While Christmas traditions vary throughout Germany and families, there are some that you will find, in one form or another, in almost every German city and household that celebrates Christmas. Here are 10 German Christmas traditions.
1. Adventskranz - Advent Wreath
The four Sundays before Christmas are Advent Sundays and the time is called Adventszeit. The word Advent comes from the Latin ‘advenire’ meaning ‘to arrive’.
Most German households have an Adventskranz (advent wreath) made from greenery with four candles to mark those four Sundays. Every Sunday another candle gets lit. The circle of the wreath stands for eternal life, the greenery is a reminder that spring will return, and the candles symbolize Jesus Christ.
More information and photos here.
2. Adventskalender - Advent Calendar
While the Advent wreath marks the Sundays before Christmas, the Adventskalender marks every day before Christmas starting on December 1st.
It started out with Johann Hinrich Wichern in 1836, a theologian in Hamburg, who was asked by the boys in a diaconical house when Christmas was finally here. He placed candles on a wagon wheel, four large ones for the Sundays, smaller red candles for the days in between. It is believed to have been the first Adventskranz.
Other ways to count down the days, mostly for children, were invented over the years. At first they were simple: 24 chalk marks that kids could erase one by one, a candle with 24 markings that gets burned a little every day, or 24 pictures that get pinned to the wall.
Later, the Adventskalender became elaborate: Paper calendars with 24 Türchen (little doors) in German that told the story of Christmas in 24 mini-stories. Calendars with coloring pages, activities, and chocolate. Nowadays, you can find advent calendars also for adults (think cheese and wine) and dogs. There are advent calendars that you reuse every year and many parents make their children an advent calendar, 24 small bags with small gifts or chocolate for example.
You can find more information here.
3. Nikolaus - St. Nicholas Day
December 6th is St. Nicholas Day or Nikolaustag and children in Germany clean their shoes or boots on the evening of the 5th and put them in front of their door. St. Nicholas comes overnight and fills them with sweets, if they have been good. Sometimes, a plate is placed by the window for Nikolaus to fill.
The Real Nikolaus
Nicholas was the bishop of Myra (now Turkey) and very pious. He performed miracles like calming the stormy sea and saving three innocent men from execution. He was born in 270 and died on December 6th, 343 AD. Since it was the early days of Christianity, he was in prison for some time but released when Constantine (the first Roman Christian and who made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire) became Roman emperor.
The Legend that inspired the Custom
But what Saint Nicholas is most known for and what still lives on the customs around Nikolaustag is his secret gift-giving. The legendary story obviously has different versions but here is the main one.
There was a man who had lost all his money and now didn’t even have enough to provide a dowry for his three daughters. Nicholas of Myra secretly placed gold in the house, possibly throwing it through the window. Now the man was able to marry his daughters and they didn’t have to become prostitutes (you might want to leave this part put when you tell the story to children).
You probably already knew or guessed it, the American Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas. He might have lost his bishop’s staff and any other accessories that would identify him as a bishop but it’s the same idea. Santa Claus also comes overnight, though on the 24th/25th of December, and he also fills shoes or rather stockings.
4. Weihnachtsfilme und -märchen - Christmas Movies and Fairy Tales
If you take a look at the German TV program in November and December you will see an abundance of fairy tales. It stands to reason that fairy tales used to be told on long winter nights, and we continue this tradition by telling fairy tales in movie format.
Children in schools sometimes have a field trip in December to see a “Weihnachtsmärchen” (Christmas fairy tale) in the theater. The play doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with Christmas, unless you are watching “Der Nussknacker” (The Nutcracker) which takes place on Christmas Eve, but it’s rather called that because you see it around Christmas.
Three movies stand out as classic staples of the German Christmas movie experience: Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel, Sissi, and Die Feuerzangenbowle. But other Christmas movies like “Kevin – allein zu Haus”, “Der kleine Lord”, and “Der Grinch” are also shown on TV every year.
Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel
“Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel” (English title: Three wishes for Cinderella) is a Czech movie from 1973 which was filmed at Schloss Moritzburg or Moritzburg Castle in Saxony. Moritzburg is a water castle in Saxony named after Duke Moritz who had it built in 1542 as a hunting lodge.
It is not quite clear how it came to be the Christmas movie everybody watches. The movie takes place in winter and the opening scene has a vague Christmas feel to it, with snow and green decorations.
You can find it in the ARD Mediathek, but also on youtube. Here is the Czech original with English subtitles.
Sissi Trilogy
Right now, there is a German show streaming on Netflix called “Die Kaiserin” (The Empress) which tells the story of Empress Elisabeth, nicknamed Sissi or Sisi, who was a Bavarian princess and married Emperor Franz Josef of Austria in 1854.
But what Germans watch during the Christmas season are the three Sissi movies with Romy Schneider and Karlheinz Böhme. The movies were always released in December, 1955, 56, and 57 respectively. Elisabeth’s birthday was December 24th, 1837, so that might explain how the Sissi trilogy became a Christmas tradition.
Only parts of the movies are available on youtube, so you might have to rent or buy it from amazon.
Die Feuerzangenbowle
Another movie that many people watch around Christmas is the 1944 comedy “Die Feuerzangenbowle” (English title: The Punch Bowl) with Heinz Rühmann.
Rühmann plays a home-schooled writer who sits together with friends drinking Feuerzangenbowle (hot alcoholic drink with a rum soaked sugar cone burning and dripping into the punch bowl). From the school stories his friends tell he realizes how much he has missed and he decides to go back to school and make up for lost (high school) time.
The movie, too, has no other connection to Christmas other than that it aired on TV for the first time on December 28th, 1964 in East Germany (GDR), and on December 26th, 1969 in West Germany (FRG). It is often shown during December in the big lecture halls at universities.
5. Weihnachtsmarkt - Christmas Market
Depending on the region a Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) can also be called Adventsmarkt (Advent market) or Christkindlmarkt (Christ child market) plus their dialectical variations. There are between 1500 and 3000 Christmas markets in Germany, some lasting only a couple of days or only taking place on the weekends, while others start in November and run until the new year. Some Weihnachtsmärkte have specific names like the Dresdner Striezelmarkt or Nürnberger Chirstkindelsmarkt.
The tradition of the Christmas market, though it wasn’t called that then, goes back the the late Middle Ages. With the beginning of the cold season, towns were allowed to hold a market for people to stock up on food and supplies for the winter. During the 13th century, the markets started to include offerings from toy makers, (pastry) bakers, and other artisans, so that people could purchase presents for their children. By the early 20th century, Christmas markets were a regular fixture of the Christmas season.
Christmas markets nowadays offer a variety of Christmas decorations, wooden crafts and artisan goods, sweets like gebrannte Mandeln (candied almonds), typical fair food like Bratwurst, fries, and fried mushroom, but also rides, especially for children, and sometimes ice skating areas. And then of course, there is Glühwein (mulled wine).
Glühwein is Christmas market favorite and is sold in special Christmas market mugs. You pay for the drink and an extra amount (around 2-3 Euro) for the mug. When you return the mug you get that money back. Technically, it is theft if you just keep the mug but on the other hand most vendors don’t mind if you take it. The mugs are specially designed for that year’s Christmas market and feature the city as well as the year, so they can’t be used the following year.
6. Weihnachtslieder - Christmas Carols
There are many German or German language Christmas carols that everybody knows. They are sung in schools, in churches, and at concerts. You can hear them on the radio and on TV. Many families also sing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve or when they meet with family and friends.
Some favorites like Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, which is Austrian, and Es kommt ein Schiff geladen are over 200 years old. Especially the older carols are of a religious nature, while newer ones might reference the Weihnachtsmann like in Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann, or baking like in In der Weihnachtsbäckerei.
Some cities, like my hometown Neumünster, may put on a Turmkonzert where musicians gather on a tower or here in a Turmerker (building with projecting alcoves) and play Christmas songs from the balcony and windows.
More about German Christmas Carols and a youtube playlist here.
7. Weihnachtsbaum - Christmas Tree
You will find a Weihnachtsbaum or Christbaum (Christmas tree) in almost every German household celebrating Christmas. Since most Germans will have a real tree, decorating often starts later than in America. In earlier times, the tree wasn’t decorated until Christmas. The children first saw the decorated and lit tree on Christmas Eve, almost like a present in and of itself.
The tradition of a Christmas tree in the house has its roots in the pagan custom of decorating your home with evergreen for or around winter solstice (December 21st). The green served as a reminder that spring will come again. Today it is also a symbol of eternal life.
As far as the Christian symbolism of a tree goes, the Paradiesbaum (tree of life or tree of knowledge of good and evil) was first used to tell the story of Adam and Eve. But in combination with the greenery in the house during the short days of December, the evergreen tree merged with the Christmas story.
At first (probably in the 16th century) the trees were decorated with nuts, apples, and cookies, mostly in wealthier households. The children were then allowed to pick the treats from the tree and eat them. In the 18th century, candles were added to the tree, and over time through wars and migration, the custom of a decorated Christmas tree spread through the German states. By the late 19th century, the Weihnachtsbaum was a common sight in German cities and homes. It was German immigrants who brought this tradition with them to the United States. In 1891, the White House displayed its first Christmas tree.
Christmas trees are usually no longer decorated with edibles but with Christmas balls, small wooden ornaments, decorations that the kids made in school, and possibly Lametta (tinsel). You might also see bows and straw stars or Fröbelsterne (stars made from paper, similar to origami). Nearly every Christmas tree has a star, an angel, or a Christbaumspitze (tree topper) on its top.
When looking at older pictures and photos you will find that often the tree was placed on a table, though nowadays most trees stand on the floor. The reasons for that might be that you didn’t need a very large tree if it sits on a table, making it more affordable. Another reason maybe a safety concern: if you have real candles on your tree it’s safer to not have them at ground level where children can burn themselves or your dress can catch fire. Since many people today opt for electric lights or a combination of candles and chains of light, the problem of kids getting hurt is not as relevant anymore.
8. Bescherung - Gift Exchange on December 24th
Bescherung is an excellent German word that doesn’t have a good English translation. It means the distribution or exchange of gifts. Germans do that on Christmas Eve or Heilig Abend.
Christmas Eve is a normal workday but stores close early so everybody can get home and prepare for the evening. Often families will have a small meal that can be prepared ahead of time.
There are two gift-givers in Germany: der Weihnachtsmann (Christmas man, similar to Santa Claus and Father Christmas) and das Christkind (Christ child).
The way the presents come into the house and under the tree depends on the family. Some might hire a Weihnachtsmann to come to their home with a bag of presents. Some might have a Christkind to do the same. In some households, the children are sent to their rooms (for some reason), and the Weihnachtsmann dropped off the presents, unfortunately missing the children.
A bell may ring to indicate the children can enter the living room with the Christmas tree lit (if it hadn’t been before) and the presents under the tree. In some households, children have to recite a poem before they are allowed to open their presents. Good examples for German Christmas poems are Weihnachten by Joseph von Eichendorff and Knecht Ruprecht by Theodor Storm.
9. Mitternachtsmette - Midnight Christmas Mass
Many Christians go to church on Sundays, but a large portion of Germans who belong to the Protestant or Catholic Church don’t attend services unless it’s Christmas. The Mitternachtsmette (midnight mass) on Christmas Eve is special service starts at 11 or 11:30pm.
The word “Mette” refers to a nightly service between midnight and the early morning. It comes from “Matutin” (English matins) which is the nightly part of the Stundengebet (liturgy of the hours).
Of course, other church services take place during day, especially for the children. Often a Krippenspiel (nativity play) is performed by children. Nativity scene are also common in or in front of churches and in people’s homes.
10. Plätzchen backen - Making Christmas cookies
The time between St. Martin’s Day on November 11th and Christmas used to be a fasting time, similar to Lent between Ash Wednesday and Easter. So, baking Plätzchen or Kekse (cookies) is a newer tradition.
As I mentioned, Christmas trees were decorated with cookies or even pretzels in the early days of the Christmas tree. They were special treats for children on Christmas. Since many families get together on Advent Sundays for coffee and cake (Kaffee und Kuchen), they serve special cakes and cookies that feel like Christmas.
A favorite of course is the Stollen, a loaf of sweet bread filled with raisins and often marzipan covered in powdered sugar. Popular Christmas cookies are Vanillekipferl (vanilla crescents or almond horns), Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars), Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Pfeffernüsse (spice cookie), Bethmännchen (marzipan cookie), Spitzbuben (jam filled cookies), Dominosteine (layered cookie with gingerbread, jelly and persipan or marzipan), Spekulatius (spiced cookie), and many more. In general, Marzipan is eaten a lot, either by itself or in cookies.
Check out the following websites that specialize in German baking and cooking but post their recipes in English and American measurements: All tastes German, The Oma Way, and My Dinner.
Zwei Weihnachtstage - Two Christmas Days
This is not really a tradition because the 25th and 26th of December are public holidays, so stores, banks, schools etc. are closed. Since Germans open presents on Christmas Eve, the Erster Weihnachtstag and Zweiter Weihnachtstag can be used to visit family and/or friends (and maybe some more presents), eat a meal together (or left overs).
If a family had a simple meal on Heilig Abend like Kartoffelsalat und Würstchen (Potato salad and hot dogs), they might have a bigger, more traditional meal like Gänsebraten (goose roast) on the first or second Christmas Day.
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