Weihnachten

Customs of one of the most important German holidays

1. German Christmas Traditions
2. Weihnachten 2020
3. Weihnachten Pronunciation
4. Frohliche Weihnachten Pronunciation
5. Weihnachten 2020
6. Weihnachten Erzgebirge
7. Weihnachten Essen

Christmas, or Weihnachten, is considered by Germans to be the most importantof the major holidays. Although secularized and commercialized comparedto Christmas celebrations of yore, the German holiday season is atime for introspection, celebration, and family and friends; it isless consumption-oriented than in the United States. Not only theholiday itself, but also the weeks leading up to the celebration ofChristmas involve many traditions and customs of diverse origins.

1. Dec 19, 2017 Weihnachten is a German word for what is commonly known as Christmas Eve in English speaking countries. Weihnachten is the term used in German-speaking countries like Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. All the preparations leading to Christmas are referred to as Weihnachten but the main day, the 25th of December, bears the heaviest weight.
2. Dezember – “Weihnachten” The Origin of the German Word for Christmas. The English word “Christmas” comes from the combination of Christ + mass, from Old English Cristes maesse (Christ’s Mass). The word Yule or Yuletide, often used for Christmas, comes from the Germanic Old English geol, the name of a winter solstice pagan festival.

Erkunde dokis Pinnwand „Ausmalbilder Weihnachten“ auf Pinterest. Weitere Ideen zu ausmalbilder weihnachten, ausmalbilder, ausmalen. Weihnachten is a German word for what is commonly known as Christmas Eve in English speaking countries. Weihnachten is the term used in German-speaking countries like Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. All the preparations leading to Christmas are referred to as Weihnachten but the main day, the 25th of December, bears the heaviest weight.

Advent

The German Christmas season officially begins with the first Sundayof Advent. Stollen, the oldest known German Christmas treat, andChristmas cookies (Plätzchen) are often baked duringthis time. Gingerbread houses, nativity scenes, hand-carved woodenNutcracker figures (Nussknacker), Christmas pyramids (Weihnachtspyramiden),and lighted city streets and homes are all signs that Christmasis on its way.

The Advent Wreath - Der Adventskranz

The Advent wreath (Adventskranz) is adorned with four candles,one of which is lit on each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas.The first Advent wreath, which appeared in the mid-19th century,had 4 larger candles and 19 smaller ones. Each day one additionalcandle was lit to help the children count the days until Christmas.Today only the four larger candles remain. However, the traditionhas been exported to many other countries around the world and wasadapted to existing customs. The Advent wreath of the Eastern OrthodoxChurch uses 6 candles to last through its somewhat longer Adventseason.

German Christmas Traditions

The Advent wreath has been attributed religious and elemental significance.The tradition of a ring of light existed among the Germanic tribesmany centuries before the celebration of Advent. It is believedthat fewer candles were lit with each progressive lighting to representthe shortening of the days until the solstice, at which time theJulfest celebrated the return of light. (Incidentally, theEnglish word yule is a cognate with the Germanic Jul).

The Advent Calendar - Der Adventskalender

The Advent calendar (Adventskalender) is a German inventionthat was originally designed to involve children in the festivitiesleading up to Christmas. The calendars are usually made of cardboardand have 24 small windows or flaps, one of which is opened on eachday leading up to Christmas. Behind each window is a Christmas sceneor motif. Nowadays, calendars may contain chocolate or candy behindeach window, and sometimes even small toys. The Advent calendaris a more recent invention of modern capitalism. Originally, familieswould mark the 24 days of December preceding Christmas with a chalkline on the wall. The first hand-crafted Advent calendars were producedin the mid-19th century; the first printed calendar appeared inMunich in 1903. Eventually the custom was exported all over theworld.
Browseor buy Advent calendars.

Christmas markets - Weihnachtsmärkte

When the Advent season opens, Christmas markets also crop up innearly every German town, large or small. The town squares, normallydark early in winter months, are lit up and buzzing with activityduring this time. Townspeople gather together, listen to brass bandmusic, drink beer or hot mulled wine (Glühwein) or applecider, and enjoy the hearty traditional fare of the region. Vendorspeddle baked goods, including gingerbread hearts, sugar-roastedalmonds, crepes, cookies, stollen, cotton candy and other sweets.Christmas tree decorations, seasonal items, and handcrafted articles,such as wooden toys and hand-blown glass ornaments, are also sold.
Christmas markets date back to at least the 14th century and wereone of the many markets held throughout the year. It was here thatpeople bought everything they needed for the Christmas celebration:baking moulds, decorations, candles, and toys for the children.In fact, until well into the 20th century, the Weihnachstmärktewere the only place for people to buy such seasonal items.

Markets differ from place to place; each has its own regional imprint.The market at Aachen, for instance, is known for its gingerbreadmen (Aachner Printen). The regions around the Erzgebirgemountain range are famous for their handmade wooden crafts. Augsburghas a life-sized Advent calendar and opens the holiday season withits famous 'Angel Play.' At the Frankfurt Christmas Market,visitors will find Quetschenmännchen (little prune men)and Brenten (almond cookies).

The most famous Christmas market is the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt,which is known for its gold foil angels and locally produced gingerbreadcakes. At least 375 years old, it is one of the oldest, and withover 200 vendors participating each year, it is also one of thelargest Weihnachtsmärkte in Germany.

Saint Nicholas - Sankt Nikolaus

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6th in Germany as wellas in other European countries. On the evening before the 6th, childrenplace their newly cleaned shoes in front of the door in the hopethat Nicholas might fill them with nuts, fruits, chocolate, andsweets. If the children have behaved well, their wishes will befulfilled. Children who have caused mischief will receive only aswitch, which symbolizes punishment for their bad deeds.
The real St. Nicholas lived in the 4th century and was the bishopof a region located in present-day Turkey. Through stories and legendsassociated with him, he became known as the protector of childrenand the anonymous bestower of gifts upon them. Over the centuries,the life and deeds of St. Nicholas were celebrated on the saint'sappointed day, the 6th of December. By the Middle Ages, the observancehad already become a celebration of children and a day on whichthey received gifts. It was the German Martin Luther who soughtto sever the connection between the saint and the gift-giving celebrationfor children, because in his Reformation theology, there was noplace for the glorification of saints. Rather than abolishing thecustom outright, Luther replaced the persona of Nicholas with thatof the Christ child; in his Protestant teachings, not Nicholas butrather now the baby Jesus was attributed with bringing the childrengifts, and not on the saint's day but rather at Christmas. Todayin many regions of Germany, not Saint Nick, but rather the Christkindlleaves Christmas gifts for children on December 24th.
The adherents of the Catholic Counterreformation did not quietlyaccept the diminishment of their saint. They responded to the practicesof the unorthodox Protestants by making Nicholas a figure who visitedfamilies' homes on his appointed day and stood in judgment overchildren. If the young ones could answer religious questions andsaid their bedtime prayers faithfully, they received a gift fromthe sack that Nicholas' companion, Knecht Ruprecht, had slung overhis shoulder. Those that slacked in their religious commitmentsgot the switch or were threatened with being hauled off in Ruprecht'ssack.

Today children in all the German-speaking regions, regardless ofreligious denomination, celebrate Nicholastag. Ruprecht,who typically carries a basket filled with edible goodies for thechildren (and also the switches for the naughty children), has becomeNicholas' constant companion. In German-speaking Switzerland, Ruprechtis known as Schmutzli.

Santa Claus - Der Weihnachtsmann

The figure of Santa Claus, known in Germany as der Weihnachtsmann(literally, 'the Christmas man'), is a direct descendantof Saint Nicholas, as can easily be seen from the derivation of thename 'Santa Claus'. The English appellation came directlyfrom the Dutch variant 'Sinterklaas'. Centuries-old NorthernEuropean tradition also knew a similar figure - a bearded old manin a long, brown, hooded fur coat who traveled on a reindeer-drawnsled. Carrying a staff and nuts, respectively symbolizing fertilityand non-perishable, substantial nourishment, this figure from Laplandrepresented preparation for the long winter season ahead. This figurelikely in turn descends from the god Thor or another deity from Germanicmythology.

Weihnachten 2020

Many of the characteristics attributed to the modern-day SantaClaus are easily recognizable in both the St. Nicholas figure andthe personality descended from old Germanic folklore. The Weihnachtsmann,much like Santa Claus, is depicted as a jolly old man with a longwhite beard in a red fur suit, with a sack of presents and a switch.On Christmas Eve he leaves gifts for the well-behaved children andpunishes those who have been bad. He doesn't arrive through thechimney, but rather slips in and out just long enough to leave thegifts, usually before children can catch a glimpse of him. Dependingon the German-speaking region, today it is either the Weihnachtsmannor the Christkind (Christ child) who leaves gifts for thechildren to open on December 24th in Germany.

Weihnachten Pronunciation

The Christmas tree - Der Tannenbaum

The German Tannenbaum is usually put up and decorated onChristmas Eve, though some families opt to erect their tree duringthe Advent season. Traditionally, the Germans used the fir tree,but nowadays the spruce is widely used. Decorations may includetinsel, glass balls or straw ornaments and sweets. A star or anangel tops the Tannenbaum, and beneath the tree, a nativityscene might be set up and the presents next to it. Germans alsousually continue to use real lit candles instead of electric lightson the tree.

The first known Christmas tree was set up in 1419 in Freiburg bythe town bakers, who decorated the tree with fruits, nuts, and bakedgoods, which the children were allowed to remove and eat on NewYear's Day. The town guilds and associations first brought evergreensinside their guild houses and decorated them with apples and sweets.Candles were eventually added to the decorations. Already sincethe Middle Ages, ordinary Germans had been bringing yew, juniper,mistletoe, holly, evergreen boughs - any plant that maintained itsgreen color through the lifeless and dreary winter months - intotheir homes. Even in areas where forests were sparse, the traditiontook hold; people in Northern Germany, for instance, used Christmaspyramids (Weihnachtspyramiden) in lieu of Christmas trees.The pyramid form was created using sticks that were then decoratedwith fir branches. By 1800, the custom of bringing a tree into thehome was firmly established in many German-speaking regions andcontinued to spread throughout Europe, and eventually, around theworld. The custom was brought to North America by German-speakingimmigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio in the 18th century.

The Tannenbaum is taken down on New Year's Day or on January6th, Three King's Day, at which time the children can ransack thetree for the sweets and treats that decorated it.

Frohliche Weihnachten Pronunciation

Christmas Eve - Heiliger Abend (also Heiligabend)

December 24th begins as a regular workday. But by 2:00 pm, ofteneven earlier, businesses close in preparation for the holiday celebration,a large part of which occurs on Christmas Eve in Germany. The traditionalevening meal includes carp and potato salad. Families sing Christmascarols together and may read the story of Christ's birth aloud.Family members exchange gifts; children are typically the focalpoint of the gift exchange. The tradition of opening gifts on HeiligerAbend (rather than on December 6th in honor of St. Nicholas)was started by Martin Luther in the 16th century in favor of a celebrationthat honored Christ rather than a Catholic saint.

On Christmas Eve, German families - whether Protestant or Catholicand even those who are not regular church-goers - often attend massor a church service. While the mass traditionally takes place atmidnight, in recent times the services have moved into the earlierevening hours.

Christmas Day(s) - der erste und zweite Weihnachtstag

Weihnachten 2020

Both December 25 and 26 are legal holidays in Germany and are knownas the First and Second Christmas Day respectively. What originallystarted out as a church celebration of Christ's birth has graduallybecome a family celebration. Businesses are closed, and time isspent visiting with extended family. Goose is the traditional fareon the First Christmas Day, or perhaps rabbit or a roast. Theseare accompanied by traditional German fare such as apple and sausagestuffing, red cabbage, and potato dumplings. The second Christmasday is usually a quieter time, a day for peaceful contemplation.

German Christmas foods &recipes pages >>>
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Weihnachten Erzgebirge

Weihnachten Essen