My First German Christmas

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After having lived in Germany for nearly 6 years, I finally experienced my very first German Christmas. Of course, I have visited my share of Weihnachtsmärkte and drank plenty of Glühwein in the past, but I had never been in Germany on December 24^th. Usually I have 3 weeks of Christmas vacation and am using the time to travel a bit further than Germany, experiencing Christmas somewhere else like Sweden, Romania, or Croatia.

This year, I had the honor of celebrating the holiday in Pirna, Saxony with C and his family. Some Christmas traditions are similar or the same, while others are completely different! What I know now is which traditions from home, perhaps previously unimportant or too normal to notice, are really important to me.

Christmas Markets

The start of Christmas begins with the Weihnachtsmärkte, or Christmas Markets, which you can find all over Germany. One of the most famous, and regularly voted best Christmas Market in Germany, is the Strietzelmarkt in Dresden, Saxony’s capital. Weihnachtsmärkte typically begin on the weekend before the 1^st of December and are packed away after the 24^th, although some still manage to linger on until December 31^st.

When

The first big difference for me was that Christmas is mainly celebrated on the evening of the 24^th in Germany instead of on the 25^th. This is a little funny to me because in Germany the 25^th and 26^th are the days which are actual public holidays and the 24^th is not (and in the GDR the 27^th was also included!). But Christmas Eve, called Heiligabend in German, is when the ceremony commences.

Another difference is that that Christmas is celebrated from the 24^th to the 26^th, whereas in the US, some celebrating happens on the 24^th, but the 25^th is the public holiday and when the most revelry is observed. Heiligabend is the main event, and the following two days are more relaxed. On those days, we had early lunches out at restaurants in nearby Dresden, one at Schloss Pilnitz and one on a harbor along the Elbe River. There was more afternoon Kuchen and Spaziergänge, walks, in the crisp winter air. I really like having a longer celebration! It makes the occasion more special and gives you more time to spend with family.

Presents

Sometimes families in the US may open a few presents on the 24^th, but the majority of presents are opened on the morning of the 25^th. In Germany, presents are opened on Heiligabend. But you have to wait painfully all day long until the Bescherung (opening of Christmas presents) takes place, which is sometime after coffee and cake. I did really miss waking up on Christmas morning to presents under the tree.

Santa Claus

Nearly everyone knows that in America Santa Claus brings presents to good girls and boys on the night of the 24^th and they are waiting under the tree when you wake up on the morning of the 25^th. I had to explain to C’s family that “he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake,” so that he does not come down the chimney to eat the cookies and milk and leave presents unless you’re sound asleep in bed. So how does Santa (is it Santa?) bring presents to you in the middle of the afternoon on the 24^th of December?

Check out how Christmas is celebrated around the World in Matthias and Kent’s post!

In Germany either der Weihnachtsmann or das Christkind comes in the evening to drop off the presents for good children. The Christkind is a blonde child with wings who brings the presents unseen. This tradition can mostly be found in western and southern Germany. The Weihnachtsmann on the other hand is Santa Claus. Had C’s little nephews been celebrating Christmas with us, the Weihnachtsmann would have arrived in his red suit and white beard to deliver the Christmas goodies directly into their hands. It is tradition that one must do a dance, recite a poem, or sing a song in order to earn their gifts. As children, C and his cousins devised a play together to entertain the Weihnachtsmann in exchange for their presents.

Food

Kaffee und Kuchen is a big deal in Germany, and Christmas is no exception! This was part of all three days of observance for us. One special cake, called Stollen, is only eaten once Advent has begun up until Christmas. This is a dense cake which has either almonds/marzipan, poppy seeds, or raisins inside and is covered in a thick layer of powdered sugar. The loaf is thinly sliced and eaten with your hand.

Dinner on the 24^th is simple, due to it not being an actual free holiday day and all the present-opening happening. We had Kartoffelsalat and Wiener, potato salad and Vienna sausages (which to me are essentially like hotdogs). Don’t worry, for C and I both were fleischlos (meatless). It was really unusual for me that dinner was around 8pm, when in my Italian-American family, a big family holiday dinner can begin anywhere from 2 to 5pm.

Christmas Trees and the Pickle

Of course there are Christmas trees in Germany, since that is where the tradition is said to have come from. Both my grandfather, who was stationed in southern Germany in 1958, and C’s mother can remember lighted candles decorating the Weihnachtsbaum. Now, electric candles safely illuminate the evergreens. Traditionally, the Christmas tree is decorated on Heiligabend before the Bescherung.

There are various traditions for Americans in terms of when the tree is acquired and decorated. One tradition among German-American families is that of the Christmas pickle. The pickle ornament is hung on the tree and the first one to discover it Christmas morning either gets to open the first present or receives a special extra present. Family friends had shared this tradition with my family growing up and even got us a Christmas pickle for our own tree. C’s family found this tradition quite interesting, never having heard of it before. Needless to say, I don’t think the Christmas Pickle is a German custom.

Christmas Mass

My family usually attended mass on Christmas Eve before going to my grandparents. One year, I was part of the nativity play (as the donkey), but we didn’t often go to this mass in particular. With C’s family, we attended the Krippenspiel (nativity play) in the gorgeous St. Marien church in Pirna. Each year the play is different and looks more intensely at various parts of the story. For the services on Christmas Eve the church is packed, filling up even the balcony sections. Although, like in America, this is not the case the rest of the year. Similar to mass in my church, there is lots of singing during the Christmas service. Some songs, like Silent Night, were the same, while others were new for me.

My Traditional New Jersian Christmas

Being from an Italian-American family, we have the Dinner of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve at my grandma’s. There really are at least seven different dishes containing fish, although this isn’t an Italy-wide tradition. Santa might pop by to say hello and we would open presents from my grandparents. Then we had to rush home to lay out some cookies and milk for old Saint Nick and maybe some reindeer food for his trusty companions. Christmas morning we would find gifts under the tree and the stockings full of sweats along with the occasional piece of coal. Paper would be flying everywhere as we opened gifts and began to play. Christmas dinner was usually a special pasta we learned to make from my great grandma, cavatelli made from ricotta, and lamb.

Overall, I enjoyed many of the new Christmas traditions. It is great to have an extended holiday and I will never turn down Kuchen! But I do miss presents on Christmas morning and great grandma Mary’s cavatelli. At least the Christmas tree is a constant I can rely on for my future Christmas celebrations.