Traditions During Christmas in Germany
By Joy J. Fine
Christmas in Germany is a very different celebration than the one North Americans are familiar with. For one thing the celebration actually begins with the start of Advent. This holiday begins on the first Sunday of November that occurs after the twenty sixth of the month. The four Advent Sundays, as they are referred to, are to be used to prepare for the Christmas celebration ahead. There are special calendars made to help children follow through Advent and prepare for the upcoming Christmas celebration. These calendars are designed so that each day the child can open a window in the date box and see something decorative like a candle, a snowman, a tree or something else that will make them think of winter fun and the upcoming holiday. This helps them enjoy the countdown to Christmas Eve.
To help celebrate Advent there is a special wreath that the German people hang in their homes. It is made of fir twigs and must have four candles attached to it. These candles stand for the four Sundays of Advent and must be yellow or red. They can also have yellow or red ribbons attached to the wreath. The history of this tradition is a little unclear, even to the German people, but it is a part of the pre-celebration of Christmas in Germany, and as such is a much loved tradition.
Despite the Advent celebrations as the build up to Christmas in Germany the most important part of their holiday is the tree. In Germany no one goes without a tree as it is the symbol of the holiday more than anything else. The tree is put up on the twenty third of December, not a day before or a day after. Most Germans follow this tradition even once they are no longer living in the country of their birth. The trees in public places are always magnificent and most are grown for the honor of being raised in an important public place like a town square. There are actually areas where the trees are cared for in antiquation of them being used for this purpose alone. Unlike in the United States the lights are not the most important part of the decorations. Many of the German people still keep the old tradition of putting edible decorations on their trees. These often include cookies made in the shape of hearts, stars or animals.
The dinner celebration on Christmas Eve was traditionally a wild boar laid out complete with an apple in its mouth. This animal was chosen because of its relationship to Frey who was a German god that protected their livestock. The boar was a sacrifice to this god asking that the livestock be protected and that the future spring herd be a successful one with many healthy young born. Over time the boar became too scarce and the meaning of the dinner meal changed. Turkey, goose or pork replaced the wild boar often accompanied by an apple stuffing and German bread called stollen. Then after dinner the children are permitted to eat the cookies on the tree and open their gifts. The celebration of Christmas in Germany, while different than that in the United States has all the same elements. It has a tree with gifts and is a family time filled with love and giving.
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