This one resembles gingerbread. Christmas in Germany A big part of the Christmas celebrations in Germany is Advent. 6 Ways to Stay Financially Stable as a Freelancer in Germany, Explained: Getting Married in Denmark as a Foreigner. You get to open your Advents calendar every morning, bake Christmas cookies, light up Advent candles every Sunday or visit the traditional Christmas markets, enjoy warm mulled wine every evening and get cosy in fluffy blankets. If your German SO or a friend invites you to celebrate Christmas with their family then keep in mind that it is customary to bring gifts for every guest that evening. The festive season is started with the Advent celebrations in preparation to the arrival of baby Jesus on Christmas day. It’s the gesture that counts not the actual value of your gift. Though Santa Claus has also become popular in Germany, St Nicholas is much more important than his American counterpart. German Christmas tree is often decorated with live candles or strings of lights, as well as a bunch of cute ornaments. Dessert typically includes Christmas Stollen, considered one of the best Christmas pastries … Scarves and fluffy warm socks are lovely presents for acquaintances or family members that you don’t know that well. Historically, German families decorated their homes with evergreen branches during Christmas. If you are the DIY type, it is pretty easy to make at home with some red wine and mulling spices. Nowadays you will see table-sized pyramids for your living room Christmas decor to large full-sized pyramids in the German Christmas markets. Hailing from the Erzgebirge, the mountain range between Saxony and the Czech Republic, these cute carved wooden figurines depict angels in a variety of poses, often playing their musical instruments. For close friends, family or SO, personalised coffee mugs, holiday or year photo books, photo calendars are also very popular Christmas presents in Germany. He is also a huge LEGO fan so obviously, some years ago he got a LEGO Advent calendar that he loved building every morning. The modern German Advent calendars come in all shapes and sizes and for any taste or hobby. Your kids (or you!) During Advent season the city centres of every major German city light up with Christmas markets, aka Weihnachtsmärkte. | You do NOT wish Germans (or Austrians or Swiss) frohe Weihnachten before the 24th or 25th of December. St. Nikolaus Day is one of the most popular German Christmas traditions. My fiance husband has been wearing his not-so-ugly jumper to his workplace’s unofficial Christmas party for the past two years. Don’t let this stress you out though. Traditionally the Christ Child opens the Nuremberg Christmas Market every year. Don’t forget to wash all the tasty German Christmas market food with a warm mug of Glühwein or Feuerzangenbowle or a good old Kinderpunsch (for non-alcohol drinkers). These cookies do not store any personal information. The most popular German Christmas post office is in Himmelpfort, Brandenburg. Typically Christmas tree in Germany goes up on the first Advent day, however, some families also choose to set it up just a week before Christmas. Nuremberg’s Christkindlmarkt (Nürnberger christkindlmarkt). During Christmas, musical instruments, songs and bells can be heard in every home. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. . Weihnachtsbäume Unisex Wiederverwendbarer Gesichtsschutz Waschbar Gesichtshaut … Weihnachtspostfiliale Survival Guide of an Indian Expat in Germany. Christmas post offices (Weihnachtspostamt) or Christmas post branches (Weihnachtspostfiliale) are a real thing in Germany. Christmas festivities begin in Germany an Eve prior to Christmas day when Christmas presents are exchanged. Usually, the first day of Christmas markets launches the official German Christmas season. Not really. Who knew that so many of our most beloved Christmas traditions actually originated from Germany? Disclaimer: This blog post may include affiliate links. As well as the traditional one made of card that are used in many countries, there are ones made out of a wreath of Fir tree branches with 24 decorated boxes or bags hanging from it. Merry Christmas! In parts of Germany, Christmas cheer continues until January 6th, which is the day of a religious feast known as Epiphany or Das Dreikönigsfest (‘three kings festival’). Red wine is typically served with German Christmas dinner. Christmas baking in Germany starts early and extends through New Years. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Though the most important ingredients of Christmas across the world are the same – festive cheer, family time and delicious food – each country has its own special way of celebrating this magical festival. Although secularized and commercialized compared to Christmas celebrations of yore, the German holiday season is a time for introspection, celebration, and family and friends; it is less consumption-oriented than in … There are plenty of different recipes, but the most popular way of making these cookies is to stir a simple traditional cookie dough and then cut out christmassy figures … So even though retail stores are not officially open, you can easily find several post-Christmas deals online. For those with a major sweet tooth, there is an endless variety of candied fruits, sweets, confections, roasted nuts and a large assortment of German baked products. So where can you get a toasty warm cup of Glühwein in Germany? Avoid anything personal such as perfume, jewellery or clothing unless you are 100% about the taste of the recipient. Many traditional baked goods can only be found during the Christmas season. This year, Weihnachtsmann will arrive at his Christmas resort in Himmelpfort from the North Pole on November 12. These mugs typically have the name of the market and year engraved on them. What is the postal address of Santa’s post office in Himmelpfort? Others will display the advent wreath on the last Sunday before Christmas and have the entire family sit around it, munching on Christmas delicacies, singing Christmas songs and watching Christmas movies. Expect to see thousands of these in any Christmas market in Germany. Here is our German Way “Christmas Etiquette” guide: Merry Christmas! Many German families set up an Advent wreath, or Adventskranz on the first Advent Sunday (the fourth before Christmas) to mark the beginning of the Advent season. The Christkind is traditionally depicted as an angelic child, dressed all in white with blonde hair, golden wings and a golden crown. It’s such a special time of year and the magic atmosphere of December and the holiday season gets to everyone. Many German families also go to the church on this day. This is also a very engaging project for little kids. Advents calendar is one of the most beloved German Christmas traditions. A traditional German Advent wreath is made out of fir or pine branches with four coloured candles in the centre – one for each of the Advent Sundays. Here, the traditions—large and small—you can incorporate into your own celebrations this year. Christmas season in Germany is not complete without mugs of steaming hot Glühwein. And in Germany, a goose or duck is traditional fare for Christmas. We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. This enriched bread is studded with candied fruit peel, nuts, spices and raisins soaked in booze. One of the most traditional German Christmas tree decorations is little wooden Christmas Angels! Krampus the devil is sort of a sidekick of St Nicholas. What happens on 26th December or Boxing Day in Germany? Not only it is sustainable but also much more personal and individual for the recipient. In Germany, Santa Claus is known as Weihnachtsmann. Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes. One candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent, two on the second Sunday, three on the third Sunday and then four on the fourth Sunday. While these Christmas trees are super lush and lovely, there is a downside to buying a real tree. With four candles placed inside a wreath, a new candle is lit on every Sunday in December. Because of its green colour, the glass pickle is not so easy to spot. These Christmas fairs – offering warm drinks, roasted chestnuts, and local … Nikolaustag is celebrated on the anniversary of the death of St. Nicholas of Myra i.e. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 6th December. The celebrations reach their height on Christmas Eve. During this period, the real Christmas mood starts setting in German cities, streets and households. Locals and tourists stroll among the local vendors selling Christmas decor, seasonal arts and crafts, and a wide variety of gifts, many of them still handcrafted. Yep, the country is famous for being downright magical in the four weeks leading up to December 25. Plus, it’s all about coming together with family and friends. He doesn’t even have any reindeer. Perhaps the most famed of these markets is the Christkindlesmarkt held in Nuremberg, which attracts millions of visitors every year. You need these Christmas festivities to plough through the snow and SAD. Germans exchange Christmas presents on this evening instead of 25th December. One of the most popular Christmas Eve meals in Germany is potato salad with sausages. The Advent calendar is an important countdown to Christmas for German children. He and his 20 helpers will be answering children’s letters until Christmas Eve. In Germany, Christmas gifts are exchanged after dinner on Christmas Eve (24th December). The Christmas angels are most commonly made of wood, and are often seen playing their musical instruments. Instead, German Santa’s favourite mode of transport is a white horse. While historically the Christmas pyramids date back to 15th-century coal mines, they became popular during Christmas in Germany in the 18th and 19th centuries. Heilige Nacht! However, if you prefer, you can purchase the ready-made beverage in any grocery store near you or order it online. If you find this website useful or enjoyable in anyway, please consider donating a cuppa tea. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. On that note, to spend a Christmas Eve like a German, watch the cult movie Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944), which traces the hilarious deeds of a middle-aged man under the influence of Feuerzangenbowle. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Besides the beloved Christmas Markets, the Advent Season is the time for various lovely Christmas traditions. Thankfully in Germany, they have a much more delectable holiday Christmas tradition: stollen. Christmas traditions in Germany include making music and singing. Click here to check out the entire collection of super easy personalised gifts that you can create online with CEWE. You can easily order a sturdy reusable lush green Christmas tree on Amazon. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. As mentioned earlier, Germany exchange Christmas presents on the evening of 24th December i.e. Germans even have a name for it – “Gemütlichkeit”. <3. Thankfully, Germans take their time to enjoy Christmas dinner and it can last for three or four courses over a couple of hours. Hi there, I am the human behind this blog. are made with spices not commonly used other times of the year. Nothing warms you up quicker than a mug of steaming hot Glühwein on a cold December evening. Don’t forget to get yourself the special Feuerzangenbowle set. Carp is also eaten in some parts of the country. The modern German Christmas tree (Weihnachtsbaum) is usually a fir or pine tree. Every November, thousands of kids from all over the world write to Santa in German and 15 other languages. Thank you for your support to help keep this platform growing! But this is just one type of Christmas tree topper. It is also one of the best known German Christmas customs for a Christkind to open the Christkindlmarkt in Nuremberg each year. But Here’s hoping that the Weihnachtsmann or Christkind pays you a visit this December. The biggest shindig is on Christmas … One of the most loved pre-Christmas traditions in Germany is baking cookies, so called Plätzchen backen. The traditional German Advent calendar used to consist of plain 24 windows that opened to reveal Christmas scenes. Personalised Advent calendars are quite popular in Germany and very easy to create online. The traditional German Christmas meal features meat typically duck, goose, rabbit or a beef roast. Not only it is compact with very little plastic packaging but also budget friendlier. One of the biggest Christmas traditions in Germany is St. Nicholas Day, which falls on December 6th every year. Lastly, they are expensive for just one-time use. On the night of December 5, children clean and polish their boots and leave them outside the door before going to sleep. It can either be the first Advent Sunday or even the last week of November. Heck, in 2020 most Christmas markets have been cancelled because of the COVID19 pandemic. Decorative nutcracker figurines, commonly made to resemble a toy soldier, is a common German Christmas tradition. German Christmas pyramids consist of typically two or three, or even more stories. You don’t always have to go out in the cold to enjoy a mug of this aromatic drink. Everyone I’ve celebrated Christmas with in Germany had a fresh, live tree decorated with family favorite ornaments and twinkling lights. Required fields are marked *, I'm Yamini. Many families prepare an Advent wreath with four candles and seasonal greenery. Like in many parts of the world, the Weihnachtsmann usually visits German houses on Christmas Eve, but he doesn’t sneak down the chimney. I hope you will find some helpful insights if you are considering moving to Germany or already live here. All letters that arrive at least 10 days before Christmas Eve are guaranteed to be answered. Feuerzangenbowle is another spectacular German Christmas drink, that has become a popular German Christmas tradition in recent decades. This classic German Christmas beverage consists of heated red wine with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, star anise and orange slices. It looks quite a bit different from many other parts of the world where food is at the center of the celebration and traditional customs make up the rest. A few thousand Christmas markets are held all over Germany each year. Especially in the southern parts of Germany, the Christkind is the one responsible for the presents underneath the Christmas tree. Or you are just curious about Christmas Traditions in Germany? Often, sweet drink such as a port wine also accompanies Christmas desserts. The traditional Christmas meal is cod (bacalhau), which is eaten with cabbage and potatoes. My expat journey started at the age of 19. Make sure to post your letters to Santa before the second Advent so that they can reply in time for Christmas Eve. Yes! Christmas in Germany Typical Advent Traditions. These baked delights contain honey, a number of spices, and nuts, and can be soft or hard, sweet, or spicy, and with or without icing. This German Christmas custom eventually evolved into bringing in entire trees. As in many other Christian countries, Christmas is the most special time of the year in Germany. Different families have different traditions when it comes to Adventskranz. This quintessential Christmas beverage is sold in ceramic mugs in all Christmas markets in Germany and is considered vital in beating the winter chill and spreading festive cheer. According to the older Christmas traditions in Germany, the Christ Child brings presents to children without being seen. Many ornaments are also wooden, hand-painted, and represent German Christmas traditions. The delectable Christmas day meal varies depending on region and family tradition, but traditionally a roast goose, potato dumplings, and red cabbage are served. Advent calendars flood shops across Germany during this season, while many parents prefer to make their own. Christmas markets are arguably the most awaited in the German wintertime. Saving the best for last, one of the most anticipated German Christmas traditions is the Christmas dinner! Note: At the time of writing this article Christmas markets all over Germany have been cancelled due to COVID19. 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