Wtf is Weihnachten - Part 2

Story time!
Once upon a time (Jesus actually wasn’t born on December 24th 0 B.C. #blow your mind # different story tho) there was a baby boy born to a virgin and her husband who had sought shelter in a stable in Bethlehem. An angel appeared and announced that the child was sent by God to redeem mankind. Soon after that three kings who had followed a shooting star arrived at the stable and worshipped the baby and gave special presents (like incense which is still used during Catholic mass).

So this is Christmas. Unlike Korean dating culture, Christmas in Germany is all about family. Since Germans traditionally are very Christian folks, there are many customs surrounding Christmas here. We will show and explain to you some of them:

1. "Der Advent"
   
   Advent is Latin (adventus) and it means “arrival”. The four preceding Sundays before Christmas are called “Erster Advent” to “Vierter Advent”. Christians used to prepare for the arrival of Jesus on earth.
2. "Der Adventskranz"
   
   Maybe you have already seen one, with its four candles. On the first advent one candle is lit and every following advent Sunday another candle follows.
3. "Der Adventskalender"
   
   You may also have come across one of these. They come in different shapes, there are many commercialized ones, for example by chocolate companies. Usually they have 24 little "doors" and starting at December 1st one is only allowed to open one door per day until Christmas. This temptation…! There is a new trend in Germany where you create an individual Adventskalender for your beloved one(s). It consists of 24 bags that you can fill with useful stuff, decoration, sweets or whatever comes to your mind – and fits inside.
4. "Der Weihnachtsmarkt"
   
   It depends on the city, but most of them last very long from end of November to shortly before Christmas itself. It’s perfect for shopping presents, eating local or seasonal specialities or just spending some time with your friends after class. Weihnachtsmarkt is best enjoyed when it’s dark and cold, maybe even with snow but yeah, German winter is killing all that joy these days. The most famous one definitely is the “Christkindles Markt” in Nürnberg, but most of the bigger cities are worth a visit. Check out the exact dates on the internet before you go, the vary a lot (Tuebingen: December 12th to 14th. Three days? Seriously? Well we had the chocolate market I guess).
5. "Die Weihnachtskrippe"
   
   It looks like a doll’s house staging the scene of the birth of Jesus, complete with an ox, a donkey, the three kings and the shooting star. Especially in older and traditional households this ornament is set up during the advent time or on the 24th.
6. "Das Krippenspiel"
   
   This is a little stage play taking place in churches on December 24th. Usually it is held by children during the afternoon Christmas mass. The scene shown by the Weihnachtskrippe is rehearsed and staged in front of the parish. You can ask your German friends if they’re Christian and if they are, they probably participated in one of those play at some point of their life. ;) I did!
7. "Die Weihnachtsbeleuchtung"
   
   Traditionally this is all about candles. Now people grew cautious of fire and adapted to electricity, so of course it changed to electric lights. This is not particularly German custom since one can observe Americans outdo themselves by epilepsy triggering house and yard decoration every year - no offense, great job guys - but the idea of chasing away some of the long winter darkness by setting up additional light sources is well established all over the world. Often seen in Germany is the "Weihnachtsstern" (m.). Not to be confused with the plant "Weihnachtsstern"! (You may know it as "Poinsettia".)
8. Der Heilige Abend
   Last but not least: Christmas is about presents. Not exclusively, but it is a well-established tradition. You probably know the custom in the US, where Santa Claus is riding a flying sleigh pulled by reindeers and sliding down chimneys in the night between December the 24th and 25th, bringing presents to children all over the world for them to receive on the morning of December the 25th. As opposed to that, German children receive their presents on Christmas Eve (24th) from the "Weihnachtsmann" (Northern, Middle and Eastern Germany), who is basically the German equivalent of Santa Claus, or the "Christkind" (Southern Germany), an angel-like child with blond hair and wings.

Now all the culture aside, let’s get down to the sweets!

Where to start… there are plenty and most of them you can only buy during Christmas time. Which – by commercial definition – starts at October 1st and ends after the sale off around mid-January. Let me recommend some sweets to you:

• "Der Schoko-Weihnachtsmann" (I recommend the brand Lindt, it’s Swiss and the best!)
• "Der Lebkuchen", various toppings: chocolate, sugar, coconut, none, also: "das Lebkuchenherz" (with funny or endearing names written on it, perfect little gift)
• - "Die gebrannten Mandeln" (almonds coated in melted sugar, get fresh ones at Christmas Market!)
• "Der Glühwein" / "der Kinderpunsch" (the latter doesn't contain alcohol, try it)
• "Der Dominostein" (thin layers of Lebkuchen, fruit jelly and marzipan covered in chocolate, cube shaped)
• "Der Christstollen" (hard to pronounce, somewhat expensive bakery covered in powdered sugar, best with coffee/tea/Glühwein)
• "Plätzchen" (many many different kinds, best from bakery shop or home made; try: anything with jam, Vanillekipferl; ask your German friends to bake some with you, it’s complicated but worth it!)

Miriam for The Koins


Part I - Timing
Part III - Presents