On the evening of December 5th, children all over Germany leave their cleaned shoes outside the door 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 each of some of…
Category: Advent Season in Germany
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…
The German St Nicholas Tradition- What is St Nicholas Day?
On the evening of December 5th, children in Germany, especially in the Catholic regions, will clean their shoes and place them by the door or on the stairs, hoping that St Nicholas will come by and fill them with sweet treats and small gifts overnight. Years ago, before Christmas became a gift-giving holiday, December 6th was when children got their…
Traditional German Advent Wreath – Count the Sundays before Christmas
The Advent Calendar isn’t the only way to mark the time before Christmas; in our home, we always had a Traditional German Advent Wreath. My mother would bring it out on the first Sunday of Advent, and the Holiday Season would officially begin. I couldn’t understand why other (non-German) houses I visited didn’t have them. , but then, other houses…
Traditional German Advent Calendars- Count the Days to Christmas!
Having a traditional German Advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas was as normal to me as breathing or putting on house shoes; it is just something we had in our home. Most years, they were simple, a double thick cardboard sheet printed with Christmas scenes and pretty pictures behind each door. In later years, we had German chocolate…
Advent – Celebrate German Holiday Traditions in America
Advent – Celebrating German Holiday Traditions in America: Celebrating German Holiday Traditions in America I grew up in a German household in Southern California celebrating German traditions like Advent. We spoke German in the home, my parents had German friends that were like family (we addressed them as Tante and Onkel), and they had kids who lived in…
Christmas Markets Along the Rhine- Cruise the Rhine in December
There is something magical about a German Christmas Market Holiday, especially along the Rhine River. The smell of Gingerbread, grilling Sausages, and roasting Chestnuts fill the air…. you hear musicians playing Christmas Carols…. rows of booths sell handmade wooden toys, blown glass German Christmas Ornaments, candles, pewter mugs, and Advent Wreaths….. singers and performers take the stage with special Christmas performances…..…