For most of us with children, our Christmas days usually begin the same way, with little ones running down the stairs to find their presents under the tree. The Royals however have their own traditions - which they usually rigidly adhere to. It's well known that the entire royal family traditionally spends Christmas and New Year at Sandringham, the Queen's country estate in Norfolk. However, what's less well known is that the royal family normally open their presents on Christmas Eve, a legacy of the Queen's German heritage. Former royal chef Darren McGrady said: "The royals are of German descent so they weave in German traditions to their celebrations. "After afternoon tea, they open gifts on Christmas Eve, as is the German tradition." But mum-of-three Kate Middleton confessed outside church today that Prince George and Princess Charlotte were in fact "up very early" on Christmas morning to open their gifts. She let slip as she spoke to a royal fan waiting outside church on the estate … [Read more...] about Kate Middleton lets slip George and Charlotte broke royal Christmas tradition
German traditions
Queen’s Christmas tradition reveals why Kate Middleton was shopping at The Range
There is a royal Christmas tradition which might reveal why Kate Middleton was spotted shopping at The Range. While the Queen's staff presents - which are usually a book token and a Christmas pudding - set her back £20,000, the Royal Family are well known for exchanging cheap, joke gifts. In 2015, Prince Harry reportedly gave the Queen a shower cap which read: "Ain't life a b****." Another year, Princess Anne apparently once got Prince Charles a leather toilet seat that he adores so much he even takes it with him on holiday and royal tours. And before Prince Harry met Meghan Markle, it is alleged the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got him a 'grow your own girlfriend' kit. While most families may give out gifts on Christmas Day, the Royal Family does so a day earlier, in keeping with German tradition. "The royals are of German descent so they weave in German traditions to their celebrations," former royal chef Darren McGrady explained. Teacher Sarah Daniels told how she was shocked … [Read more...] about Queen’s Christmas tradition reveals why Kate Middleton was shopping at The Range
#SwedishChristmas: The tradition with a surprising connection to H&M
This article is available to Members of The Local. Read more articles for Members here. Like its cousin the adventsljusstake (Advent candelabra), the Swedish adventsstjärna (Advent star) that brightens windows during the Christmas season was adapted from a German tradition. Also like the Advent candelabra, which was brought to Sweden by Marie Cederschiöld, the Advent star owes its initial introduction in Sweden to a woman. The German Herrnhuter Stern (Moravian star), which typically has 25 or 26 points but can feature anywhere from 20 to 110, dates back to the mid-1800s. Representative of the Star of Bethlehem, the star originated under the auspices of the Moravian Church, a Protestant denomination of Christianity based in the German town of Herrnhut. By the late-1800s, the stars were being produced and sold in a Herrnhut bookstore and, later, a factory. Born in Herrnhut in 1886, Julia Aurelius would have grown up with the stars decorating the windows of her family … [Read more...] about #SwedishChristmas: The tradition with a surprising connection to H&M
#SwedishChristmas: How a German Christmas tradition became distinctively Swedish
Swedes may not have invented the concept of the Advent light, but they have spent more than a century adapting and reinventing it, making the Swedish version, known as adventsljusstakar (Advent candelabra), a distinctively Swedish Christmas tradition. The earliest Advent light tradition, which consisted of lighting candles placed within a wreath of evergreen branches to count down the days until the feast of Christmas, originated in Lutheran Germany, possibly as early as the 1500s. In 1839, the first modern German Advent wreath consisted of 20 small red candles, which were lit on weekdays, and four large white candles lit each Sunday of Advent. Though this was eventually simplified to just the four white candles, the tradition first came to Sweden as an adaptation of the more elaborate format. After spending a year studying nursing in Germany, Marie Cederschiöld returned to Sweden in 1851 to take her place as the first director of Stockholm's Diakonissanstalten (Christian … [Read more...] about #SwedishChristmas: How a German Christmas tradition became distinctively Swedish
Invasion of the German Discount Supermarkets
US Retail German discount grocery stores and other cut-price retailers have ambitious expansion plans in the US and other foreign markets. Giant firms like Walmart don't plan to stand idly by though. Published on June 16, 2017 3:53 pm Why it matters German retailers, especially discount grocery stores, are expanding in the United States and elsewhere, where sales growth far exceeds the possiblities back at home in Germany. Wal-Mart and other US retailers are determined to protect their turf. Facts Within two years, discount grocery business Aldi-Süd is predicted to achieve higher sales in the United States than in Germany, Aldi-Süd already has 1,600 stores in the United States and plans to increase that number to 2,500 by the end of 2022. Aldi rival Lidl has just entered the US market, with plans to open about 100 supermarkets along the US East Coast within a year. Pdf Aldi-Süd, part of the Aldi Group that forms Germany’s largest … [Read more...] about Invasion of the German Discount Supermarkets