Christmas Traditions: Germany - by Anna

     Welcome to TAJ! Today I'm going to be continuing our series of Christmas traditions in other countries. I'm doing Germany, which is probably my favorite country after the United States. (I'll always be an American, obviously.) I actually wrote a paper about this topic last year, so you're getting a very formal (sort of long) post. I hacked it up a bit to make it more blog-posty though. Enjoy!

     Christmas is a very festive time of year. From Christmas trees all done up in lights, to carolers singing in the frosty air, to children waking up early Christmas morning to go see what Santa brought them, it is a fun and exciting time of year. But did you know that without the country of Germany and its many Christmas traditions, Christmas as we now know it wouldn’t be the same?

     Christmas trees are one example of western culture and custom that originated in Germany. Martin Luther is sometimes cited as the one who started the Christmas tree tradition, but the first time a Christmas tree was mentioned was in 1605 in Strasburg, long after Luther’s death. It is likely, however, that the custom started in the 1550s because that was the first time 'Tannenbaum' (Christmas tree) carols were circulating. 

     The use of evergreens as a symbol of everlasting life goes back to St. Boniface who Christianized the Germanic tribes in the eighth century. He reportedly dedicated the fir tree to the Christ Child, replacing the traditional oak tree, associated with Odin.

     Another tradition that originated in Germany that has spread is that of the advent wreath. The advent wreath is made of evergreen branches and usually decorated with four candles. On the first Sunday in December, the first candle is lit; on the second Sunday, the second candle, and so on.  It was originally decorated with 24 candles, one for every day before Christmas, but has been reduced.

     In many western countries, Santa Claus is portrayed as a jolly, fat man dressed in red and white who rides in his sled to deliver presents to children around the world. This view was mostly inspired by a German-American immigrant named Thomas Nast, whose cartoons in Harper’s Weekly, as well as the famous ‘The Night Before Christmas’ poem.  

     St. Nicholas (the historical character on whom Santa Claus was based) has his own day in Germany – St. Nicholas Day on December 6. On St. Nicholas Day, children will leave a shoe outside their bedroom door. During the night, St. Nicholas and Knecht Ruprecht will come. Depending on the child's behavior the past year, they will either get a little gift (left by St. Nicholas) or a piece of coal (left by Knecht Ruprecht).

     In Germany, however, either the Christkindl (Christ Child) or the Weihnactsmann (Father Christmas) brings presents on Christmas Eve. They are usually opened on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. Martin Luther introduced the Christkindl in an attempt to lessen the impact of the Catholic Church and their saints. The Weihnactsmann was introduced after Luther, but is still a popular option.

     Several popular Christmas carols were originally written in German. Two of the most famous are 'Silent Night' and 'Oh Christmas Tree'. Stille Nacht (Silent Night) was written in 1816 by a young priest named Joseph Mohr. By Christmas 1818, Franz Xaver Gruber had put the poem to music. (Jessica did a post on this song last year... Check it out!)

     O Tannenbaum (Oh Christmas Tree) is set to a traditional Germany folk melody. Its earliest lyrics date to the mid-1500s, but the most popular lyrics today were written by Ernst Anschütz in the 1800s.

     Christmas markets are also very common in Germany from the end of November to Christmas Day. Depending on the size of the town, there may be more than one Christmas market. Vendors set up stands and sell a variety of items, from roasted almonds, gingerbread cookies, and hot spiced mulled wine to regional handcrafts like nutcrackers, toys, and tree ornaments.

     There is one German tradition that is rarely utilized in western countries. Until the fourth century, when December 25th became the day to celebrate Jesus' birth, January 6th was used. Today January 6th is Epiphany or Heilige Drei Könige (Holy Three Kings) and families will inscribe C+M+B plus the year over doorways. There is some debate over whether C+M+B refers to the traditional names of the Wise Men (Caspar/Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar) or the Latin phrase 'Christus mansionem benedicat' which means 'Christ bless this house'.

     Christmas traditions in Germany are very rich and covered with the markings of the centuries past. Germany – and its traditions – have shaped the way many people in western countries celebrate Christmas.

     That's it! I hope you enjoyed. If you read my blog, you'll know this already, but in case you don't, I did something a little crazy this month. I started a third blog! It's called Grace Iolene and you can find it over here. It's going to focus solely on my writing, so if you're interested in that - good! If not, too bad. I'll still post here and on my blog. :)

     That's all I have for today! Come back next week as Jessica tackles Argentina!

~Anna