Fondue was on the menu, with bread, figs, apples and tomatoes for the dipping....along with delicious champagne, prosecco and beer. Dessert was a yummy tiramisu. We held tightly to our bread as we swirled it through the delectable cheese, as it is a Swiss custom that if you loose your bread in the cheese you must run a naked lap around the house!
The big event came at the stroke of midnight, when everyone spilled from their houses into the chilly night to set off fireworks and participate in the revelry that is Sylvester in Germany. We had seen people in the main train station as we were catching our train loaded down with packages of fireworks of all kinds...bottle rockets, sparklers, roman candle-type things that shot sparkly goodness into the sky. Stuff that you could never buy in the states...well, except in maybe Alabama at Big Daddy's....but that is another story. We had heard that New Year's was a really big deal in Germany, but we were totally unprepared for it...
In the states, you go to watch the fireworks from a distance...ooh and ahh, and then go home. Not here-the fireworks here are all about participating-people were launching bottle rockets out of recently emptied champagne bottles and even out of their hands! The air quickly became so thick with a sulfur-laden smoke that blanketed Munich. Church bells from every bell tower heralded the arrival of 2010. People cheered and kissed-I have not ever seen such rowdy rabble rousing from our host community...let's face it, the Germans can be a pretty buttoned up bunch...and are not nearly reckless. But....wow. They do know how to ring in a new year. The economy in Munich has not been nearly as affected as many other places in the EU or the States...but I think that this Sylvester celebration was a fond a dieux or auf Wiedersehen to what was a very difficult 2009 for many.
As I write, it is January 6th, and the streets are littered still with broken bottles, confetti and remnants of fireworks. On the morning of the first, I was out walking Bailey the Dog and saw an overworked Munich city street sweeper out with his brown twig witchy looking broom sweeping what debris he could from the sidewalk....I wished him a guten Morgen, but he only grunted grumpily back at me....I am certain that he was feeling the immensity of his job...
I count myself as fortunate in this past year-I got married, embarked on this great Munich adventure, started to learn German, reconnected with some wonderful, old friends via the Facebook and made some great new ones a long the way. Happy New Year to you all-I hope that your 2010 is filled with adventure and friendship!
You are the best my most beautiful niece, your writing is great . Love you
ReplyDeleteHi Carey,
ReplyDeleteThis is Troy from Munich Daily Photo. I received your comment on the New Year's bash. It was quite crazy, like nothing I've seen before. We actually do live quite close. I've seen your posts on and around the North Cemetary. I often run there. I live with my wife and two daughters on the back side of the Lenbach House (quite sad that it's under construction now, as I think it was the best museum in town) on Richard-Wagner-Strasse. Some great restaurants up near you. Bodega Dali is one of our favorites, and Il Mulino is really quite nice as well. Keep the posts coming. They are very fun to read. All the best.
Wow, I had no idea that the Germans had such exciting New Year's traditions! Fun! We have spent New Year's Eve in many different places around the globe and I am always fascinated to see how people do it.
ReplyDeleteI did NOT know about that fondue rule - I was always told (by Swiss German friends) that if you dropped your bread in, you had to kiss the person to your right. Perhaps they were being kind and not wanting to see...everything. Or maybe they just wanted to kiss new people. Who knows? At any rate...yay for gooey cheesy bread and figs! Oh and prosecco. Love. :)