This phrase is what many Germans think about when
it comes to Christmas. From the 1st. day of Advent* there
is a Christmas market in nearly all German cities, ranging in size
and atmosphere from one to two stalls in small town and villages,
decorated with pine branches and lanterns, to the commercial excitement
and consciously cultivated magical atmosphere that surrounds the
big markets in major cities. These have been an essential part
of Advent in Germany for centuries and each year local inhabitants
as well as visitors enjoy the traditional atmosphere with friends
and family. Some have almost become fairs in their own right with
accompaniment of festive music, Christmas plays, "Glühwein", "Lebkuchen" and
other warm and sweet things, and - last but not least - the presence
of St. Nicholas.
* explanations of Christmas-related days
see further
down.
The Christmas market originated in Dresden. Since
1434, when the duke first allowed a meet market the day before
Christmas Eve, people have been able to buy their "Festtagsbraten".
Over the years artisans joined the market and people short of
money have used the market to earn a little extra with their
home-made handicrafts.
In 1471 the city of Dresden distributed "Stollen"
(=Striezel), a special Christmas cake, to poor people for the
first time. In that time nobody could have thought that this
Christmas market and the tradition of making "Stollen" would
ever turn out to be so popular with millions of people and
travellers' now visiting the various Christmas markets. This
is really something special: standing quietly with a cup of
warming "Glühwein" (mulled wine) in your hand looking
over the Christmas market and absorbing the uniquely festive
atmosphere.
There are nearly 40 Christmas markets, mostly in
the bigger German cities which are specially named by the German
National Tourist Office (www.germany-tourism.de).
We would like to recommend 5 of these which we have got to know:
However not only the Christmas markets create a Christmas feeling
in Germany. We also have a lot of Christmas songs, recipes, poems
and legends. Find out more about these under www.engelchen.de. Other
websites of interest are:
- It is a pity that from December 24 all Christmas markets are
gone for almost a year. But there is some consolation: In Rothenburg
o.d.T. a Christmas market is open throughout the year: www.wohlfahrt.de. There,
even in summer when nobody in Germany is thinking about Christmas,
you can find everything which is fashionable for the upcoming
Christmas season: candles, fairy lights, wreaths, Christmas tree
decorations and everything you can think that is related to Christmas.
- German Christmas
Museum: Also located in Rothenburg o.d.T. and run by Käthe
Wohlfahrt, this is a permanent exhibition in Germany covering
the history of German Christmas traditions. The museum is made
up of 11 rooms, each displaying a different feature including
Christmas history, Advent calender, nutcrackers etc.
Contact: German Christmas Museum, Herrngasse 1, 91541 Rothenburg, www.weihnachtsmuseum.de.
- For further resources about German Christmas traditions, we
recommend:
Christmas in Germany:
An explanation for the most important days
Advent
Advent marks the beginning of the build-up to Christmas, starting
on the first Sunday after 26 November. It begins with quiet contemplative
days in November, but excitement and activity increase as Christmas
approaches, accompanied by the usual shopping, preparation of
special food and Advent celebrations. The Advent Wreath (Adentskranz)
is a very popular decoration in German homes. It consists of
a circular wreath of pine-branches with four candles on it. On
the first Sunday in Advent , the first candle on the wreath is
lit, two candles are lit on the second, three on the third and
four on the fourth Sunday, immediately prior to Christmas.
Here is the link to our Advent
Calender of the Sprachinstitut TREFFPUNKT
Advent
calender >>>
St. Nicholas Day
For children the highlight of Advent is St. Nicholas' Day (Nikolaustag)
on 6 December. Originally children left hay and straw for St.
Nicholas' horses but now they simply put a shoe or a boot outside
their bedroom door, window or by the fireplace on the evening
5 December, hoping to find it full of sweets, biscuits, nuts
and fruit the next morning.
In appearance St. Nicholas is similar to Father Christmas or
Santa Claus, dressed in a red gown, with a white beard, boots
and a sack.
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve (der heilige Abend, literally the "Holy
Evening") is the climax of the German Christmas. Shops and offices
close at mid-day or 1pm, and most people spend the afternoon
at home in preparation for the later celebrations. The tree is
decorated with straw stars, foil and glass decorations, apples,
gilded nuts, ring biscuits, Lebkuchen (spicy biscuits),
chocolate or marzipan decorations, wooden angels, pine cones,
tinsel and wax candles or electric lights. Presents are placed
either under the tree, with the crib if there is one, or else
on the present table (Gabentisch). When everything is
prepared, normally just after dark, a little bell is rung as
a signal that the children may come in to see the lighted tree
and receive their presents (die Bescherung). Before the
exchange of gifts takes place, the Christmas story is often read
by the light of the candles and favourite Christmas carols are
sung.
Depending on whether the family is Roman Catholic or Protestant
they will probably go to church at midnight or in the late afternoon,
if they have children. The rest of the evening is enjoyed as
a family get-together. The children play with the new toys and
all chartering of the Christmas goodies.
Since the Middle Ages carp has been a traditional food for the
evening meal on Christmas Eve. All kinds of food are eaten nowadays
on Christmas Eve evening, but the traditional Christmas food
mentioned in the St. Nicholas rhyme, apples and nuts and almonds
(in the form of marzipan) still remain favourite Christmas nibbles.
Christmas Day
December 25th is known as the "First day of Christmas" (der
erste Weihnachtsfeiertag) and, in comparison with 24th
December, is a quiet day, often spent either visiting or being
visited by relatives. Goose is still widely served for the
main meal, but is by no means as obligatory a Christmas dinner
as e.g. turkey in Britain.
December 26th, the "Second day of Christmas" (der zweite
Weihnachtsfeiertag) also known as St. Stephan's Day, has
much the same function as the day before, being a public holiday
and a day of family reunions or outings.
"Practical note": If you want to travel
through Germany on these days it is as well to
bear in mind that from 23rd December all streets
are extremely busy, especially the motorways.
Resources to learn
German with Christmas topics
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