In Germany, New Year’s Eve is called Silvester, but WHY? My parents always celebrated New Year’s Eve with a party, but a Silvester Party? (I mean, “Who is this Sylvester, and why does he get a party?“) The whole thing is confusing. Fortunately, there is an easy explanation! And it all dates back to a pope and a change in the calendar.
Pope Silvester and Emperor Constantine- Public Domaine
What is Sylvester … Silvester?
Germans call New Year’s Eve Silvester. WHY?? It goes back to 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII modified the previously used Julian Calendar and made everyone use the Gregorian Calendar instead. Why? Because Calendar drift was playing havoc with the Easter schedule. The Julian Calendar didn’t align with the time it took the Earth to rotate around the Sun; it was always off just a little bit… To get the calendar back in synch with the seasons, 10 days were removed (from October 5- 14th of 1582). Once those days were gone, our current system was put into place. It included Leap Year (an extra Day every 4 years). Now, we are mostly on track.
(Side note- Germanic people have been tracking the Leap Year for thousands of years. Read the story of the Nebra Sky Disc Here)
Can you imagine the power to reset the calendar? That brings us back to Silvester. St. Silvester’s Saint’s Day was celebrated on Dec. 31st, officially the last day of the year. People called it Saint Silvester’s Day or the Feast of Saint Silvester, and it just stuck and got used for New Year’s Eve.
(Interestingly, the Pope’s power to move the calendar around CAME from Pope Silvester! According to legend, Pope Silvester cured Emperor Constantine of leprosy by baptizing him! In exchange, the Emperor made the Pope supreme over all rulers, even the Emperor! So you see, it all sort of makes sense.)
Want to celebrate New Year’s Eve like a German? Here are some fun New Year’s Traditions you can try!
German New Year’s Eve Traditions.
no herring for good luck??
True… I should add Herring!
In Kassel ( Hessen ) New years eve dinner in our House was always Herring Salad with red Beets on a Roll and a Glass of Gluehwein and all my Friends Families had the same, so I would go from House to House to all my Friends and eat Herring Salad on a Roll.
My great grand parents are from Kassel (Hessen). I don’t eat Herring but my mother ate pickled Herring on New Years. One year she got salted Herring by mistake and we all laughed at face she made when she bit into it. 😂 I will surly have a cup of Glühwein on New Years Eve
We ate Herring Salad on New Years Eve for good luck. It had 28 ingredients in it including red Beets. Have to ask my friends that still live there to send me the info. I would make a small portion for myself.
Also in Hessen.
We enjoy a Feuerzangenbowle.
Interesting. We always had a freshly cooked carp, beware of the muddy taste, they are bottom feeders, accompanied with champagne or white wine (preference between bubbly or non ). Herring or Matjes herring paired with young pototaoes boiled in their skin and sour cream and raw onions always served as a remedy for a leftover headache the next day, accompanied with a fresh, non pasturized (Reinheitsgebot !) beer. Freshly baked pretzels? Optional.
Happy New Year!
Eva-Maria Wustefeld
sounds delicious!
Growing up, my parents, from different parts of Germany, always had Herring Salat for Silvester. Dad grew up near Monchengladbach, mom from Ostfriesland.
When I got old enough, I was in charge of making it. I think my mom didn’t like chop chop chopping everything! It included lots of Rote Beeten, Herring, Gurken, Kartoffel, Apfel, some leftover turkey or beef (not ham). Mixed with mayonnaise and whole grain Senf. Garnished with finely chopped hard boiled egg – the white and yolk separated.
Herringsalat was on the table here too… I never appreciated it, but mom loved it!
My father was born in Timmerlah near Braunschweig. He always made herring salad for New Year’s. His recipe was apples, walnuts, celery and herring. Everything was chopped into chunks and mixed with mayonnaise. My husband always said it’s an acquired taste! I love herring salad
It really is an acquired taste… my husband gave me a strange look the first time I put it on the table