside to come.
This year I noticed that the "German" bit has been dropped from the title - and does that matter? Not a bit of it. It actually makes me quite pleased. Not that I have anything against the word, the people or the country per se, but because I think it shows how the good citizens of the ARC have embraced the concept and made it a part of their own Christmas tradition. Much in the same way as we (and many other Western countries) have adopted many German Christmas traditions which were initially introduced by Queen Victoria's German husband, Prince Albert. These include Christmas trees and their lights and decorations, Advent wreaths and probably lots of other things which have now become such a quintessential part of an English Christmas that it is hard to imagine the festival without them.
I have been involved for two years now with translating aspects of the German government's policy on integration of foreigners into that nation. I am not going to comment on the rights and wrongs of their policy, I merely want to underline my point that the integration of foreign people and their customs can truely be said to have occurred when the existing population adopts and adapts the foreign customs to be part of their own culture. As in any expansion process, certain parts of the incoming culture will be dropped and other parts will receive more emphasis and a new version of the two cultures will be born and grow together organically.
This process is nothing new. Populations have been doing it for centuries - the Romans melded their gods with existing British beliefs, the incoming Christians superimposed the celebration of Christmas on the Roman feast of Saturnalia - and on a slightly different tack, the most popular British takeaway is no longer Fish 'n' Chips but Chicken Tikka Masala.
One of the problems with government attitudes to integration is that They want it to happen overnight or at least pretty quickly. Understandably so in some respects. But it can take years for new customs to catch on - on both sides of the "fence". Some incoming customs will never be popular and others will be welcomed into the host culture to such an extent that the populace won't be able to remember how life was before the aroma of chicken tikka masala drifted down the high street most evenings.
The scoffers may say that the ARC's Christmas Market is not a very authentic German experience. And nor should it necessarily be. If you want the real thing, go to Nuremberg or Vienna and soak up their atmosphere; speak German to the traders and buy German wooden and glass decorations. By contrast, here, you will find a stalls selling crafts, pottery, jewellery, clocks, toiletries, clothes, games and toys all made in this country - and a stall selling "Bollywood Christmas Decorations" - elaborately lacquered, brightly coloured tree decorations - possibly completely unknown in India - but entirely in keeping with our Multikulti society and doing a roaring trade. Drink mulled cider and eat some roast chestnuts - oh, and buy some gifts made in the German Alps. Frohe Adventszeit!