Christmas in Germany

Christmas in Germany

How "Merry Christmas" is said  

 

            Frohe Weihnacht

Christmas preparations often begin on the eve of December 6th. People often set aside special evenings for baking spiced cakes and cookies, and making gifts and decorations. Little dolls of fruit are traditional Christmas toys.

 

Children leave letters on their windowsills for Christkind, a winged figure dressed in white robes and a golden crown who distributes gifts. Sometimes the letters are decorated with glue and sprinkled with sugar to make them sparkle.

Christmas trees

 

 

 

Some homes in Germany have several Christmas trees, and in all towns across Germany, they can be seen glittering and glowing.

the traditional visitor

 

 

   In Germany the traditional visitor is the Christkindl who is the Christ Child's messenger. She is a beautiful fair-haired girl with a shining crown of candles who visits each house with a basket of presents.

a room is locked up before…..

 

 

    In some homes a room is locked up before Christmas. On Christmas Eve the children go to bed but are woken up at midnight by their parents and taken down to the locked room. The door is opened and they see the tree all lit up, with piles of parcels on little tables.

The German Christmas tree pastry

 

Germans make beautiful gingerbread houses and cookies. The German Christmas tree pastry, Christbaumgeback, is a white dough that can be molded into shapes and baked for tree decorations.

the wreaths of Holly

 

 

  In Germany they hang up advent wreaths of Holly with four red candles in the center. They light one candle each Sunday and last on Christmas Eve. Children count the days until Christmas using an Advent calendar. They open one window each day and find a Christmas picture inside.

 

Recipes 2. Christmas Stuffing  

 

• 150g goose liver(or any liver)
• 150g sausage meat
• 90g breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• pinch sage and mint
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 60g walnuts
• 90g raisins and sultanas
• 120g diced apples and pears
• 30g flour

 

 

1.Blend minced liver and sausage meat with crumbs, flour and beaten egg. 2. Then add nuts and fruits with seasoning. 3. Stuff the bird.

The German Christmas traditions  

 

• 1. Christmas preparations start before Dec. 1st,
• 2. December 6 is Nikolaustag, St. Claus day, you leave out a shoe or boot outside the door Dec.5 and the next morning you find presents (if you were a good kid) or a rod (if you were bad)
• 3. The Adventskranz (advent wreath) is not hung up but placed on a table lying flat, how could you light the candles otherwise...
• 4. catholic boys and girls dress up as kings for three kings day (jan. 6) they sing carols and collect money for donations to different projects

 

    In parts of Germany, people believe that the Christ Child sends a messenger in Christmas Eve. He appears as an angel in a white robe and crown, bearing gifts. The angel is called Christkind. There is also a Christmas Eve figure called Weihnachtsmann or Christmas Man, he looks like Santa Claus and also brings gifts.