Christmas in Germany

"Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell"

The Christmas tree is standing in the Living room until about two or three weeks after Christmas. We get our presents on December 24th. The normally underlie on the Christmas tree. After we unpack them we eat all together. It is mostly something special, you only eat for the holiday


By EVA RYSCHKA
from Mainz, GERMANY


Christmas time in Germany starts normally on the first days of December. You can feel it in the air because on the first advent the Christmas markets open. There you can look for a present to make your dearest happy or only meet some friends and drink a cup of mulled wine.

"Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell", everybody singing, when the holiday is coming closer and there is a kind of special atmosphere. In Germany we celebrate Christmas because we want to mark the day when Jesus was born - in the night from the 24th to 25th. Christians are going to the church on these days.

Children and young people have an advent calendar here. Everyday you get a little present or a bit chocolate and so you get anticipation. In addition you see how much presents you have until Christmas. The families in Germany have an advent wreath. It's composed of fir branches and four candles always. On every advent you put on one candle. So on Christmas all off them will be burning. Sometimes we put little angels or cinnamon at the advent wreath. Just like everywhere, I guess, everybody wants to see snowflakes, for a white Christmas. But I have to say it is really rarely.

Kids usually write a list of holiday wishes for their parents. The little children who can't write cut the picture of thing they would like to get from the advertising folder and so they show their parents what are their wishes. The most families do baking before Christmas. We always bake three kinds of biscuit and till the holiday they are all eaten up. Our Christmas tree we buy usually two weeks in advance. But many families also buy it only a day or two before holiday. You can buy it by a forest ranger or in a supermarket. Depends on day and place, when and where you buy your Christmas tree, you decide on the day when will you decorate. The most families do it on the fourth advent. But also some of them do it one day before famous night or on Christmas, too. We put globes, bells and little figures on it. The colour does not matter but most families use red, like symbols for health or fun.

The Christmas tree is standing in the Living room until about two or three weeks after Christmas. We get our presents on the 24th. The normally underlie on the Christmas tree. After we unpack them we eat all together. It is mostly something special, you only eat for Christmas. Many families in Germany eat goose with potatoes. We have bank holiday after that, the 25th and the 26th. On these days most of German families go to their parents and grandparents and celebrate Christmas together with them. It is still very traditional holiday and people take it exactly like that although it is more and more commercialized every year.


(Published: 10.01.2008.)

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