With Christmas season in full swing, Germany is aglow with holiday spirit. The air is heavy with spiced Glühwein and smoky bratwurst. Wooden stalls adorned with evergreen garlands glow under the twinkle of fairy lights. Friends and families huddle over steaming drinks, sharing laughter and stories. It’s a celebration of togetherness wrapped in the warmth and Gemütlichkeit of the season—a magic we savored to the very last drop (or was that the Glühwein?) on our recent detour.

Growing up in East Germany, Christmas wasn’t all sugar and spice. Alongside St. Nikolaus—the beloved bringer of treats—we also had Knecht Ruprecht, his dark, switch-carrying companion. To children, Ruprecht wasn’t just a name but a warning. Known across regions as Black Peter, Schmutzli, or Krampus, he was the shadow to St. Nikolaus’s light, the enforcer who made sure German children stayed on their best behavior.