Weihnachten in Deutschland

What are the important dates? Advent Advent is the first Sunday after November 26 th. This year it fell on November 27th. The booths and stalls appear in the cities’ markets. Everyone buys their Christmas supplies and begins decorating for the holiday.

December 5 - Nikolaustag Today is the day that all the kids shine up their shoes and set them in front of the house or outside their bedrooms before they go to bed. In some places they will leave them near a fireplace or other heater.

Why shoes and why December 5 th ? During the night between the 5 th and the 6 th, Saint Nikolaus comes and leaves presents for the children in their shoes. All the gifts are carried in a sack by his helper, Knecht Ruprecht The children better be good though. If they have not been well behaved and helpful, they will only receive coal or will be whipped with a switch of sticks.

Who is Saint Nikolaus? He was a real person who was born to a wealthy family in Lycia, Asia Minor (Turkey) sometime between 270 and 280 AD He was orphaned and grew up in a monastery. He was a priest by the age of 17 and eventually became the Bishop of Myra.

Saint Nikolaus He was very generous and gave away his wealth to those in need. Sometimes at night he would disguise himself in a cloak and leave money or food for those in need. He died on the sixth of December 343 and was buried in the church of Myra.

Saint Nikolaus After his death he was canonized. He became the patron saint of Greece, Russia, children, scholars, merchants, sailors, and travelers. His remains were moved to Bari, Italy and placed in a new church – The Basilica of San Nicola

Saint Nikolaus – The Legend Saint Nikolaus once gave bags of gold to three poor sisters for their dowries, throwing them down the chimney where they landed in some stockings which had been hung up by the fire to dry.

Saint Nikolaus He is remembered for his long red robe, staff, and long white beard.

Knecht Ruprecht – the sidekick (who does all the work) Also known as Krampus, Pelzebock, Pelznickel, Hans Muff, Bartel, Gumphinkel, Stoppklos, or Black Pit. He originates from many stories. He is commonly seen as a black figure because of all the chimneys he has been through. He is usually wearing all black or furs.

Krampus (Knecht Ruprecht)

The transportation – no its not a usually a sleigh Depending on what country or region you are in, St. Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht will be traveling differently. The white horse The donkey By foot

Where did the US’s Santa Claus come from? The name came from the Dutch version – ‘Sinter Klaas’ The Dutch brought their traditions to the New World in In 1823, Clement Clark Moore wrote the poem, A Visit from Saint Nicholas, more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas.

Where did Santa Claus come from? Who we would recognize as Santa, was originally created by Thomas Nast. His illustrations for Harper Magazine from the 1860’s to the 1880’s are how we learned Santa came from the North Pole and he had a workshop full of elves. Rudolf was created for a 1939 Montgomery Ward advertisement.

Gifts on the 24 th ? If Santa originates from a real saint, why do we give gifts on the 24 th, Christmas Eve. Shouldn’t we still give gifts on the 5 th ?

Das Christkind Originally created by Martin Luther, the Christkind is a depiction of the newborn baby Jesus. He was created so the Protestants would have a day of gift giving because they refused to acknowledge the Catholic holidays. He brings gifts on the 24 th of December.

Das Christkind Usually depicted as a young girl or boy with blond hair. We are unsure as to where this tradition arises from.

Christkind + Saint Nikolaus & Knecht Ruprecht = Santa Claus

What else is German?

Der Weihnachtsbaum Also known as the Tannenbaum is as common in Germany today as it is in the United States. It is generally agreed that the Christmas tree in its current form came from Germany (or what we call Germany today). The first mention of decorated trees being taken indoors came in 1605.

History In medieval times the ‘Paradise Play’ was performed every year on December 24 th. It depicted the creation of Man and the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. It always involved an evergreen hung with apples which represented the apple tree of temptation

Our Trees The tree we associate with was originally decorated with candies, fruit, and hand made objects such as quilled snowflakes and stars, and wood and paper ornaments. German Markets began to sell shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments for the trees.

Save the trees Artificial trees were invented in the 1880’s to try and stop some of the damage being caused to real trees. People were lopping off the tip of large trees, preventing them from growing further. Germany had to pass laws to prevent people from having more than one tree in their homes.

What are the different ways we celebrate the holidays?

Do you know where your traditions stem from?

Assignment Take out a half sheet of paper Write ten or more sentences in paragraph form about what you have just heard about Weihnachten and the German traditions.