NEWS ROOM: SOUND BITES

Chris Jobst, 18, from California, discovered the joys of gebrannte Mandeln in Stuttgart

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

Christmas in Germany is amazing. In Stuttgart they have the Weihnachtsmarkt, which is lots of fun! Considered the largest and most beautiful Weihnachtsmarkt in Europe, the month-long holiday festival held in the days leading up to Christmas has been around since the 1600s. The blacksmiths and dancing bears no longer show up, but the market is still packed with Christ- mas tree decorations, holiday merchandise and gifts galore. I skipped the market the first week, but so many people recommended it, I had to go - and I'm glad I did. I'd never experienced anything like it. Every weekend, and often during the week, I would go and check it out, and just hang out with friends in the Innenstadt. There are way too many good things to eat, such as gebrannte Mandeln, all sorts of Wurst, and, of course, Quarkbällchen! In addition, there are hundreds of small stores selling everything from hand-made German gifts to typical wooden Nutcrackers. During this season, I also became much closer to my host-family, and it was the time for me where everything just clicked, and was really what made it the best Christmas so far.