This blog will be a long one since Germans invented Christmas. Actually it did start here in the 14th Century. The activity tonight for the Senior Missionaries was the Traditions of Christmas. You have probably heard all of them before, but since I want to remember them for my journal, you will have to humor me.
Christmas in Germany is called Weihnacten and it is considered the most important holiday of the year. Compared to the US however, Germany concentrates more on traditions than the consumption of presents. I guess that actually depends on the family German or American. The Christmas season starts with the 1st Sunday of advent. This is when all the baking starts and believe me, Germany takes the cake for baking. Stollen, which is the oldest German Christmas treat and started in Dresden, is the center and most traditional of the baked goods. It includes butter, raisins, lemon zest, marzipan, poppy seeds and nuts along with the other main ingredients. It is sprinkled with puderzuker (powdered sugar) to look like the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloth. They also have various cookies and gingerbread called lebkuchen from Nurumberg. The first one was made in the 1600's. It is made with no yeast and lots of pungent Oriental spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cardamon, coriander and anise. To it is added candied citrus fruits & nuts. Not like what we call gingerbread in the States, it is so much better here. The Gingerbread houses are called Hexenhaus or Witches House also known as Hansel & Gretel's house after the famed Grimm's fairy tale. That is also a must here.
Decorations consist of wooden nativity scenes as well as the nutcrackers or Nussknacker. The Christmas pyramids are also here. The first ones were used in Northern Germany where there was not many trees, so they made them out of wood and put lights on them. Of course the street and store decorations are found even in the tiniest dorfs. Beautiful to see and walk among during the night. Each house has the traditional advent wreath (Der Adventskranz) which has 4 candles, one candle is lit on each of the 4 Sunday's preceding Christmas. In the early 1800's the color of the candles corresponded with the vestments or robes of the Catholic Bishops. If they wore purple the candles were purple. Some Catholic families still do this today. This is also called the ring of light which signified the need for more light as the days became longer and darker. It ended with the Julfest which celebrated the return of light. Incidentally, the English word Yule started from the word Julfest.
The Advent Calendar or (Adventskalender) is truly a German invention. It was to help invlove children in the festivities. They started by putting marks on the wall as a countdown to Christmas but as materials became more accessible they made them from wood. All have 24 small windows which are opened each day before Christmas. The first cloth calendars appeared in Munich in the early 1900's. Each window is filled with a small treat usually a chocolate or a trinket.
The Christmas markets (weihnachtsmarkete) opens the season. Every German town has one, some bigger than others. The people gather to listen to brass bands, drink beer, mulled wine or hot apple cider. Vendors sell baked goods, decorations, and handcrafted articles. Christmas markets first started in the 14th century. The most famous is in Nuremberg (Christkindlesmart) which is known for its gold foil angles and gingerbread cakes. We will be going there on the 17th with two sister missionaries and we will be spending the night so we can get in a full day of perusing. Even Frankfurt is famous and known for its prune people. I'll have to let you know what these are all about, haven't seen any yet.
Saint Nicholas (Sankt Nikolaus) is celebrated on the evening before December 6th. Children place their shoes or a plate outside of their door way and Nicholas will fill them with nuts, fruits, chocolate and other sweets, sometimes there is a little gift. In the old days if you were a bad child you got switches but no one is bad now a days so they all get candy. Martin Luther tried to do away with Saint Nicholas because he did not believe in glorifying Saints. He replaced St Nicholas with the gift giving Christkindl or the Baby Jesus who is a Child like figure with long golden hair and wings. In Bavaria the Christkringl is a girl. Today St Nicholas is accompanied by his companion Knecht Ruprecht. Santa Claus or Der Weihnachtsmann originated from the God Thor who was a Germanic mythological deity. Depending on the family it is either Santa Claus or Christkindl who distributes the gifts on Xmas Eve night
The Christmas Tree (Der Tannenbaum) is usually put up on Christmas Eve. The fir tree was Germany's tree of choice and they still use the real lit candles instead of electric lights. The first known tree was in Freiburg in 1419 and was put up by the local bakers. The tree was decorated with confections and on New Year's Day the children of the town were able to eat everything on the tree. Since the Middle Ages, Germans's were bringing in any plant that remained green through the winter and they used that as decorations. In places such as Northern Germany where forests were sparce, wooden pyraminds with candles took the place of trees. The custom of a Christmas tree was brought to the U.S. in the 18th Century by German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Christmas Tree is always taken down on January 6th or the Three King's Day. A little about the three kings. Today people from the Catholic church dress up as the wise men and go from house to house putting the Roman Numerals of that date over the door way. It is a sort of blessing on the house for the coming year. I have seen doors in Limberg and Rothenburg that had that on them. Now I know what they mean. The people do not clean it off either. A small fee is charged and used for charity. (just some info on how much German's love their Christmas trees. Whenever a house or building is erected they place the top half of a tree on the top of the roof. ) Also, the first Christmas tree put up in the White House was in 1879 under President Rutherford B. Hayes.
Christmas Eve or (Heiligabend) begins at 2:00 PM. Everyone works until 12:00 that day and then go home to prepare for the nights festivities. The evening meal for the poor use to consist of potato salad and brots and if you were lucky they enjoyed carp. Most people who are Catholic eat some kind of fish because they are still observing no eating of meat. After the meal most families attend some sort of religious program at their churches. This is also done in the Mormon community. Each Ward will have their own program. All gift giving is done on the 24th not Christmas Day. Both the 25th and 26th are legal holidays and they are spent visiting friends and family reading the scriptures and telling Christmas stories. There is also the main Christmas dinner which either fares ente (duck) or gans (Goose) I bought a goose for Gene and I for our Christmas dinner, however, we have been invited to a members home on the 24th and one on the 25th. The Goose is usually accompanied by apple and sausage stuffing, red cabbage and potato dumplings. Of course gravy goes all over everything.
So family and friends we will be well taken care of this Christmas season. Of course it won't be the same without our family and friends but the Lord has blessed us in so many ways this year.
We are looking forward to our Missionary Christmas brunch on the 25th. I am in charge of games but still haven't found a good one to play with 30+ people. Can anyone help!
Wooden nativity scenes are put up in every house
Very insightful. America doesn't really know how to party. I think we are still really Puritan when it comes to celebrating. Yes we all want to party but it takes effort to plan and decorate and dress up and that's just too much of a hassle I think. :(
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