http://myadventuresinmunich.blogspot.de/2013/01/silvester-or-new-years-eve-made-in.html

* New Year’s Eve in German * Traditional food in New Year’s Eve in Germany * Fireworks and firecrackers in Berlin * British comedy: Dinner for one *

Chocolate Reichstag by Chocolaterie Fassbender & Rausch As every year we spent the last and first days of the New Year with my in-laws in Berlin. Therefore I missed Silvester in Munich and so this blog entry is going to be about New Year’s Eve in Germany in general and not so specific about Munich. For a start let me clarify that in German: New Year’s Eve is called Silvester in honor of the IV century catholic saint and pope Silvester I. However they do not say happy Silvester to wish a happy New Year, instead they use expressions such as:

• “Frohes Neues Jahr” or shorter and more casual “Frohes Neues”
• “Alles Gute für 2013”:  (literally) all the best for 2013
• “Einen guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr”: (literally) good slide into the New Year;
• “Prosit Neujahr”: cheers while toasting for the New Year is also very common

Besides the wishes, Silvester also means: food, fireworks, firecrackers and an old British short comedy. FOOD: Fondue, raclette, carp and goose are typical dishes for the last dinner of the year. My mother in-law always prepares meat fondue one year and raclette the following one.  As I understand, they are both Swiss traditions but have been happily adopted by the Germans at New Year’s Eve.

Fish section in a German supermarket