I wish I had known the significance of all of the major German holidays, Christmas, especially, was one of the holidays I wish I knew more about before coming. It was a grand experience to see all of the beautiful Christmas Markets and learn about the German fairytales. A cute tradition is on December 6th, Saint Nicholas’ Day, when the stockings are filled. My research boss would leave little chocolate St. Nic’s for each of his workers on their desks so on the morning of December 7th we had a little St. Nic waiting for us! I had had no idea about this tradition until my coworkers informed me about St. Nicholas' Day. Advent is a revered tradition in Germany, and many people actually make homemade advent calendars for their families. Typically, they celebrate on the 24th and put up their Christmas tree then, as well. Children are allowed to open their presents at that time.
Politics
Another topic I wish I had explored more before coming was basic German government in comparison to how American politics work. This was a great topic to create discussion amongst my coworkers who enjoyed teaching me about the German government and “parties”, which would allow us to discuss the differences between our political systems. We also discussed the issue of immigration, as Germany is one of the most popular countries for immigrants to enter. Prejudice and racism was prevalent in our small town of Germany in which even my German language teacher made some interesting remarks to immigrants in her classes.
Basic Laws/Regulations
It is important to be aware of how things are done in your country when it comes to the law.
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