Celebrating New Year's Eve in Berlin

Berliner

Celebrating New Year, or Silvester, as its known in Germany, means to eat a lot of jelly donuts a.k.a. Berliner. If you want to bring some German flair into your house, you have to watch a British comedy sketch called Dinner for One, while eating the jelly donuts.

Feuerzangenbowle

Among the many drinks which I might consume on New Year, Feuerzangenbowle is my favorite. For Feuerzangenbowle you have to heat up wine with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. Then put a conical piece of sugar soaked in rum above the wine and lit it. The sugar caramelizes and melts into the hot wine, creating a drink which is not only delicious but exciting to watch in the making. Nevertheless, midnight is celebrated with a glass of sparkling wine in Berlin.

Fireworks

The loud cracks and booms of 1000 fireworks at the stroke of midnight are sometimes frighting in Neukölln. But the tradition of welcoming the New Year and frighten away evil spirits is not unique to Neukölln, Berlin or Germany. Once midnight is here, all the fireworks set off and it’s finally time to eat some pancakes a.k.a Pfannkuchen, as it is known in Berlin. Outside Berlin it is called Berliner, because they were created in the capital of Germany. But be warned, because some donuts may contain mustard instead of jam – which can bring you bad luck. Should this happen, you should buy a few marzipan pigs, since these are said to bring good luck.