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German Lessons > German Culture > Christmas DVDs > Part 2
Continued from Part 1 of this guide to the best DVDs and videos about Christmas customs in German-speaking Europe.
Also see: German Christmas Carols (Lyrics in German and English)
The Burt Wolf travel series appears on PBS TV stations. Check your local listings. The DVDs (and videos) can only be purchased from the Burt Wolf website (by check, no credit cards). The website also offers full transcripts of selected DVDs in PDF format. The Burt Wolf series also includes many non-Christmas DVDs related to German-speaking countries. See the links to previews and ordering information below.
DVD Transcripts (PDFs) of selected DVDs from BurtWolf.com
Preview the DVDs: DVD Video Clips from many Burt Wolf videos
Christmas (#103)
Christmas traditions, including the German Christmas tree, F.W. Woolworth (who imported German glass ornaments, later made by Corning glass).
How to buy this DVD from BurtWolf.com
Celebrating Christmas in Germany (#116)
From BurtWolf.com: “Burt investigates the history, folklore and rituals of Christmas, going back to Trier, the oldest city in Germany and the place where Constantine the Great lived when he declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. On the lighter side, Burt tells the story of St. Nicholas, and why we continually include the colors of red and green in our decorations, and use nuts and spices for flavor, during this holiday season. Date celebrated: December 25, 1996.”
How to buy this DVD from BurtWolf.com
Christmas in Vienna, Austria (#702)
From BurtWolf.com: “Christmas is observed in cities throughout the world, but the festivities in the Austrian city of Vienna are unique. Burt joins the celebration, explains the ancient history and meaning of Christmas, tours Vienna's famous Christmas markets, and discovers why we have Christmas trees. He takes us inside the magnificent castle of the Habsburg family and unravels the story of how they became the most powerful rulers in Europe by using their marriages instead of their military. We also take a look at the foods of Christmas and discover their special meanings. The program gives us a real understanding of one of the world's most popular holidays.”
How to buy this DVD from BurtWolf.com
A Christmas Calendar (with Loretta Swit)
In this 1987 one-hour holiday special, originally produced for PBS by Deutsche Welle, Loretta Swit (of M*A*S*H TV-series fame) journeys through various regions of Germany and spends some time with a German family. She discovers the origins of St. Nicholas and Christmas traditions such as the Christkindlmarkt — while showing viewers beautiful winter scenes of Germany. The program includes seasonal music. Shooting locations included Nuremberg, Munich, Aachen, Stuttgart, Hamburg, and Berlin. - Unfortunately, this informative production is not currently available on DVD or VHS. There is an out-of-print VHS version, but it is difficult to find (from used-video dealers or on eBay).
BACK > Christmas DVDs (Part 1)
Also see: German Christmas Carols (Lyrics in German and English)
If you do a search at YouTube or on the web, you can find many short streaming videos online for Christmas in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Here are a few samples:
The Rick Steves site offers higher quality streaming video than YouTube that also plays in your web browser. (See their RSS feed for a list: RSS.) Here are two clips from the 'European Christmas' video listed in Part 1:
BACK > Christmas DVDs (Part 1)
MORE > German Christmas Customs from The German Way
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