Christmas Gems

German Christmas

German Christmas starts with the 1^st Sunday in Advent and the lighting of the first Advent candle and reaches its climax on 24^th December with the Christmas Eve celebrations.  The main event of the German Christmas is Christmas Eve.  In olden days this was the day the tree was decorated and lit for the first time.  A lot of German households still insist on using proper wax candles on the Christmas tree, rather than electric lights – for them this makes a proper German Christmas.

A German Christmas means that presents are given on Christmas Eve, before the Christmas Eve feast.  One family member, usually the mother or father, prepares the room, lays out the presents and then lights the Christmas tree, before all family members are called in and present are given out.  Often a family friend will dress up as Father Christmas and come and deliver the presents, or a childless neighbour will volunteer to play Santa for the entire street.In German Christmas in the old days children had to recite a poem, or sing a song before they were handed their presents and the whole family used to sing carols after dinner.  These days they probably resort to the CD player, like the rest of us.

The run-up to Christmas is a most important part in celebrating a German Christmas.  People visit one of the many Christmas markets in order to buy gifts and to sample the mulled wines and special beers on offer.  There is also a lot of seasonal food like freshly baked gingerbread and donuts and, of course, fried sausages in bread rolls with mustard so hot that it makes your eyes water. 

On 6th December is St Nicholas Day and this is a very important event in German Christmas.  The German children leave a shoe or slipper outside the door or on the window sill and St Nicholas leaves small presents and sweets in the shoes and slippers.