The first taste of Christmas arrives when Lebkuchen gingerbread and Spekulatius gingery biscuits suddenly appear on the supermarket shelves at the beginning of September. From the first Sunday in Advent onwards, Christmas markets , Christmas hits on the radio and Christmas lights spread the Christmas spirit throughout the land.
Celebrating Christmas is an important family tradition for most people. Roughly one in four Germans go to church at Christmas. Attending the Christmas service at midnight on Christmas Eve is a ritual that many would not like to miss.
According to a survey by the Yougov market research institute, most people said Christmas involves candles, a Christmas tree, baking Christmas biscuits and buying presents.
In , almost 30 million Christmas trees stood in German living rooms — preferably real ones, because plastic imitations are frowned upon. Germany celebrates Christmas with two public holidays, 25 and 26 December.
For many people, 24 December, Christmas Eve, is divided into a hectic morning and a festive evening. When Christmas Eve falls on a working day, the shops are open until noon and they are very busy as people buy their last presents or food for the festive meal.
Afterwards attention focuses on decorating the Christmas tree with fairy lights and colourful baubles, wrapping up presents and preparing food. In the early evening the members of the family gather.
Some cultivate traditions like singing and making music together. The evening meal is followed by the distribution of presents: this is when everyone is allowed to unwrap the parcels lying under the Christmas tree.
Finally, weeks after writing wish lists to the Christ Child, children expectantly wait to see whether their wishes have been fulfilled.
Young people who have returned to their home towns for the holidays often set off again late at night to meet up with old friends. That is why a simple dish is served — for example, carp, because fish is the symbolic fasting meal.
However, the most popular dish throughout the country is potato salad with sausages; according to a survey, that is what almost one in two Germans eat on Christmas Eve. And it can seem a bit confusing calling the 'Christ Child', Jesus, a girl!
And before Christmas she has over 'official duties' including visiting hospitals, old people's homes and children's nurseries! She also has to give TV interviews and visit other cities. You might also write a letter to Weihnachtsmann in other parts of Germany.
As well as hoping for presents from Christkind or der Weihnachtsmann, some children also hope that 'der Nikolaus' will bring you some small gifts, such as sweets and chocolate on the 6th December St Nicholas's Day. He comes in the night between the 5th and the 6th and puts the presents into the shoes of children, who usually place them by their doors.
He might also knock on the door and the children will have to sing a song, play a song on an instrument or tell a story to St Nicholas before he gives them their presents. Nicholas on the 6th of December. He is big horned monster clothed in rags and carries chains. He is meant to punish the children who have been bad! He is usually the one who scares the little children. In other parts of Germany, St. Nicholas is followed by a small person called "Schwarzer Peter" Black Peter who carries a small whip.
Black Peter also accompanies St. Nicholas or Sinterklaas in The Netherlands. In north west Germany Santa is joined by Belsnickel a man dressed all in fur. Although 'der Nikolaus' visits in December, he's not officially part of Christmas!
Most German Christmas candle arches Schwibbogen are located indoors, unlike this one in Seiffen, Saxony. One German Christmas custom the US has yet to adopt is the two-day celebration. There are many other Christmas customs and traditions — national, regional, and local — unique to German-speaking Europe. You can learn about them by reading our numerous pages about a German Christmas. Next Advent and Christmas. You must be logged in to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.
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