I wanted to share with you all a message that I got from Patricia about combining German and American Christmas Traditions. She’s in a spot that I KNOW is familiar to many of you. She Writes- “I am in a real predicament with Christmas. My twins are now three and understand Christmas. Both German and because of cartoons American. We…
Author: karenanne
What is a Bunter Teller? A Plate of Christmas Cookies for Everyone
Last week, a friend said, “You’re German; would you like these? I found them at an estate sale,” and then she handed me these cardboard plates/bowls printed with Christmassy images. She had found paper plates for “Bunter Teller!” I was so excited to receive something from my childhood. But What is a Bunter Teller? These special plates come out every…
Gifts for Nutella Lovers… Because Nutella is AWESOME!
Do you know someone with an absolute weakness for Nutella… someone who is more than content to sit down with a jar of chocolatey hazelnut goodness and a spoon? (ME!!!) I’ve always loved Nutella, ever since my Opa started sending it to us in packages back in the 70s. And now my older daughter does too (she’s sort of…
St Nicholas’s Companions- Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus,
On the evening of December 5th, children all over Germany leave their cleaned shoes outside their doors for St. Nicholas to fill with treats. While St Nicholas may be the same, Saint Nicholas’s companions change depending on where you are in Germany. Krampus, Knecht Ruprecht, Schwarzer Peter… even Mutter Hulla! Here is a brief explanation of some of the companions.…
German Christmas Traditions for Kids- Enjoy a German Christmas
Christmas is a special time of year, but especially magical for children. I’m not talking about heaps of presents under the tree! There are so many German Christmas Traditions for kids that will bring joy and happiness to the little ones in your world. My parents didn’t have much money when I was growing up, but my mother made the…
Krampus in German Folklore – Who IS Krampus?
I grew up with Northern German parents, so I learned about Krampus when I was much older. In my world, Knecht Ruprecht was St Nicholas’s sidekick, and Krampus lived in Bavaria and Austria. But now, because of movies and popular culture, as well as annual Krampus Runs, the myth of Krampus is becoming synonymous with German Christmas. But who is…
Story Book Advent Calendar – Count Down to Christmas with Stories
While this idea is not “Typisch Deutsch” (typical German), it’s something I did for years while my kids were small, and I thought it might be nice to pass along my idea for a Story book Advent Calendar. Years ago, I devised an idea for all the Christmas storybooks in our house! I realized my children had enough Christmas or winter-themed…
History of German Nutcrackers- Get a Nutcracker for Your Home!
The History of German Nutcrackers is tied up in a Fairy Tale… Once upon a time, a farmer offered a reward for anyone who could help him easily open the Walnuts from his tree. A Carpenter said he should saw them open. A Soldier told him he should SHOOT the nuts (I can’t imagine what he thought would be left…
Traditional Couture; Folkloric High Fashion in Germany
A few years ago, I shared the story of how I bought my first “Dirndl.” Since my family is not from Bavaria, I wanted something different from a traditional Dirndl. Instead, I hoped to find something that would reflect the region my family came from in Germany, while still maintaining a recognizable German style. I looked at a LOT of…