Strangely, there is no English word to directly translate "Vorfreude," which expresses "joyful anticipation." The German saying, "Vorfreude ist die schönste Freude," reminds us that anticipation is the greatest joy. Children learn quickly enough that their impossible list of wishes will not always get fulfilled. The fun part is that they can still happily hope it will — maybe — next year.

A good way to sweeten the long (but joyful) wait until Christmas is with cookies. The ones Germans bake are called "Plätzchen," which literally translates as "little place." "Platz" (place) is also dialect for "flat cake," so Plätzchen are just a smaller version of those. And we'll always have a little spot left to eat one or two more of them, no matter how full we are.

In a classic 1978 Christmas sketch by German comedian Loriot, a grandpa complains, "Früher war mehr Lametta!," (There used to be more tinsel!). The couple decorating the Christmas tree explains that they now prefer ecological decorations. Tinsel was invented in Nuremberg around 1610. It was originally made with real strands of silver, and later lead — until that was discovered to be poisonous.

Even non-religious families often go to church on Christmas Eve. After all, the whole party was invented because Jesus was born, and that's something children should at least know before overdosing on sugar and presents. Most services that night include a nativity play, or "Krippenspiel," where children recreate the events that led us, over 2,000 years later, to continue celebrating Christmas.

In some parts of Germany, and in different European countries, it's not Santa Claus who brings the presents under the tree without being seen, but rather the Christkind, represented as a blond angel with wings. Santa Claus started taking over in the mid-20th century, following his appearances in US films. Many German children still send their list of wishes to the Christkind — just to be sure.

This is definite proof that Germans are more precise with their Christmas vocabulary: "Bescherung" concisely refers to the moment during which gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve. When they add the adjective "beautiful" to that word, as in "schöne Bescherung," it can ironically mean "what a mess." That was the title of the German version of the comedy "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

Gifts are traditionally exchanged on Christmas Eve, called in German "Heiligabend" (literally, holy evening). Christmas itself translates as "Weihnachten," which is derived from ancient Germanic dialect and means the holy nights. The term is plural, as the celebration was traditionally one that covered 12 days. Now in Germany it runs from the evening of December 24 through December 26.

Although the exact dates differ from one region to the other, usually, the "Raunächte" correspond to the period known as the 12 Days of Christmas, from December 25 to January 6, ending with the Christian feast of Epiphany. In Germanic mythology, during this special period of the year, animals were said to be able to predict the future and demons could pay a visit at any time.

Epiphany is the celebration also known as Three Kings' Day, when the Wise Men came "from the Orient" bearing precious gifts for Jesus. In German, they're called "Die Weisen aus dem Morgenland." Martin Luther coined the term "Morgenland" in his translation of the Bible. The word is now an outdated way to refer to the Middle East or Far East.

This is not exclusively a word for the Christmas season, but it's certainly a glittering German expression: "Hüftgold" (Hip gold) is what you might develop, like this gingerbread man, after spending several days feasting. It's the equivalent of "love handles." Go ahead, enjoy all those delicious Christmas treats. Those extra pounds will make your hips shine.

Germany is a leading manufacturer of traditional nutcrackers. Today, the decorative Christmas figures are collected by people worldwide. While they have been around for ages, the wooden dolls only became popular in the US in the 1950s. The nutcracker acquired its iconic status through a globalized transmission of popular culture.

The German author E.T.A. Hoffmann wrote the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" in 1816. French writer Alexandre Dumas came up with his own adaptation of the story in 1844, which was then turned into a ballet by the Russian composer Tchaikovsky in 1892. Now a Christmas classic, the work contributed to the nutcracker's fame worldwide.

Jacob Grimm, the oldest of the famous Brothers Grimm, also wrote about nutcrackers in his treatise on Germanic mythology, "Deutsche Mythologie," from 1835. He described how wooden nutcrackers were carved as protective figures of strength and power. The grim-mouthed nutcrackers symbolized good luck. By baring their teeth, they were to protect homes by warding off evil spirits.

Heinrich Hoffmann, best known as the creator of the children's book "Der Struwwelpeter" (Shaggy Peter), also wrote his own version of E.T.A Hoffmann's story. Published in Germany in 1851, his illustrated tale was titled "King Nutcracker or The Dream of Poor Reinhold," and told the story of a poor child who dreams of the "Fairy Town of Toys" and meets the "Nutcracker King with royal jaws."

Inspired by Heinrich Hoffman's version of the story, an Ore Mountain carver named Friedrich Wilhelm Füchtner created the iconic traditional nutcracker model by 1870 that later went into serial production — which is why he became known as the "father of the nutcracker." The family business in Seiffen is now being run by the eighth generation of Füchtners.

There are many traditional nutcracker producers in the Ore Mountain region, which makes up the natural borderland between Germany and the Czech Republic. Initially attracting miners, the forested area with long, dark winters also inspired villagers to develop other carved wooden decorations: Christmas pyramids, candle holders called Schwibbogen, and smoking figures known as Räuchermännchen.

Mass production of the nutcracker doll in the region started in the late 19th century, but wooden figures used to crack nuts were already created in Europe for centuries. The right picture features a model dating back to ca. 1650, along with one of the first typical Ore Mountain region figurines from 1870. Left and center are more recent models, depicting a Swiss knight and an American soldier.

By the 1700s, Austrian, Italian and Swiss carvers were making animal and human-shaped nutcrackers. No one knows who came up with the idea. According to legend, a rich farmer who was too lazy to crack his own nuts promised to reward his entire village if anyone came up with a solution. A carver created a colorful puppet that could crack nuts with its jaws. The Napoleon figure (center) is from 1822.

Traditional nutcrackers typically took on the attributes of figures of authority, such as kings, soldiers, forest guards or policemen. During the Christmas season, the poor could celebrate their hard year of work by having the nutcrackers break nuts at their command — a satisfactory act of political subversion. These newer models depict politicians Bill Clinton, Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schröder.

The largest German producer of traditional nutcrackers is Steinbach. After WWII, the family business quickly grew by developing contacts with US soldiers based in the Hanover area who brought back nutcrackers to their families as original German souvenirs. The company develops new collectible models every year, and Darth Vader is among the 350 figures they have on offer.

Nearly 130 production steps are needed to create a traditional handmade Ore Mountain nutcracker. Each one has up to 60 parts which are made of locally sourced spruce and beech wood. The beard and hair is usually rabbit fur. The carved nutcrackers are then painted. Original pieces from the Ore Mountains typically cost at least €70 ($80). Some cost way more depending on quality, size and brand.