Maira

TO EXPAND A BIT: <BR> <BR>If you are into Porcelain: Hummel Figurines, Dresden, Kaiser, Goebel. <BR> <BR>If you are into jewerly; pewter pins, silver crystals. <BR> <BR>In you are into Wood carvings: music boxes, Christmas ornaments, Nativity scenes, carved calendars, carved frames, nut craker wooden soldiers. <BR> <BR>For the house: Cuckoo clocks, Beer steins, kitchen utensils, tablecloths & linens with hand-made knitted designs (specially good at Oberammergau) <BR> <BR>For the kids: CHOCOLATES, wooden toys.

Marlise

I think you're right Bob, even tho I already have (2) pickles (1 large and 1 tiny one)I need to have a real GERMAN pickle for the tree!! And has anyone heard of the German tradition of saving the Christmas tree each year? My Dad always cut it up and bundled it in a special cloth bag he had for it and put it in the attic until the next year for good luck.....when I think of the fire hazard....eeeeekkkkkks!!!! Wow...mustard in tubes....that does sound like a really fun, unique gift...a couple of my engineers at work LOVE mustard!!! Thanks for that tip! And about the ornaments...are they found in lots of stores or specialty ones? Never been to Europe and need to know so I don't spend ALL my time looking for them!!!! Thanks..

J.M.

I believe there IS a way to keep the same real tree year after year...a long time ago I met an interior designer who had learned how to "preserve" real christmas trees with glycerine. Don't know the ratio, or anything, but he had the same two trees year after year, and they were a beautiful dark green color and the needles were very soft. He had to throw them away after several years, not because they dried out, but because they got a little smashed. <BR> <BR>Might be worth a try, if you can learn how to do it!

Ann

Mustard is found in all the supermarkets in the tubes... so is the mayonnaise which many of us have become addicted to when served on french fries. Look for the blue and white checked tubes for sweet Bavarian mustard... good Oktoberfest-type souvenir. Also, if you're in the area and are a power shopper, you should know about all the crystal factories on the Czech border... super-cheap prices and Mikasa, for example, is one brand made there by Nachtmann.

Jeff

Just a caution and a thought: Try to buy something you will cherish and/or use. Remember, junk transcends boundaries and nationalities. If you buy some cheesy nicknack just because it is from Germany, it will still be a cheesy nicknack. The mustard idea is a great one. I also buy toothpaste. Use it, enjoy it, through it away, go back, buy more...

George

Amen on the Mustard! <BR>I buy the biggest jar of Lowensenf Extra I can find. Deeeelicious on rye with ham. I'm drooling now. <BR>You'll be sorry if you don't get a big jar.

carolyn

For fairly inexpensive chocolate buy Ritter's candy bars. They are great. One variety has nuts and raisins, like a Chunky bar only *much* better. You can also buy Lindt chocolate in Germany which was my all-time world favorite until some terrible Fodor poster put me on to Leonidis. My other name is Chocophile.

Claudia

I liked the pickle story, but my parents are German, we always celebrated on Christmas Eve and we never looked for a pickle ornament! I will have to ask my mom about this custom. <BR>My husband's favorite souvenir is the German chocolate especially any with liqour inside.. I love the Christmas ornaments and I always buy one whenever we travel. It really is a great way to remember your trips. <BR> <BR>

Bob

Good thread from a few years ago. We have been back to Germany since then and the pickles still live!

Jackie Oh!

what a totally troll question.

Duke

Jackie Oh....if you have nothing to contribute and only travel once a decade, stay off this site and the questions will not bother you.<BR><BR>MAN! What a jerk!

Glenn

Kristina, Where in Germany will you be going ? I usually try to get something that reminds me of the area that I was in and what I saw. We have a full fashing mask from the Black Forest area.<BR>Christmas nutcrackers / smokers from Seiffen. Wooden cookie molds & cookies from Aachen. I wouldn't be set on what I wanted until I had experienced some of the trip, maybe get some ideas. But it will come to you when you are having a good time and you want to remember those good times.

BTilke

I'm with Claudia--my father in law is German and his family always celebrated Christmas (including the opening of presents)on Christmas Eve. And no pickles. They still put real candles on the tree (but only for about 20 minutes). <BR>Souvenirs: from the Black Forest region, there is a distinctive style of blue and white pottery (mostly flasks, ewers, beer steins). We bought some beautiful pewter in Munich. <BR>For children, the Germans make some outstanding stuffed toys (not only Steiff) and they are still made IN Germany, not Asia.<BR>Traditional clothing (trachtenmode) is not just Austrian, but German as well. Meinerl is one of the top manufacturers and some of their clothing works very well with a contemporary wardrobe (www.meinerl.de). For inexpensive clothing, try the Vogele chain of stores (all over the place). I bought a "trachtenmode" shirt there for $12; they have plenty of contemporary clothing too, and I bought my niece a beautiful chenille sweater (made in Germany) for less than $20. <BR>BTilke (Brussels)<BR>