Blue Star Chronicles

We are getting ready to go to Germany and will be celebrating Christmas in Germany with our son and daughter-in-law. They are getting married just a few days before Christmas. We are excited at the prospect of going and are looking forward to our time there. I have spent some time reading about German traditions on the internet - I guess that’s obvious since my last several Thursday Thirteens have been about German traditions. There’ll probably be more so deal with it! LOL.

1. According to legend, on Christmas Eve in Germany rivers turn to wine, animals speak to each other, tree blossoms bear fruit, mountains open up to reveal precious gems, and church bells can be heard ringing from the bottom of the sea. Of course, only the pure in heart can witness this Christmas magic. All others must content themselves with traditional German celebrating. There are plenty of traditions so even those who aren’t pure in heart get to celebrate.



2. Christmas starts on December 6th, Nikolaustag, St. Claus day, in part to have time to adhere to all the traditions. On the eve (December 5th) of children place a shoe or boot by the fireplace. During the night, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, hops from house to house carrying a book of sins in which all of the misdeeds of the children are written. If they have been good, he fills the shoe or boot with delicious holiday edibles. If they have not been good, their shoe is filled with twigs.
3. Gingerbread - that traditional German treat - is used for gingerbread houses. These were created back in the 1700s and have become more elaborate and intricate over the years. Germans make beautiful gingerbread houses and cookies. The German Christmas tree pastry, Christbaumgeback, is a white dough that can be molded into shapes and baked for tree decorations.
4. In Germany the traditional visitor is the Christkindl who is the Christ Child’s messenger. She is a beautiful fair-haired girl with a shining crown of candles who visits each house with a basket of presents.
5. There is also a Christmas Eve figure called Weihnachtsmann or Christmas Man, he looks like Santa Claus and also brings gifts.
6. December 21st, supposedly the shortest day (longest night) of the year, is dubbed St. Thomas Day. In parts of the Sauerland, whoever wakes up late or arrives late to work on that day is issued the title “Thomas Donkey.” They are given a cardboard donkey and are the subject of numerous jokes throughout the day. But this gentle abuse ends deliciously with round, iced currant buns called “Thomasplitzchen.”
7. The primary excitement is Christmas Eve. Prior to the evening feast, is the presentation of the tree. The Christmas tree, as we know it, originated in Germany. It has a mysterious magic for the young because they are not allowed to see it until Christmas Eve. While the children are occupied with another room (usually by Father) Mother brings out the Christmas tree and decorates it with apples, candy, nuts, cookies, cars, trains, angels, tinsel, family treasures and candles or lights. The presents are placed under the tree. Somewhere, close to the bright display are laid brilliantly decorated plates for each family member, loaded with fruits, nuts, marzipan, chocolate and biscuits. When all is ready a bell is rung as a signal for the children to enter this Christmas fantasy room. Carols are sung, sometimes sparklers are lit, the Christmas story is read and gifts are opened.
8. All presents are opened on the night of December 24th, because the gift-giving should be done and complete before the family focuses completely on the Christ child. They go to a midnight mass, and then the 25th is focused on Christ, and on spending time with family.
9. “Dickbauch” means “fat stomach” and is a name given to the Christmas Eve because of the tradition that those who do not eat well on Christmas Eve will be haunted by demons during the night. So the opportunity is given to enjoy dishes such as suckling pig, “reisbrei” (a sweet cinnamon), white sausage, macaroni salad, and many regional dishes.
10. Christmas Day brings with it a banquet of plump roast goose, “Christstollen” (long loaves of bread bursting with nuts, raisins, citron and dried fruit), “Lebkuchen” (spice bars), marzipan, and “Dresden Stollen” (a moist, heavy bread filled with fruit).
11. Christmas, or as the Germans call it - “Weihnachten“, is a quiet time in Germany. People are in a thoughtful mood. Town streets and business offices are decorated with Christmas lights and branches of pine-needle and fir-needle trees. Everything appears in red and dark green - the colors of “Weihnachten” in Germany. Houses are usually scarcely decorated. You might see some lights in a window, or figures painted on windows with snow spray, but usually nothing too fancy. Christmas is the most cheerful and important season of the year.
12. Christkindlesmarkt, Christmas markets.
13. The custom of trimming and lighting a Christmas tree had its origin in pre-Christian Germany, the tree symbolizing the Garden of Eden. It was called the “Paradise Baum,” or tree of Paradise. Gradually, the custom of decorating the tree with cookies, fruit and eventually candles evolved. Other countries soon adapted the custom. Charles Dickens called it “The Pretty German Toy.”