This is the time of year when things can get confusing for some people; in Germany, there is St Nicholas, the Christkind, AND the Weihnachtsmann… but Who is bringing the presents? What is the Weihachtsmann? To make the ‘gift-giver’ issue even more confusing, there are mixed families here in the US where one parent grew up with Santa Claus! How…
Category: German Christmas Figures- Who’s Who in a German Christmas?
What is the Christkind- The Golden Haired Gift Giver in Germany
Even though I grew up in the United States, where Santa Claus dominated Christmas, my sister and I got presents from the Christkind (or Christkindl) on Christmas Eve. It was magical! We would hide in our bedroom, peering out the window, wondering when she would arrive. The Christkind coming was a special delivery just for us since we weren’t in…
The Rauschgoldengel- The legend of the Golden Angel
High above the Plobenhofstraße entrance of the Nuremberg Christkindelmarkt hangs the Rauschgoldengel. This large gold foil angel welcomes all the guests and is a symbol of the market. And all over the market, you will find stalls selling smaller versions of this Golden Angel. But what is a Rauschgoldengel? And how did a foil angel become the symbol for Nuremberg…
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…
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…