- So, for me it's tons of candles, too. There can never be enough. A fire place would be even cooler, if I had one. - And insence sticks burning (woodsy scents, cinnamon, pine, cedar...). - Strung up fairy lights (not just for X-Mas, but in generaal). - Solar lamps that flicker like real fire torches for the balcony. Looks so rustic and cosy! - Walks in the forest with a thermos bottle full of hot chocolate (can be laced with a shot of rum ;-) ). And warm gloves and scarves. Woolen socks! - Hot bubble baths after a cold day outdoors, and staying in the tub for an hour just relaxing and maybe reading a book. - Feeding birds and squirrels on my balcony, which are a JOY every day to watch! So cute, you just can't be in a gloomy mood when you see them. - Or also taking bird seeds and nuts to the woods for the animals in the wild, just because it makes me happy to know they won't go hungry in winter. - Snuggling up with a hot water bottle (I'm always surprised how many people from other countries don't even know what that is - it's the BEST invention for cold feet, cold thighs, or just in general to cuddle something warm). - Supplementing with 4000 I.U. vitamin D each day (in summer I take only 2000 I.U. a day). By the way, it should be taken with vitamin K. It works wonders for my general depression, and makes the "winter blues" on top of that more bearable. - The rare occasions we get snow here, I'll be out there! Taking lots of photos, which is a passion of mine. Also, nothing is more magical than a night walk through a snowy forest or park on a moonlit night! - Baking some comfort food, like cinnamon flavored muffins with apples or chocolate in them. - I do like the colorful X-Mas time, but to be honest, come January I'm glad the hustle and bustle is over, and I'm happy to redecorate with more subdued colors and more white, to really embrace the "barren" part of winter. Instead of it feeling boring to me, it's like a detox and coming down from the sensory overload of the X-Mas time. It's nature's time for hibernation, and we, too, can benefit from taking some time to consciously relax more. - Sauna I theoretically LOVE. But for me it's too expensive, and now with the pandemic, I wouldn't want to hang out so close to people in a small room and potentially getting infected. I miss it, though! - For the very crazy ones: ice swimming! I always wanted to try it, but in recent years our lakes don't freeze anymore. Look for Jonna Jinton's channel. She's from Sweden and shows her beautiful life in the even colder winters up there, and she loves ice swimming. - Coffee and gingerbread for breakfast. - Faux-Fur bed linens/sheets! Sooo warm, fuzzy, cosy and fun! Makes me feel like I'm sleeping in a medieval castle in soft wolf fur, only without harming an animal. - Roast your own almonds and caramelize them, X-Mas Market style, maybe even adding gingerbread spice or just cinnamon. Snack them on a movie night at home. ...there are a thousand little things, that can make winter enjoyable, and usually I save (most) of these things for winter to make them feel special and like a more rare treat. In general, though, summer is my favorite season, too. And I do love the colorful autumn, which seems to be especially vibrant this year. 🙂
WOW! Thank you so much for all your great ideas! We literally just pictures them all and they created a very romantic, cozy, and looking forward winter feeling!! We also LOVE fireplaces, but unfortunately don’t have one…not a balcony 🙈. Jen loves the comfort food idea 😅.
+1 for the rare occurence of someone making an adequate vitamin-d +k recommendation. The doctors here are 10+ years behind the research and the general recommendations here are guaranteed to "not work", basically.
Great ideas. Just adding 2 or 3 things … Before you get a supplement check your blood and get informed very well. Magnesium and Calcium also take a big role in this. For me it also does wonders in my general mood. Actually Christmas or the celebration in former times on solstice is for the sun to come back! The days are getting longer from that on an we have some really cool rituals around that (Rauhnächte for example). And during Jan & Feb you can always have Vorfreude for Fastnacht/Karneval - at least I do. Comming from the south we have more of a whitches, forest elves and trolls thing going on with scary traditional masks and Schabernack.
I am British expat living the last 40yrs in Germany, and the best thing you can do in winter, Is to go on holiday to a much warmer country. Like I do. And if possible for 3-4 months.
The fact that we have studies about how long and which parts of your body exactly have to be in the sunshine, only to SURVIVE says a lot about the german winter :-D.
Hello.... I know, everybody's gonna hate me, but I enjoy Oktober - April😊 Each year I live in fear of hot summertimes where I just can't go out because it is way tooooo hot. In wintertime I can go out, use the right clothes, inside it is "gemütlich"....
I feel you, Jen! I am from The Netherlands, same type of climate, and really.... The first months of the year are AWFULL. Feels like spring never comes.
This is going to my 3rd winter experience in Germany. Watching the video made me realize how moody things can get, especially in Jan & Feb as Jen mentioned. Well, I have learned from my previous experiences and enrolled myself for indoor fußball. I really like your style of informative story telling!
Great video and great timing. As an mediterranean, i suffered last winter and now after the time change, i feel the winter depression has started kicking in. Last year my German friend gave me a "tageslichtlampe" as a gift. I was critical at first but it helped me a lot. Secondly, i think it is in the category of "be social" but i need to tell anyways, i observed that Germans love card games and board games. There were dozens of them i had not heard of. I think playing games help them cope with winter blues.
I actually like winter. Snow is great (if you are note the one who has to shovel it)! The sound of walking through deep snow is so enjoyable and relaxing.
Yeah, but that's not what you're gonna get in Germany. You get grey and rainy, usually around the freezing point, but never the beautiful sunny coldass days with snow you would get in many parts of the US.
I remember visiting London for Xmas, and it would get dark about 4pm. It was very depressing ! I’m from Australia - winters don’t get too bad, no snow near my house. Thanks for the videos - i did a cycling tour in Germany in July, and loved to visit Düsseldorf - I rode from Hamburg to Frankfurt (8 days) I would love to come back to Germany !
Living in the South of Baveria we have more Sunny days! Sun and Snow is a beautifull Mixture 😍. As a young woman I lived for 2 years in NRW. The Winter was horrible ! Almost grey and dark and Fog, no Snow no light no sun. I hated it 😱🥶.
Blue skies during winter in the US varies by geographical location. Growing up in Massachusetts, most winter days were short and gloomy. In Maryland, winter days were cold but in general less cloudy (NYC is halfway between the two). Guate’s weather is fantastic. After 10 years in Guate it was just impossible for me to deal with the miserable northeastern winters again. ☀️
I went to college in Massachusetts (originally from the Caribbean) and I was SHOCKED my first winter to discover that you could look outside your dorm window and see bright sunshine and blue skies but FREEZE your tush off when you stepped outside! The clear days were the coldest!
A thing I've started doing this winter is going for walks in the park during times that look like *the fucking night*, and it's actually very pleasant. You won't get vitamin D this way ofc, but that's not the only thing you're leaving the house for - movement and fresh air are very important as well. Going outside anyway has fixed many of the problems I had with winter time.
I grew up in NYC, but also lived upstate in places like Syracuse. I know exactly what you mean by the amazing deep blue sky and frigid temperatures. I loved those days! But upstate was always cloudy, gray, frigid, and snowy. Getting out for winter hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing definitely helps a lot. My fav winter spot is still Flagstaff Arizona. Lots of sunshine but very cold. Lots of snow (when there is not an epic 10-year drought), so snowshoeing and skiing in the mountains is great.
I have worked and lived for 6 and a half years in Gdansk, Poland. Around the 21st of December it would be dark at 15:15 hrs. Also, it would be overcast and dark for close to 6 months. Now the funny thing, as soon as it is 19 degrees and sunny, the Polish would go en masse to the beach, as you'll never know if you get those days again. On the other hand I've also experienced 30 degrees in summer. and -23 in winter.
@@simplegermany right, but I don't this much light in summer!) And in between of these "polar nights" I suffer from a fomo syndrome during the "polar day" 🤷🏻♀️ (feeling that I'd better be catching the moment walking every evening until midnight or all night long 😅)
Yep, winter in NYC looks mostly like you described, Yvonne. Even when it's cold, the sun is out and the air is crisp. BTW, I find your videos so helpful! I will be moving back to Germany in 2025 after having lived in the US since 1999. A lot has changed it seems, and in addition, I will be coming with my American husband, so I am looking for a lot of infos...Keep up your videos, please!
Hola !! I love winter !!!! You don't have to go out cause it's nice and sunny !!! you can start " movie night " in the afternoon !!!! no annoying mosquitos disturbing my sleep !!! no annoying flies ( moscas en la casa ) ;-) and all the delicious Winter vegetables ...... !!!!!!! I can't imagine living in a country having the same weather ( more or less ) all day , sunset or sunrise about the same time , isn't that boring ?! ... but April or May I'm looking forward for a warm and sunny day in a beergarden :-) Hasta la vista !
It's dark as if it's a rainy day, but it's not raining and it's cold. That are the most "depressing" days and that could be so for weeks. ... Until the weather changes and it's snowing or it's sunny. Rinse and repeat ;-)
I also love the Sauna. We (I and a good female friend of mine) try to go every two weeks if possible. This is how I can keep a good mindset during the wintertime. But we go nearly the hole year (Till the temperature reaches 30 degrees celsius, this is the time when we pause our "sauna-habit") ;)
hi lady's! german expat here iving in sun valley idaho, winter is by far m favorit time of year bittercold but bluebird snny day's almost every day only imterrupted by big snowstorm so i can ski every day! big mountain state here!
New York is on the same latitude as Madrid, so it gets the same, rather mild seasonal variations of the duration of the day. It is only that much colder, because europe is much warmer than it should be, because of the gulf stream and north america can get much colder than it should get, because how the mountains and the landscape and all that are laid out makes it possible, that arctic winds can make it really far to the south, to a degree, that just doesn't happen in europe.
@@simplegermany I agree! Do you know a good place in Berlin (or near enough) to get a Sun Lamp? I hear they can help in winter months and I'll need it. :)
Hi! The thought crossed my mine when you mentioned going back to Guata, how you are treated as a couple? Obviously if that is too personal, forget the question!. As always I loved the video!!!!!
Tageslichtlampes, vitamin D, and omega 3 will be my best friends through the time change, I expect. My cousins in Europe all miss the sun so much; the pandemic was torture for them, because they were used to coming back to Honduras every summer. I've always hated summer and beaches, but I suspect I will now join the ranks of people seeking the sun like crazy. xD
I live in Denver, its winter is so warm and skies are always blue, the annual sunshine is 3100hrs and you can count the amount of gloomy day in fact! Im moving to Germany soon, and kinda nervous 😬😬
What can I say? I honestly feel the sun will be a thing when I move to Germany, I’m from Dominican Republic and we only do summer and hell 😂 I’ve been to snowy places but my relationship to snow is like the guy from the video named “ un argentino en Toronto” 😂
@@simplegermany have you guys tried the red light lamps for vitamin redemption? That could work for the low sun light days My friends in Canadá do that so they don’t get vitamin D deficiency
I grew up in New York (Long Island). I haven't been back since 91. Winters have changed. We would get snow, would be able to sled and it was cold from November till early April. From my NY friends, there is not as much snow and the seasons have changed. Not much Spring, then onto Summer. Some Fall. Thank you Global warming. And yes, there are Sunny Days in NY in winter!
Greetings from sunny Konstanz. And if it is not sunny, 1h drive an you are above the clouds...or 2,5h drive we are in sunny Italy... And don't forget the Weihnachtsmarkt or Aprés Ski although if you not skiing 🙂. Hilarious: selfmade Gingerbreadhouses. And (!) invite friends for play games, cooking together. My personal highlight: Walking on the empty island of Mainau. Same: Museums, Theaters, Bars all empty. No tourists, no nobody. The city is ours! Jen, try this: outdoor cheese fondue. WONDERFUL!
Ooooh all of your suggestions sound great! I have not been to the island of Mainau (will add it to my list of places I want to visit 🙂). Wow, outdoor cheese fondue sounds delicious! - J
Ich weiß das Video ist schon 1 Jahr aber Tipps habeich dennoch. In der kalten Jahreszeit vertreibe ich mir oft die Zeit mit Handarbeiten oder Basteln für Weihnachten ( kann bei übereifrigen Menschen zu Weihnachtsstress führen). Aber bis Weihnachten ist mir nie langweilig. Im neuen Jahr suche ich mir ein Projekt das 3 bis 4 Monate dauert Patchworkdecke z.B. neues Kostüm zu Karneval 🎊. VHS Kurs im Bereich, Kunst, kochen usw..
Have you noticed weather patterns have changed,with climate change in Germany? Here,it has become A Warm spring type weather for several months. The only good,we’ve seem to have lost the really really hit days. I live in the Napa Valley,I know they’ve changed the variety of grapes,to handle this New weather pattern.
Yes, like in most places, it’s gotten warmer and more extreme for short periods of time. Like record heat or record rain that causes flooding. So a bit different to Napa. But very interesting that they started changing the grape time, makes sense though 😊
10:00 Lecker Freßmeile :) Muss wirklich mal wieder nach Düsseldorf, war zu lange nimmer da. Lecker Uerige im Frühling, bissi am Rhein spazieren....hach ja, hätte nicht umziehen sollen.
I'm from Ukraine and when its crisp cold (-5 and lower) Especially when it's -15 to -20 Clean blue sky and sun is pretty often combo (with plenty of snow) I have my sunglasses all year around 🤣
Some people improve their mood and also sleep patterns by, after getting up, looking onto a large, high intensity, white light of a noon sun spectrum for some amount of time. (called light therapy, not to be confused with similarly called things that are more of the "voodoo" kind - this is real)
Thanks so much! My wife and I are from Brazil and this is our first winter in Germany. We're kind of worried about it and your videos help us so much! Do you have any tips on skincare for the winter?
At temperatures below 0 degrees Moisturize you skin (especially face and hands) when you will stay inside for a while not shortly before you go outside.
You guys just don't help people settle in germany more smoothly but the Guatemala too we have so much information about Guatemala too 😀 I am afraid may be german government makes a rule if u want to settle in germany than u should go to Guatemala first 😀 God bless you Schwestern keep growing 👍
Growing up in South Germany I can survive winter in Berlin only with minimum 2 short trips to Spain a month, sometimes even a day trip. Luckily there are still pretty cheap options here in Berlin.
I love January, finally an excuse for Board games! 😂 With friends or meet-up groups! Or video games! Mysteries, adventure...Have you heard of Broken Sword video game: a defective mystery game? It's even better to play with friends and to try to figure out either a thief of an expensive painting or a kidnapper of a wealthy person...And what about indoor sports? "Mini" soccer, handball (obviously tennis) ?! 🤗
Now I feel even better about choosing Germany. It's all so similar to how I've grown up experiencing winters in my home country. I can even go as far as honestly admitting that if I am to make an overview description of Bulgarian winters I'd just have to repeat everything Yvonne says and I would be perfectly correct! So we really thrive for sunny time in December through February and I actually have a few friends who literally stay in the sunlight like carried away, just like Yvonne showed. But what I also grew up with was my mom always giving me strict caution not to be fooled by seeing sun through the window, it doesn't mean that it's really warm, not even close to warm. Meaning that a sunny winter day is really just for the sake of getting Vitamin D and that important frische Luft. 😄 Thanks for this great content, and I'll be looking forward to you guys also talking in more dept of German summers. (That one is really tough over here. I would strongly advise you AGAINST visiting Bulgaria in late July or August. That's what I'll do everything to my ability to run from! 😂)
Vitamin D is odd… I have a deficiency since 20 years and over those 20 years I’ve lived in the Middle East and North Africa with plenty plenty of sunlight
We have classical physical heater units, which we can turn on manually. The central heating unit of the house is in the basement and gets managed by the landlord.
My question, I'm an American from Texas i'm used to the warm weather and lived 10 years in UAE (Summer all year long) how do i deal? I'm so scared it's keeping me from being with my husband!! Please advise me
Don’t be scared, watch the video I’m full and take the advice from other Germans in the comments. Also watch our video on what to wear in winter and you will be fine 🤗
Don't forget to ask your doctor or your apothecary for vitamin D! No sunlight, no vitamin-D-production in the body. A lac of vitamin D causes depression.
Your shirts are irritating... 😀 BTW: Less daylight really affects us because by getting less daylight, you are missing vitamin D. This can lead to depression to some people (who are prone to it or not used to it!). I say this from personal experience, I struggled with this for years and I am still very much affected by fall and winter. This can be counteracted a little, by everything that lifts the mood (or just take vitamin D).
You are comparing the lowest sun time in guatemala with the lowest in germany ("ouch!"). Ok, ok, you are talking about winter in this video. But you should also compare the maximum sun times of both countries. Have a guess which country will win in that case! 😇 Another one: you guys are livin in Düsseldorf and you don't like february? Alaaf! Oh, wait, Düsseldorf: Helau!
1. drink enough water 2. dry eyes are often a sign of fatiuge. If you are working at a computer it is likely you do not blink as often and stare at the same distance the whole day. There is a 20/20/20 rule for that every 20 minutes look 20 feet (6 meter) into the distance for at least 20 seconds. Looking into the distance is what relaxes the eyes. Looking onto the screen is constant work. Try to remember to blink as often and while doing so close the lid properly, not only a little. There are sprays for onto the closed lid to moisterise. Eye drops are not recommended to use constantly as it will result in the eye dryingout eaven more (Im a optrition, by the way) 3. air out the room regularly
Which all the places that makes or feel them happy and how to live happily in Germany, please let me knows it all madam and I am kindly waiting for ur reply madam