Germany

A big part of the Christmas celebrations in Germany is Advent. Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes. As well as the traditional one made of card that is 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. Each box or bag has a little present in it. Another type is called a ‘Advent Kranz’ and is a ring of fir branches that has four candles on it. This is like Advent candles that are sometimes used in Churches to celebrate advent. One candle is lit at the beginning at each week of Advent.

Christmas Trees are very important in Germany as well. They were first used in Germany in the Middle Ages and are usually secretly decorated by the Mother of the family on Christmas Eve.

Sometimes wooden frames, covered with coloured plastic sheets and with electric candles inside, are put in windows to make the house look pretty from the outside.

In some parts of Germany, children write to the ‘Christ kind’ (‘The Christ Child’ in English) asking for presents. The letters to the Christ kind are decorated with sugar glued to the envelope to make them sparkly and attractive to look at. Children leave the letters on the windowsill when they go to bed on Christmas Eve, hoping that some presents will be there when they wake up on Christmas Day.

In Germany, Father Christmas (or Der Weihnachtsmann) brings presents on December 5th/6th, St. Nicholas Day as in Holland.

On Christmas Eve afternoon, secret presents are sometimes given to each other by family members. A door is opened just wide enough for small presents to be thrown into the room. The presents are then passed around among the family until each person has the right present! It is thought to be bad luck to ever find out who sent what present to who.

Carp or Goose are often served for the main Christmas meal.