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…
Category: German Christmas Traditions
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…
History of German Nutcrackers- Get a Nutcracker for Your Home!
I love how 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…
Moravian Star aka Herrnhuter Stern- Not a Just Holiday Decoration
A trio of Moravian Stars hangs in my window at Christmastime. These beautiful 26-point Stars, also known in German as a Herrnhuter Stern, have been a popular decoration during the Christmas Season, from the beginning of Advent until the Epiphany, in parts of Germany for almost 200 years. Moravian Stars represent the Star of Bethlehem and are hung in churches…
German Pickle Ornament Story- How did the Green Pickle Ornament Tradition Start?
It’s time to discuss the German Pickle Ornament Story and shatter the myth once and for all. Germans Don’t Hang Pickles in their Christmas Tree. I know, I know… someone told you it’s a REAL GERMAN TRADITION And maybe your Oma hung a pickle on her Christmas Tree… But the truth is, the Christmas Pickle Ornament Tradition is no more…
When Do You Take Down the Christmas Tree?
I walk almost every day for fitness, for air, to get out of the house, and to get a daily view of what’s going on in the neighborhood. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I saw Christmas decorations go up. Decorated trees filled windows. But then Christmas ended. The VERY next day, discarded trees started lining the sidewalks. Some were already out…