Its Almost Oktoberfest Season! Oktoberfest season is almost here! Visit our special Oktobefest section to find your local Oktoberfest celebrations, get ideas for creating your own Oktoberfest party, learn Oktoberfest lingo, get Oktoberfest recipes, plus much more!     The Holidays will be here soon! Another year is going by quickly and before you know it, the holiday season will be here again. Check out our holiday pages for great ideas, recipes, and information.  Check back again soon for our daily holiday spotlights to learn about special holiday foods.     Find German Food Near You Search our directory of German restaurants, delicatessens, Biergartens, bakeries, and markets. Start here by selecting your state Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon   Get to Know German Food Traditional Christmas Eve Meals The meal on Christmas Eve in Germany is usually a simple one - something that doesn't take much time to prepare. There are a number of reasons behind this tradition. First, historically, the 40 days before Christmas were a time fasting. This fast ended on Christmas Day, at which time all food and eating restrictions were gone and one could again enjoy a feast. Beginning in the 20th century, this fasting period was no longer observed. However, the tradition remains today to keep the Christmas Eve meal simple and light. Second, the meal on Christmas Day is a huge feast enjoyed by family and guests. Keeping the meal simple on Christmas Eve gives the home chef time to begin preparing for the Christmas meal the day before. Third, many families in Germany attend church services and open gifts on Christmas Eve (not to mention it is still a work day) So, a lighter meal, which is easy to prepare, fits better into a busy day.

Quick Find List Find your favorite German foods by using our "Quick Find" list. Click on a category below to open it up. Soups, Salads & Sauces Pasta & Other Side Dishes Meat Dishes Vegetables Wurst & Cheese Breads   • Bauernbrot • Pretzels • Pumpernickel Bread • Zwieback Cakes, Desserts, & Other Sweets Beverages Not finding what you're looking for here? We identify hundreds of other German foods throughout our Web site. Please use our menu to visit the various sections of our guide or use our full site search above.