Christmas Time in Germany
Christmas time starts with the four Sundays prior to Christmas day, called Advent.
On most tables in the dining rooms or even kitchen tables, beautifully decorated Advent wreaths go center stage. There are four candles on that wreath and each Sunday one additional candle gets lighted and by Christmas eve all four candles are burning brightly, as the family sits around the table having dinner and after, while hot chocolate, homemade cookies and delicious pastries are served, we were singing beautiful Christmas songs, or our Governess Mrs. Kramer would read wonderful Christmas stories to us.
With the start of Advent, the whole house would take on a beautiful aura. Every room, especially the foyer was being transformed into a wonderful “Winter Wonderland” a holy Christmas scene.
December 6th is Saint Nicklaus Day. That is the only time Saint Nicklaus makes an appearance. He comes late at night into the home, looking for the children’s bedrooms and there by the door he will find a pair of slippers. He would leave little lovely presents for the good children and a twig, from a tree branch for the naughty ones. If you received this twig, you have ample time to be very good, exceptionally good by Christmas, so you too would receive the gifts you had wished for all year. The German Saint Nicklaus does not look like the Santa here, he does not wear a red suit with a big black belt, a big belly and a beard and a gruff voice. The German Saint appears in a beautiful garment, is slender and has a gentle demeaner and friendly voice.
The gifts around the tree on Christmas Eve are gifts from the Angels, who also bring gifts to the Christ child’s birthday on Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Eve day every adult in the house goes on “overdrive” because there is so much yet to do. A beautiful, tall Noble Fur has not been decorated yet. Our trees do not come into the home before Christmas Eve, Christ’ birthday, then they are placed in the living room and the adults are decorating this beautiful, tall Noble tree. The door to the living room is closed and magic is happening inside. After the tree is finished, all the toys and gifts are placed around the tree and someone is lighting all the candles on that majestic tree, an important piece of Christmas history.
While this was going on, the children of the home had to get dressed up and in front of the closed door had to sing their little song or recite the little rhyme they had learned for this evening.
The door would open and there stands the most beautiful and awesome Christmas tree, shining bright with all the candles and a golden reflection off the flames onto the beautiful glass ornaments. Every year, every Christmas there is the same wonderous reaction from the children and adults. With all their wishes fulfilled, the family now is approaching all the presents around the tree, happy they did receive what they had hoped for and wishing this evening would be a bit longer. Bedtime on Christmas Eve always comes too soon.
Cookies and hot chocolate for the children and champagne for the adults along with beautiful piano music by Mrs. Kramer our governess, was always a big part of that evening, (“Oh heilige Nacht”) Oh holy night.
It was always hard to go to bed, but as we got older, we realized that we had two more days to play and celebrate this so holy and beautiful Holiday.
On the second Christmas Day we had relatives and friends coming by and the centerpiece on the dessert cart was always my mama’s beautiful “Croquembouche” a pastry made from cream puffs, built up like a Christmas tree and covered with spun sugar. The puffs were filled with a delicious patisserie crème. Mama’s pride and joy on her beautiful Christmas plates.
Everyone should experience a German Christmas at least once in a Lifetime.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HOLY NIGHT
FROHE WEIHNACHT, HEILIGE NACHT.