Christmas Special II: The Nativity Story, and everything that sweetens the anticipation of Christmas  [01.12.22]

Christmas is the most special season of the year in Germany, and you will not be able (or even want!) to avoid Christmas markets, Christmas decorations and our infamous Glühwein!

 

Christmas is the most special season of the year in Germany, as it is in many other Christian nations.
If you are not familiar with Christmas, don't worry, you will know the most important things after our Christmas series! :)

The Christmas Story   

To this day, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. His story began before he was born: A young woman named Mary lived in Nazareth. One day, an angel suddenly hovered in front of her. Mary was frightened, but the angel told her not to be afraid. He had been sent by God to tell her that she would soon have a child - a very special one. This one would be called Jesus and all people would call him the "Son of God". Mary wondered: by whom should she have a child - she was not yet married? But the angel explained to her that God Himself was the Father.  
Joseph, Mary's fiancé, was saddened when he heard of Mary's pregnancy: he thought Mary had lied to him and was with another man. He decided to separate from her - even though he really wanted to marry her. While he was sleeping one night, he dreamed of an angel: "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife," he said. Mary had not lied to him: the child was the Son of God. He told him to give the child the name Jesus. This would make the people happy and joyful. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel had told him: he took Mary as his wife. And he would name the child Jesus.   At that time, the Roman emperor ordered all the inhabitants to go to their homes. He wanted to count how many people lived in his kingdom. They were to sign lists there. So Joseph had to go to his home in Bethlehem - but he took his Mary with him. The way was very arduous, because Mary was heavily pregnant. They had to spend the night somewhere - but no matter where they knocked: nobody had a bed free for them.  
Finally, they found an abandoned stable where they could stay. That night, Mary gave birth to her son. This is why we call this night the "Holy Night". As the angel had said, Joseph gave him the name Jesus.   Nearby, shepherds were sitting in the field guarding their flock of sheep. They were frightened when the angel suddenly hovered before them. "Do not be afraid, for I proclaim to you great joy!" he said. He told them about the birth of the Son of God. Curious, the shepherds made their way to the stable where Mary, Joseph and Jesus were. They wanted to see this with their own eyes!  
At the same time, Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar were roaming the countryside. Christians call them the three wise men. They were great connoisseurs of the stars and the sky, and so they looked up into the night sky that evening as well. Suddenly a shining star appeared above them, moving slowly. They followed the star and finally arrived at the stable: The star hovered just above it. The shepherds and they quickly realized that the Son of God had really been born that night. They rejoiced because he would do much good for the people.    

The Nativity Scene, a popular decoration during Christmas time, is a three-dimensional depiction of the Nativity of Jesus. It is also called a crib, manger or crèche. In Germany, it is usually called "das Krippenspiel" or "die Krippe". Typically, a large scale scene includes: the Holy Family, the angels, the three wise men, the ox and the donkey, and an assortment of shepherds, villagers, servants and others. Many German Christmas markets will have a live nativity scence. St. Francis of Assisi is credited with staging the first nativity scene in 1223. St. Francis got permission from Pope Honorious III to set up a manger with hay and two live animals—an ox and a donkey—in a cave in the Italian village of Grecio.  

 

From this story, many Christmas traditions, customs and decorations are derived. While family time, holiday cheer, and delectable cuisine are the same components of Christmas everywhere, each nation celebrates this enchanted event in a unique way. These customs and rituals surrounding Christmas are distinctly German.  

St Nicholas Day (Sankt Nikolaus Tag)
December 6th is St. Nicholas Day, which is observed in Germany and other European nations. Children leave their freshly cleaned shoes in front of the door the night before December 6th in the hopes that Nicholas will fill them with treats like chocolate, candy, nuts, and fruits. The children's requests will be granted if they have behaved well. Children who misbehave will only be given a switch, which stands for punishment for their wrongdoings. Alternatively to leaving out their shoes to be filled, German children get their stockings filled during the night, which are then opened on the morning of the 6th.
No matter the country's affiliation with a particular religion, many European nations celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas. An empty sock, a bag looking like a sock, or more contemporary stockings are typical Christmas stockings that kids hang outside their doors for Saint Nicholas to fill. It's a sweet surprise for kids to enjoy at the start of December, with everything from small toys to oranges and chocolate coins.
The actual St. Nicholas was a bishop of an area in what is now Turkey during the fourth century. He became recognized as the guardian of children and the secret giver of presents to them through the tales and folklore attached to him. The life and acts of St. Nicholas have been honored throughout the ages on his assigned day, December 6th. By the Middle Ages, the holiday had already evolved into a day to celebrate children and give them gifts.

As the veneration of saints had no place in his theology during the Reformation, it was the German Martin Luther who attempted to break the link between the saint and the holiday of giving gifts to children. Instead of completely doing away with the tradition, Luther changed Nicholas' character to that of the Christ Child. In his Protestant beliefs, the infant Jesus was now credited with bringing the children presents, and not on Saint's Day but rather at Christmas. Today, Christkindl, rather than Saint Nick, delivers Christmas presents to children on December 24 in all throughout Germany.  
The Catholic Counterreformation supporters did not passively accept the diminution of their saint. They created Nicholas as a character who visited families' homes on his designated day and stood in judgment over youngsters in response to the practices of the unconventional Protestants. The small children were given gifts from the sack that Nicholas' companion, Knecht Ruprecht, had slung over his shoulder if they were able to correctly respond to religious questions and say their bedtime prayers unfailingly. The children who neglected their religious obligations were punished or threatened with being taken off in Ruprecht's sack or beaten with a wooden stick.  
Youngsters across all German-speaking regions are celebrating Nicholastag today. Nicholas now travels with Ruprecht, who often carries a basket of treats for the kids as well as the punishment switches for the misbehaving ones.

Secret Santa (Wichteln)  
One of the oldest Christmas customs is distributing gifts, along with singing carols, decorating Christmas trees, and hosting family gatherings. Exchanges of thoughtful gifts with loved ones are gratifying, but when you have a large list, it may become stressful. Secret Santa, which has practically become a common practice in businesses, organizations, and groups of all kinds throughout the holiday season, emerged as a remedy for the stress of finding gifts for large groups.  
According to this system, each participant offers and receives a single present, which is easier and requires fewer resources than gifting presents to each person in the group.  
Although it may not always go by the same name, Secret Santa is typically well-liked in the West and other nations. In the UK, it's called Kris Kringle, while in Ireland, it's called Kris Kindle (which originally meant "Christ child"). The rules of the game are straightforward: you are given the opportunity to offer a gift to just one member of the group at random, typically by selecting a name from a piece of paper. In a sense, you play the part of a "Secret Santa," and the receiver isn't supposed to know who you are until they receive the present.  
There are several optional rules and variants, but that is the general idea. One is that you frequently must make an appearance during the actual gift-giving by standing up and presenting the gift to the recipient in person. The presenting of presents can take place all at once or spread out over a few days with a sequence of lesser gifts leading up to the main gift at the end. Setting a spending cap on presents, such as Gifts Under €50, is another convenience. Additionally, everyone can make a wish list in order to prevent guesswork from the Secret Santa.  

Wishing Tree (Wunschbaum)  
A wishing tree, often referred to as a votive tree, is a solitary tree that frequently occupies a holy location and is believed to possess supernatural abilities. Any person who hangs a piece of fabric or a similar object from their personal belonging on a wishing tree associates this with a desire that might come true as a result of this action. A votive offering for a miracle that has already occurred may also be included with the keepsake. The wish-fulfilling powers should be spirit beings, saints, or deities, according to the corresponding popular belief, which in theory can exist in all religions.  
Among other things, saints from the European-Christian Middle Ages are connected to wishing trees. Wishing trees are frequently erected in reverent locations like holy springs, churches, or chapels. In Germany, they are often found near  (Bürgerbüros).  

Writing letters to Santa Claus  
Children in Germany put a lot of thought into their Christmas wish lists every year. Sending them to Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, or the Christ Child can be done at a number of post offices across the country. You can also bind them to a tree branch or a plant in your garden or on your balcony.   
The traditional gift-giver in various regions of Germany was known as the Christkind, or the Christ Child, before Santa Claus began to contribute to the role.  
There are currently a total of seven official Christmas post offices in Germany in towns with names like Himmelsthür ("Heaven's door"), Engelskirchen ("Angel's churches"), or St. Nikolaus. However, the spirit-like figures alone couldn’t be able to respond to all the messages submitted by youngsters. Therefore, numerous volunteers are supporting the Christ Child in responding to those letters in addition to St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. Answers are written not just in German but also in English, French, Spanish, Czech, Taiwanese, Chinese, Estonian, Dutch, Japanese, and Polish, as well as in Braille and, as of recently, Ukrainian since wish lists are submitted from all over the world.  
For kids in Germany, the custom of writing a letter in advance of the holiday celebrations dates back to the early 19th century. It was known as the Christmas letter back then. But back then, kids wrote their parents, not the Christ Child or Santa Claus, or even with extravagant decorations. And instead of asking for gifts, they expressed gratitude to their parents, promised to be obedient, diligent, and behave well, and prayed for God's favor. However, as the toy market grew, producers started handing out wish list sheets where kids could check the gifts they wanted. A well-known German retail store sent the forms to Santa Claus or the Christ Child in 1950. Then, a decade later, Christmas post offices began to appear. The oldest Christmas post office in Germany is in Himmelpforten ("Heaven's Gates") in Lower Saxony.

Advent
This year in Germany, the first day of Advent was on Sunday, November 27th, and lasts until Saturday, December 24th. The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the German Christmas season. Christmas cookies (Plätzchen) and stollen, the earliest known German holiday food, are frequently produced around this period. There are many indications that Christmas is approaching, including gingerbread houses, nativity scenes, hand-carved wooden Nutcracker figurines (Nussknacker), Christmas pyramids (Weihnachtspyramiden), and lit-up city streets and dwellings.  

Advent calendar (Adventskalendar)
For German youngsters, the Advent calendar is a significant part of the countdown to Christmas. A window in the advent calendar is opened each day for the four weeks leading up to Christmas to reveal a poem, a scene from a narrative, candy, or a little gift. During this time of year, Germany's stores are flooded with advent calendars, but many parents prefer to build their own.  
The Advent calendar, also known as an Adventskalender, was created in Germany as a way to involve kids in the Christmas preparations. One of the 24 little windows or flaps on the calendars, which are often made of cardboard, is opened on each day leading up to Christmas. Behind each window is a scene or motif related to Christmas. Modern calendars may have chocolate, candies, or even tiny toys hidden behind each window. Modern capitalism has only more recently produced the advent calendar. Originally, families would chalk a line on the wall to indicate the 24 days in December that came before Christmas. Midway through the 19th century, the first manually made Advent calendars were created with the first printed calendar being debuted in Munich in 1903. Over time, the practice was exported worldwide.  

Advent wreath (Adventskranz)
German Lutherans established the custom of using Advent wreaths in the sixteenth century, which is still revered in Germany as a symbol of the holiday. Four candles are attached to the Advent wreath (Adventskranz), and one of them is lit on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Four larger candles and 19 smaller candles made up the first Advent wreath, which initially emerged in the middle of the 19th century. To assist the kids count down the days before Christmas, an extra candle was lit each day. Only the four larger candles are left today. The ritual, however, has spread to numerous other nations and been customized to local traditions. The Eastern Orthodox Church's Advent wreath has six candles to sustain through their slightly longer Advent season.
The significance of the Advent wreath is said to be both religious and fundamental.
Many years before the celebration of Advent, the Germanic tribes had a ring of light custom. With each successive lighting, fewer candles are thought to have been lit to symbolize the lengthening of the days until the solstice, when the Julfest celebrated the return of light. Incidentally, the Germanic word Jul is the equivalent of the English word yule.  

Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte)
Although Christmas markets are now popular in many other nations and continents, their history may be traced back to the Middle Ages in the German-speaking region of Europe. Every year, Germany has a few thousand Christmas markets. Remember that you owe the Germans a debt of gratitude the next time your heart melts at the sight of glittering lights gracing the charming Christmas market in your region of the world.  
Christmas markets start to appear when the Advent season begins in almost every German town, no matter how big or little. The town squares, which are usually dark in the early winter, are lit up and bustling at this time. Townspeople congregate, enjoy the substantial regional cuisine, hot mulled wine (Glühwein), beer, and brass band music while sipping on apple cider or drinking hot mulled wine. A variety of baked delicacies are sold by vendors, including cotton candy, gingerbread hearts, sugar-roasted almonds, crepes, biscuits, and stollen. Additionally offered for sale are holiday decorations, seasonal goods, and handcrafted goods like wooden toys and glass ornaments that have been blown by artisans.  
Christmas markets were one of the various marketplaces held during the year and have been around since at least the 14th century. Everyone's Christmas essentials, including baking pans, ornaments, candles, and kid-friendly toys, were purchased here. In fact, until well into the 20th century, the only place to purchase such seasonal goods was at the Weihnachtmärkte.  
Markets vary from location to location and each has a distinct regional flavor. For instance, the Aachen market is well known for its gingerbread men (Aachner Printen). Handmade wooden crafts are particularly well-known in the areas surrounding the Erzgebirge mountain range. The famed "Angel Play" of Augsburg kicks off the holiday season, and the city also possesses a life-sized Advent calendar. And visitors can find Quetschemännchen (small prune men) and Brenten at the Frankfurt Christmas Market (almond cookies).  
The Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt, which is well-known for its golden angels and homegrown gingerbread pastries, is the most well-known Christmas market. It is one of the oldest and largest Weihnachtsmärkte in Germany, having existed for at least 375 years and hosting over 200 vendors annually.  

 

German Christmas symbols and decorations  

Numerous Christmas symbols originated in Germany, which is notable for giving the world the candle pyramid, nutcrackers, and smokers. People have added a variety of things to their Christmas celebrations over the years. Many of the symbols associated with Christmas came from Germany, just as many of our Christmas customs (such as the Christmas tree, Advent, ornaments, gift-giving, etc.) do. Numerous of these symbols have connotations that predate the Christmas holiday but are primarily connected to winter solstice celebrations. Due to the fact that the longest day of the year falls in this month, mid to late December has traditionally been a special period. It serves as a reminder of both the gloomy past and the impending spring.  

Christmas angels (Weihnachtsengel)   The most popular Christmas decorations in Germany are angels. During the holiday season, they are hung from walls and Christmas trees. The majority of Christmas angels are made of wood, and you can frequently see them singing and playing instruments. Any German Christmas market is likely to have thousands of them on display.  

Evergreen Boughs   Today Evergreen is utilized to brighten the gloomy, chilly days. The evergreen tree, holly bushes, and mistletoe are green with vitality when the rest of the forest, flowers, and plants are hibernating. These were employed as home decor and served as a sign of spring's rebirth and life. The Christmas tree and wreaths are modern examples of the evergreen and its significance in Old German Winter customs. A lot of German ornaments are made by shaving wood into tiny fir trees. Additionally, Christmas decorations in Germany frequently feature the color green.  

Snow and snowflakes   These are typically connected to the holiday season. Even a song has been written about wanting a "white Christmas." Snow has historically been associated with winter and purity. There are many Christmas decorations available today with the theme of snow. The construction of snowmen adds to the snow's association with the Christmas season. These were frequently created by families working together, and they stand for happy and enjoyable times. Additionally, the beautiful patterns of snowflakes serve as inspiration for table linen with a German winter theme.  

Mistletoe   This plant has a long history of veneration and mystical belief. The mistletoe plant is parasitic, which means that it depends on a host for survival and lacks autonomous living structures or roots. The power of this plant to develop from what appeared to be "nothing" astounded the ancient Germanic peoples, who consequently connected the plant with fertility. Kissing under the mistletoe was believed to bond spirits closer together, if they were already in a relationship, or bring them together once more before Christmas became a well-known event. Early courting customs included using mistletoe since it was thought improper for a single girl to decline a kiss while she was there. Mistletoe now stands for the affection and unity we now associate with the holiday season.  

Stars and candles   Because they provided light during the night and were best viewed on chilly, moonless evenings, stars have been regarded as a wonder throughout history. The stars turned into a source of hope in December when the evenings are the longest of the year. Throughout history, winter festivals have included the usage of stars and candles that symbolize stars. Candles were put on the Christmas tree during the reformation to symbolize stars. Christian Christmas customs likewise regard the star as a symbol of hope—not for the coming of spring or the dawn of a new day, but rather for the birth of the Christ child.   Christkindl markets are now set up all throughout Germany and the rest of the world as places to buy Christmas items during the long, chilly winter. These offer a wide variety of stars that are used to create candle pyramids and handcrafted German Christmas ornaments.  

You think that's all? No, this topic is tbc... :)

 

German Christmas food and drink  

Mulled wine (Glühwein)  
In Germany, the holiday season would not be complete without mugs of piping hot gluhwein. All German Christmas markets sell this traditional holiday drink, which is sold in ceramic mugs and is thought to be crucial for warding off the winter chill and promoting holiday cheer.   

Feuerzangenbowle German Christmas drink known as the Feuerzangenbowle is extremely strong and both a visual and gustatory feast. Mulled wine is mixed with rum that has a high alcohol content, and then the mixture is ignited. Watch the cult classic Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944), which follows a middle-aged man's humorous antics while under the influence of Feuerzangenbowle, to spend Christmas Eve like a German.   

Christmas stollen  
German Christmas dessert known as "stollen" is excellent! It is a flour-based cake with chopped, candied, or dried fruits, nuts, and spices on top. Powdered sugar is typically sprinkled on top of stollen, and occasionally zest is also included. The Christmas stollen is the focus of a large festivity held by Dresden locals.   

Lebkuchen  
Lebkuchen is another unique Christmas delight from Germany. This one has a gingerbread flavor. These baked treats can be soft or hard, sweet, or spicy, and with or without icing. They are made with honey, a variety of spices, and nuts. Lebkuchen is typically a Christmas treat, but it is frequently available throughout Germany at fairs, festivals, and gift shops. There are usually messages scribbled on several of them.  

 

We hope everyone is enjoying the magical and full-of-life Christmas season here in Germany so far! Be sure to check out a Christmas market or two and warm up with a nice hot mug of Gluhwein to warm your spirit!

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