How is Christmas celebrated in Germany? Noisy, joyful and fun, plunging headlong into the colorful whirl of Christmas markets and concerts, singing hymns, meeting friends and acquaintances in the decorated streets and squares. It is cozy and warm, gathering as a big family at a table in the parental house, on which a roast goose and a sweet stollen are already waiting. Children are waiting with special impatience for the Christmas holiday, with enthusiasm unfolding in the morning the gifts from Santa Claus found under the elegant Christmas tree. Let's also feel the magical atmosphere of German Christmas ...
The religious component of the holiday
On the night of December 24-25, Catholic Christians around the world celebrate Christmas. In Germany, this date, in accordance with ancient tradition, is the culmination of a long period of preparation for the holiday, which begins in November.
Preparing for Christmas, the Germans are taken in four weeks. Catholics call this period "advent." It includes the days of confession, repentance, communion (for comparison: the Orthodox have a forty-day fasting for the Nativity of Christ).
At Christmas midnight in Catholic churches, a solemn service begins. Two more services are held in the morning, at the very dawn, and in the afternoon. They symbolize the Nativity of Christ in the bosom of God the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of every Christian.
The next morning, the whole family was supposed to gather at the festive table, rejoicing in the birth of the Savior.
Christmas in Germany: traditions and customs of preparing for the holiday
The expectation of the holiday, according to the inhabitants of Germany, is no less exciting and beautiful than Christmas itself. During Advent, the Germans decorate trees and houses with toys and luminous garlands. Colorful "nativity scenes" appear on the streets, in shop windows and in the courtyards - models of the cave where the baby Jesus was born, with figures of the main characters of the Bible legend. The doors of the houses are decorated with wreaths with candles, interlaced with bright ribbons, and wooden figures are placed and hung on windows and window sills, which are carefully passed on from generation to generation in families.
A Christmas tree decorated with glass toys, balls and candles is put in a prominent place in every house - without this tree with the Star of Bethlehem at the top it is difficult to imagine Christmas in Germany. Traditions and customs also prescribe decorating the premises with miniature houses with lighting, figures and green trees.
In houses where there is a fireplace, special socks are always hung near it, in which at night Santa Claus will have to secretly lay out gifts. Also, for Catholic Christmas in Germany, bright, colorful calendars with sweets or souvenirs for each of the days that remain before the holiday are very popular.
Christmas cucumber and carrot
Small glass Christmas tree decorations - cucumber and carrot - are amusing symbols of Christmas in Germany, popular in some of its lands.
Adults hang the cucumber on the spruce tree in the last turn, but not in sight, but, on the contrary, hiding it. On Christmas morning, the children race in search of him. The finder of the toy is awarded with an additional gift.
As for carrots, this decoration is usually presented to the bride and groom. Taking its place on the Christmas tree, a glass vegetable symbolizes fertility and well-being in a young family.
Christmas markets
The Germans proudly call the season of the famous Christmas sales the fifth season. It was then that they began to celebrate Christmas in Germany. The date - the eleventh of the eleventh month - is supplemented by a mystical time - eleven hours and eleven minutes. At this moment, the famous Christmas markets are solemnly opening, by the number of which Germany is ahead of all other European countries.
The unchanging attributes of German Christmas markets since the Middle Ages are carousels, various fun contests and attractions, as well as roasted chestnuts and fragrant mulled wine, chocolate and delicious honey gingerbread ... These fairs mainly sell inexpensive, but original and skillfully made crafts of local artisans dedicated to the holiday .
In festivities on Christmas days, everyone is involved, from small to large. The Germans are also very happy with tourists at this time, so the best way to find out how to celebrate Christmas in Germany is to go there in November or December to see everything with your own eyes.
Christmas in different regions of Germany
A long historical period of fragmentation could not but affect the way Christmas is celebrated in Germany. The traditions and customs of different regions of the country are not alike, since they have ancient roots and developed separately.
So, in the coastal German cities on Christmas morning a ship arrives at the port with Santa Claus on board (in Germany his name is Vainakhtsman). Going down the ramp, Christmas grandfather congratulates the adults and children who meet him on the upcoming holiday and gives gifts that he brought in abundance.
In the eastern part of Germany, a region of dense forests and Ore Mountains, the tradition is different. At the Christmas market, figures of smoking men, wooden candlesticks and original holiday pyramids are sold. On city streets people have fun, many of whom wear national costumes.
In Thuringia - the birthplace of the first Christmas tree balls made of glass - fairs are full of various products and souvenirs made of this material.
In the southern part of Germany, the main symbol of Christmas remains a wooden manger reminiscent of the birth of the baby Jesus Christ.
At concerts in the cities of Bavaria, an alpine choir sings. Brass bands perform national music with the participation of the trombone and alpine horn - traditional instruments that can be heard exactly when they celebrate Christmas in Germany.
The traditions and customs of the western regions of the country on this holiday resemble the tales of the Grimm brothers, who were originally from here. The road of fairy tales passes through several cities, constantly reminding the traveler of the famous stories.
Christmas table
On the eve of the holiday - Christmas Eve, or Holy Evening - the whole family gathers at a richly laid and decorated table. As usual, on this day the best dishes and appliances are displayed on it, and the menu consists of at least seven dishes.
Before embarking on a festive meal, it is customary to refract wafers - thin unleavened cakes consecrated in temples during the Advent period. Breaking off pieces of cachets, the Germans wish each other a Merry Christmas and wish all the best.
In the center of the festive table, as usual, a stuffed goose (less often, a turkey) flaunts, surrounded by various salads and snacks. Traditional Christmas dishes in Germany include sauerkraut, seafood and bean soup, symbolizing prosperity. For dessert, it is customary to serve Christmas stollen - butter roll with raisins and nuts, coated with icing and powdered sugar.
Fortune Cookies - Symbols of Christmas in Germany
An interesting tradition of German housewives is baking special cookies on the eve of Christmas. It has the shape of a horseshoe, inside of which is placed a strip of paper with a written prediction for someone who will get a treat. Predictions can be any, both serious and comic, but most importantly, they are certainly good to become one more reason for relatives and guests who visited the house these days.