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Advent
marks the beginning of the build-up to Christmas, starting on the Sunday after
26th of
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St. Nicholas Day
In appearance St.
Nicholas is similar to Father Christmas or Santa Claus, dressed in a red gown,
with a white beard, boots and a sack.
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Christmas Eve Christmas
Eve (der Heilige Abend, literally the "Holy Evening") is the climax of
the German Christmas. Shops and offices close at mid-day or 1pm, and most people
spend the afternoon at home in preparation for the later celebrations. The tree
is decorated with straw stars, foil and glass decorations, apples, gilded nuts,
ring biscuits, Lebkuchen (spicy biscuits), chocolate or marzipan decorations,
wooden angels, pine cones, tinsel, and wax candles or electric lights. Presents
are placed either under the tree, with the crib if there is one, or else on the
"present table" (der Gabentisch). When everything is prepared,
normally just after dark, a little bell is rung as a signal that the children
may come in to see the lighted tree and receive their presents (die Bescherung).
Before the exchange of gifts takes place, the Christmas story is often read by
the light of
Since the Middle Ages carp has been a traditional food for the evening meal on Christmas Eve. However, all kinds of food are eaten nowadays on Christmas Eve evening. But the traditional Christmas foods mentioned in the St. Nicholas rhyme, apples and nuts and almonds (in the form of marzipan) still remain favourite Christmas nibbles. Depending on whether the family is Roman Catholic or Protestant they will probably go to church at midnight or in the late afternoon. The rest of the evening is enjoyed as a family get-together, with the children playing with new toys, and all partaking of the Christmas goodies.
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Christmas Day December
25th is known as the "First Day of Christmas" (der erste Weihnachtstag)
and, in
December 26th, the "Second Day of Christmas" (der zweite Weihnachtstag) also known as St. Stephen’s Day, has much the same function as the day before, being another public holiday and a day of family reunions or outings.
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November. It begins with quiet contemplative days in November, but excitement
and activity increase as Christmas approaches, accompanied by the usual
shopping, preparation of special food and Advent celebrations. The Advent Wreath
(Adventskranz) is a very popular decoration in German homes. It consists
of a circular wreath of pine-branches with four candles on it. On the first
Sunday in Advent, the first candle on the wreath is lit, two candles are lit on
the second, three on the third and all four on the fourth Sunday, immediately
prior to Christmas.
For
children the highlight of Advent is St. Nicholas’ Day (Nikolaustag) on 6th
of December. Originally children left hay and straw for St. Nicholas’ horses but
now they simply put a shoe or boot outside their bedroom door, window or by the
fireplace on the evening of 5th of December, hoping to find it full of sweets,
biscuits, nuts and fruit the next morning.
the candles and favourite Christmas carols are sung.
comparison with
the 24th of December, is a quiet day, often spent either
visiting relatives or else being visited by them. Goose is still widely eaten
for the main meal, but is by no means as obligatory a Christmas dinner as turkey
is in Britain.