GERMAN CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS - THE ADVENT SEASON

The  German Christmas season starts with Advent, which is observed  in most homes with the Advent wreath. Made of fir branches entwined  with bright  red ribbons  and crowned with four candles,  this  wreath  is either suspended from the chandelier in the living room or placed upon a table.

Each Sunday the family gathers around the wreath and one candle is lit for  each week. On the last Sunday before Christmas all  four  candles have  been  lit and shed their yellow light - a prefiguration  of  the coming of Christ.

SAINT NICHOLAS DAY

For German children, on December 6th, Saint Nicholas' Day,  "Nikolaus" (St.Nick) with long beard, bishop's miter and staff, comes on a  sled drawn by a donkey. Mostly his appearance is left up to the  children's imagination,  for he comes while they are sleeping.  Instead  of  the stocking, German children place one of their shoes on the window  sill on  the  night  of the 6th of December, and lo and  behold,  the  next morning the shoes are filled with goodies.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS

In  the weeks before Christmas, Christmas  Markets  (Weihnachtsmarkt) are held in many towns - a custom which of late has gained in  popularity. The "Christkindlmarkt" in Nuremberg is particularly famous.

REAL CANDLES

Those  who contend that a candle-lighted Christmas tree is  not  safe will certainly meet opposition in Germany. Many Germans still prefer a tree  with real candles to one electrically illuminated. To be on  the safe side those who use real candles mostly keep a bucket of water  in the  room  - just in case. Of course, real candles  should  always  be placed  towards the tip of the limbs. Otherwise the limbs above  could catch  fire,  especially if the tree has become dry. There  is  always someone  present  while the candles are burning. The electric  lights used  in  Germany  are imitations of white  candles,  not colored  or flickering lights as on many US Christmas trees.

CHRISTMAS PASTRY

Christmas pastry also has a long history. "Lebkuchen" and other  sweet cookies of all kinds are still standard features of the family Christmas  celebration in Germany. And so are "Christstollen" with  raisins, nuts,  and candied lemon and orange peels, as well as  festive  meals, often including roast goose, turkey, or carp.

25th AND 26th ARE HOLIDAYS

Christmas Eve (Heiliger Abend) is the main event in Germany, and  both the  25th and  26th  of December are  national  holidays.  Gifts  are exchanged  on Christmas Eve. The "Christkind" (Christ Child)  is  the mysterious  gift bringer.  Germans,  too, send  Christmas  cards.  The greeting most often used is "Frohliche Weihnachten und ein gluckliches Neues  Jahr!"  (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year), but  there  are varieties  like "Frohe" or "Gesegnete" (blessed) "Weihnacht," etc.  In Germany,  too, it is customary to give Christmas presents or tips  to people who helped you the year round, like the mailman, the  paperboy, the garbage collector, the cleaning woman, etc., but there is no hard and fast rule as to how much to give.

GERMAN CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS PRESENTED BY

GERMAN-AMERICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER