A brief guide to what makes Chrismtas unique in Germany
This was at the market in Augsburg, Bavaria. In my opinion the markets are one of the best German Christmas traditions!
It begins to feel a lot like Christmas when the Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmarkt or Christkindlesmarkt) open in the last week of November. Practically every town and village has one and major cities like Munich and Nuremberg have several. They consist of stands selling gifts and decorations, food, sweets and warm drinks including delicious mulled wine (Glühwein). The markets are set up in the main town square and really become a focus of German life in December. The Adventzeit (Advent) starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Families and offices decorate tables with an Adventskranz (Advents wreath) which has four candles. One candle is burnt every Sunday leading up to Christmas. The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word for "coming", i.e., the coming of baby Jesus.
This is the main street of Kaufbeuren, a small city in Bavaria. You see the big, fury, green thing behind the guys? That's an especially large Adventskranz (Advents wreath).
St Nicholas and a couple of Krampus devils at a Christmas market Pic: NiceBastard
My first German christmas - with the family of a friend in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria.
Christmas trees are put up on town squares and in family homes, but as opposed to the plastic ones we prefer in Australia, here they use real trees! Whereas we don’t celebrate Christmas until the 25th of December the main event takes place a day earlier in Germany. On the 24th businesses usually close at midday and there might be time for one last visit to the Christmas market for a cup of Glühwein before going home to prepare for that evening the Heiligabend (holy evening). Even though church attendance is dropping in Germany, many families make the effort to go on Heiligabend, either in the afternoon before dinner or for a midnight service. Usually the Bescherung (exchange of gifts) happens after dinner if there are only adults in the family. If there are kids the gifts often come out straight after the family (most of the members anyway) have come back from church. Somebody has stayed at home, placing the gifts in the living room. In Bavaria children think this is done by the Christkind (baby Jesus), but in northern Germany it’s the Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas) who comes. While Heiligabend is a time for the close family, the 25th and 26th (known as the First Christmas Day and Second Christmas Day respectively) are also spent with extended family and friends.
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