Minneapolis, Minnesota is my hometown, the place where I grew up and that I hold dear to my heart. It’s where I spent my childhood and where many of my cherished memories were made.
I didn’t realize how much this city impacted me until I left. However, luckily, I got to return for Christmas ’23 with my fiancĂ©.
My fiancé and I traveled to Minneapolis to celebrate Christmas with my family for the first time in our six-year relationship.
I must admit, I was concerned about how my German fiancé would be welcomed by my South Sudanese/American family, and how my family would receive my fiancé. If you want me to elaborate more on the reason for my worry, please let me know in the comments, and I will be happy to explain.
Everything went great! My mom might actually like my fiancé more than me. We attended Christmas Mass together at my childhood church, St. Williams Church, and it was an incredible experience. While at church, we ran into my uncle and afterwards, the three of us went to Perkins for a mini family breakfast.
I have never loved anyone as much as these two beautiful souls. And yes, that is my gorgeous mom on the left.
Gorgeous QUEEN that she is.
After church, we headed back home and got started on preparing our Christmas dinner. If I recall correctly, my mom, younger sister Patience, and fiancé were the ones who cooked for everyone. We enjoyed a mix of traditional American dishes with a sprinkle of South Sudanese flavors, which my German partner absolutely loved.
Look at GOD! I consider myself incredibly lucky to have five amazing siblings, my wonderful mother, my fiancé, my sweet grandma, my cousins, and my Uncle Yai. My heart was, and still is, overflowing with joy because I got to spend quality time with my favorite people.
American vs. German Christmas: Differences in holiday celebrations
- Christmas is on the 25th of December in America
- Germans celebrate Christmas on the 24th, 25th, AND the 26th of December
- In Germany, the Christmas tree is put up sometime in December – some people even wait until the 24th to put up their tree!
- Americans typically put up their Christmas trees at the end of November, after Black Friday
- Electricity costs A LOT in Germany, so you won’t typically see extravagant outdoor decorations like you will in the US
- In America, we can sometimes open presents on Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, that does not happen in Germany
- Americans like to go over the top with our outdoor Christmas decorations
Our Minnesota Christmas was fantastic, and I’m already looking forward to going back!
Thank you for reading!
