“妈妈，真的有圣诞老人吗？”
这是三岁儿子问我的一个问题，因为最近睡觉前奶奶都会给他讲小猴子扮圣诞老人给小伙伴们送礼物的故事。故事里面的小猴子带着红色的帽子，白色的长胡子，假扮圣诞老人背着装满礼物大大的袋子，给他的小伙伴们一个个的送礼物。
关于这个问题，我当时的回答是：“有呀！只要小朋友乖乖的，圣诞节的时候就会收到圣诞老人送来的礼物。像“小猪佩琪”里面一样，圣诞老人会在圣诞夜驾着驯鹿车，从烟囱到达佩琪、苏西、丹尼家里给他们送礼物。。。”
但本着对孩子负责的态度，我还是找机会和孩子的姑父Ingo聊了一下关于圣诞节的细节。Ingo是在中国工作的德国人，在今年十月份刚刚成为一名奶爸，所以今年的圣诞节要在中国度过了。
下面的视频是这位德国萌爸对德国圣诞节的描述，看跟你们想象中的一样吗？
（视频下面给大家整理了对应的译文）
小利：hi~跟萌妈社的小伙伴儿们简单介绍一下自己。
Ingo：My name is Ingo, I’m German and I’m living in Beijing for almost four years now.
Today, we’re gonna to talk about Christmas in Germany.
（我的名字叫Ingo，我是德国人（来自科隆），我在北京已经生活差不多四年了。今天，我跟大家聊一聊德国的圣诞节）
小利：在德国是什么时候开始准备圣诞节的？
Ingo：We usually start a month before Christmas， this is when the mood gets more Christmas like. If you go out on the street, it’s getting quieter and quieter. The Christmas market is open. You can go to the Christmas market. And, you have candles, each weekend, you will light another candle. When I was young, we had a small calendar, counting down the 24 days until Christmas. Andeveryday you wake up, you open a little door, and you get a piece of chocolate. And, this is preparation for Christmas.
（通常我们在圣诞节前一个月开始准备。那时候开始越来越有圣诞气氛，走在街上，感觉越来越安静。圣诞市场开始营业，你可以去逛逛。还有蜡烛，每个周末，都会点燃一根新的蜡烛。我小时候，有一个小的日历，倒计时圣诞节前的24天。每天早上醒来，打开一扇小门，里面有一块巧克力。我们就是这么准备圣诞节的）
小利：圣诞树在什么时候开始准备？树都是真的树吗？有没有用假的代替的？
Ingo：That depends, some people buy the tree very early, other people buy it later, because it’s getting cheaper. Of course, you buy it before Christmas, so you can have it at Christmas. Most of them actually are still real trees. You can buy them all over the city. Only few people just uses the plastic ones.
（取决于个人。有些人很早就买，有些人晚一些，因为越晚买，越便宜。当然，你得在圣诞节之前买，这样圣诞节的时候，你才有圣诞树。大多数是真的树，很容易买到。很少有人用塑料的）
小利：圣诞树一般什么时候撤掉，怎样处理？
Ingo：After new year~After new year， you just take your tree, put it in front of your door, there’s special service that takes it away.
（新年之后。新年过后，你可以把树拆下来，放到门口，会有专门的人来回收）
小利：一般怎样来装饰圣诞树？
Ingo：You usually have candles on the tree, of course, electric candles nowadays and always the glass balls, colorful glass balls. You can have additional stuff that depends on the region you live in. Sometimes you have small figures or something like that or little present shape boxes, or whatever. It always depends on the region you live in.
（一般会用蜡烛，当然，现在是用电子蜡烛，还常用玻璃球，彩色的玻璃球。取决于你住在哪，还会放些别的东西，有时是一些小人偶，有时是礼物盒，等等，取决于你住在哪）
小利：圣诞礼物也要提前准备吧？圣诞礼物一般都放在哪儿呢？圣诞袜里吗？
Ingo：Yes, ofcourse. Especially for the children, it’s very important to get presents for Christmas. They wait all year long for this day.
In Germany, we don’t put the presents into the socks, this is something very American. We put it under the tree. We wrap it in paper, put names on it and put it under the tree.
（是的，当然。尤其给孩子们。对他们来说圣诞节礼物非常重要，他们已经盼了一整年。
在德国，我们不把礼物放在袜子里，那一般是美国人的习惯。我们把礼物放在圣诞树下。把礼物包起来，写上名字，然后放在圣诞树下）
小利：跟我们讲一下你记忆中收到过最好的圣诞礼物是什么？
Ingo：Oh, ya. When I was little, I got a spaceship from Lego. I was very happy about that. Actually it still runs in the family, not as Christmas presents anymore, but it’s still there, goes from generation to generation.
（那个，我小时候，得到过一个乐高的太空船。我特别开心。这个玩具现在还在家里面，虽然不再作为圣诞礼物，但它还在，从我这一代到下一代）
小利：你会跟你的宝宝讲礼物是圣诞老人送的吗？
Ingo：We usually tell children that this present from Dad, this present from Mom. We don’t tell them Santa Claus brought it or something. We don’t do that in Germany. I mean, nowadays,you also have this kind of things, sometimes. Because the American influence is also very great on Germany, especially American movies. But usually, we don’t do that.
（我们一般会说，这个礼物是爸爸给的，那个礼物是妈妈给的。我们不会说圣诞老人带来礼物之类的。在德国，我们一般不这么说。我的意思是，现如今，有时候也会那么说， 因为美国文化对德国也有很大影响，尤其是美国电影。但是，通常我们不说圣诞礼物是圣诞老人送的）
小利：分享一下你们平安夜是怎样度过的？
Ingo：On 24th,people usually have to work. Sometimes, they get half day off. Some company also give the whole day off. But, in general, you have to work on this day. Actually everything starts when you come back from work. Then you meet together with other family members. You eat together, then maybe go out doing something,take a walk or whatever. Later, you go to church. When you come back, you havea real Christmas meal. And after that you unwrap the presents.
（24号那天，人们通常得上班。有时候会休半天，有些公司也会给全天假。但是，大多数人那天都得上班。所以实际上平安夜是从下班回家后开始的。全家人团聚在一起，一起吃点儿东西，然后可能会一起出去做点儿什么，比如散散步什么的。然后大家会去教堂，从教堂回家后，吃圣诞大餐，然后拆礼物）
小利：分享一下圣诞大餐都吃些什么？
Ingo：In Germany, there are two classical dishes that you have for Christmas, either fish or goose. In our family, it’s always goose.We have potatoes, red cabbage and it’s stuffed with apples. I heard that in China, you also eat apples for Christmas. But in our case, in Germany it’s just for the taste. It has no meaning.
（在德国，有两种经典的圣诞菜肴。鱼或者鹅。我们家总是吃鹅，配上土豆和红色卷心菜，鹅肚子里塞上苹果。我听说在中国也在平安夜吃苹果。但是对我们来说，在德国，苹果只是用来调味，没有特别的含义）
小利：圣诞节的25号和24号有什么不同？主要都做些什么？
Ingo：The 24th is usually for meeting the family. All the family members are coming together,Children, parents, grandparents. And 25th and 26th are usually for going out with friends. Go to restaurants or bars, whatever you like.
（24号通常是和家人在一起，孩子，父母，祖父母，所有家庭成员聚在一起. 25号和26号，通常和朋友一起出去。去餐馆或是酒吧，因人而异）
小利：有什么想跟“萌妈社”的小伙伴们说的吗？
Ingo：“萌妈社” is a very interesting parenting website on wechat. So if you like today’s episode.Please feel free to follow and share with your friends.
（萌妈社是一个非常有趣的育儿公众号，如果你喜欢今天的分享，请关注并转发给你的朋友）
Ingo：“圣诞节快乐! Frohe Weihnachten ! Merry Christmas!”
