Christmas in Hanover: Coming Home is the Best

It's really beginning to look a lot like Christmas, bags are packed, and it's time to go home, home to Hanover. 'Driving Home for Christmas' plays as an earworm in the head. There's no place like home...

At Christmas, everyone returns, even those who once moved away. After all, family and friends often remain, and the city welcomes them back with warm familiarity and plenty of Christmas scents.

Even before you reach the front door, the nose knows what's cooking in the pot. Others may style kale as a trendy superfood to be eaten raw with oil, but in Lower Saxony, people know what's proper in winter: Generous lard, sausage, and mustard on the plate! This isn't the only delight that pleases the locals. German bread is praised widely, but a good slice of Gersterbrot from the local bakery can make even those who moved to other parts of Germany feel nostalgic. Add thick butter, mett, or smoked Knappwurst from the butcher.

Hearty food also provides the perfect base for going out. There's no guarantee of a white Christmas, but if you grab some Schmalzkuchen in the city center, you'll likely end up with white powdered sugar on your coat. People flock to the city to buy last-minute gifts. Thankfully, stress can be well combined with beauty. The shop windows are lovingly decorated, making people press their noses against them as kids - and adults still love to look.

While lights shine over the streets in the pedestrian zone and large ornaments hang in trees, the Brauhaus Pyramid spins in the center. From Ernst-August-Platz, across Kröpcke, to the Old Town, people are enveloped in a cloud of mulled wine, bratwurst, and roasted almonds. The displays of many long-established shops in the city center definitely have something suitable for everyone. High-quality tea towels from I.G. von der Linde for mom, branded socks with a check pattern and button for dad, or perhaps rather a good fragrance from the Parfumerie Liebe, a sweet corduroy skirt for the sister from Kauf dich glücklich, or any other family-run business? If the quality is right, even classic gifts bring joy.

Even the stalls at the Christmas markets are worth exploring. In the hut with nativity scenes, you can discover countless small figures created with great skill and finesse. Pillow cases for snuggling, chocolate shaped like tools, and hand-sewn hats are sold from wood huts decorated with fir and fairy lights.

With everything in the bag, there's a reward of a hot drink in the Wishing Well Forest. The fir trees are packed tightly together, as are the people, but there's always room to set the cup down. Those with special wishes can try their luck at the Wood Market Fountain. In the wrought-iron grid is a wishing ring - a turn, and maybe Santa brings more than just material things.

Finnish Glögi is best sipped alongside salmon from a wooden board at Ballhof, freshly cooked over the fire. Recently, the Hungarian specialty Langos, a fried dough with garlic oil, has joined bratwurst, meat skewers, Belgian fries, and mushroom pans.

Even Lister Meile shines with holiday lights. When the puppet theater has a show, hordes of children sit captivated. Parents and older children gather at the wine merchant Rehwinkel, meeting for homemade mulled wine. The same goes for weekends on the Lindener Berg. Next to the mini-sized children's carousel, there's stick bread and rustic hut charm. For the first time this year, a Christmas village will be created at Herrenhausen Castle. The backdrop is promising.

Naturally, good food can be enjoyed indoors, too. The restaurant scene is vast. Many Hanoverians have consistent spots they frequent since childhood, always ordering the same dish. A gyro skillet at the Greek restaurant, rump steak at the German pub, or sometimes an espresso, antipasti, or sandwich at one of the ubiquitous little Italian eateries. For a proper treat, there's fine dining at the Insel with views of the crisp Maschsee or at the Michelin-starred Jante. A new restaurant has emerged by the city wall at Leineufer, Anna Leine collaborates with Hannover's workshops, serving delicious cakes and a wide selection of teas. Be it in List, Linden, or the region from Deister to Steinhude, the restaurants are bustling.

Somewhat unusually, and perhaps all the more lovely for it, is the 'Living Advent Calendar' at the opera. There, ensemble members perform small daily shows (except Sundays) - they won't add inches like chocolate bars might. The GOP Varieté offers 'Jim Knopf and the Engine Driver' as a Christmas musical and their Winter Variety with acrobatic stars from Vietnam at the Orangerie Herrenhausen. The Christmas Circus also returns to the Schützenplatz. Another popular attraction is the Winter Zoo with toboggan runs and an ice rink. Radio Hannover turns the ice into a disco at night. Who can still curve? Extensive walks at Leine, Maschsee, or in Eilenriede chill noses and clear minds. A break from the daily grind.

When Christmas Eve finally arrives, all the magic shifts back almost entirely to the home. In the kitchen, mini meatballs for the wedding soup are formed, and the goose basted in its own juices. 'Three Nuts for Cinderella,' 'Sissi,' or 'The Little Lord' air on TV. Perhaps someone still needs to buy the tree from one of the stands on the street corners-choosing either the prettiest to shine or the ugliest out of pity. Decorating, unwrapping gifts, dining, spending time together, and playing board games: an ideal Christmas.

But it's also worthwhile to leave the cozy home and attend the church service at the Market Church or one of the city's congregations. There is, after all, a reason we all come together at this time. The children's nativity plays are especially sweet to watch. At the station, tradition has the brass choir play at 11 PM - hundreds watch, giving goosebumps.

Traditionally untraditional, the Capitol hosts 'Bagaluten Wiehnacht' with Torfrock on the second day of Christmas. Prior to this, Terry Hoax performs 'Terry Christmas' there. The Faust, Baggi, and Palo Palo open their doors late at night. After roulades with dumplings and red cabbage, all you have to do is roll onto the train, politely smile at the city tram driver because he's working, meet old school friends, and reminisce about your youth. Coming home sure feels good.