Germany has many Christmas traditions that are different from the ones in other countries. They celebrate the holiday on December 24th, which is called Heiligabend or St. Nicholas Day.
The Germans eat a lot of food during this time of year, like Lebkuchen (a type of gingerbread) and Stollen (a fruit-filled cake). The most popular Christmas dish is Roast Turkey with all the trimmings.
In Germany, Santa Claus is called Christkindl or Weihnachtsmann and he rides on a horse or donkey to deliver presents to good children. Children in Germany also put out their shoes for him to fill with sweets and other treats. On Christmas Eve, German families light candles on an Advent wreath which has four candles lit each Sunday before Christmas until all four are lit on December 24th – this symbolizes the coming of Christ’s birth.
Christmas trees
Germany is a country with a rich history. It is also the fourth largest economy in the world and has a population of over 80 million people. The country has its own unique traditions and culture, which includes Christmas trees.
There are some records of Christmas trees being used in Germany as early as 1521. However, there aren’t many descriptions of the trees or their decorations from this time period.
The first mention of an actual decorated tree comes from a letter written by Baron von Wurmb in 1605. He describes his family’s Christmas tree as being decorated with apples, dates, figs, and nuts.
The first recorded use of candles on a Christmas tree was not until 1848 when Prince Albert introduced them to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle in England.
In 1851 German immigrant Henry Minthorn brought an 18-foot fir tree to Washington D.C., and he decorated it with small presents for President Fillmore’s family.
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Culture
The German Christmas culture is very different from the American one. The Germans celebrate the advent season with a lot of tradition, customs and rituals.
- Advent calendars – The advent calendars are a way to count down the days until Christmas and they are a part of German Christmas culture. In Germany, people often give each other chocolate or small gifts every day in December up until Christmas Eve. On the 24th, there is usually a big family dinner and then presents are exchanged on Christmas Eve night.
- St Nicholas – St Nicholas is a popular figure in German culture because he brings presents to children on December 6th which is known as St Nicholas Day or Nikolaustag in Germany.
- “Weihnachtsmarkt” – Weihnachtsmarkt means “Christmas market”. These markets are very popular during Advent time because they offer delicious food, drinks, handicrafts, decorations and other goods for sale around the festive season.
The German word for Christmas is “Weihnachten” which means “holy night”. Germans celebrate this holiday on 24th December each year. This day is celebrated by giving gifts to family members and friends, eating special foods like gingerbread cookies, having a big dinner with all the family members, singing carols together and visiting houses decorated with lights and candles to have a look at all the beautiful decorations.
