Advent and Christmas in Germany

Advent and Christmas. For many people it's the nicest time in the year. No matter if many customs found their beginnings, christmas is celebrated all over the world. In this article we want to show you how this time is celebrated in Germany.

Advent: Jesus comes back

Many children also have an Advent calendar. For each of 24 days in December up to Christmas Day one finds a little piece chocolate or something else behind small doors. However, there is also Advent calendar which do the mothers or bigger children and fill with beautiful things, as for example to nuts, fruit, chocolate and small toys. In old Advent calendars one still
finds behind every window a biblical promise which points the next Christ.
 

In a lot of houses one finds during these weeks an Advent wreath, from green fir branches bound.On him four candles are. On every Sunday in the Advent a new candle is lit. If all four candles burn, it is soon a Christmas. In addition the
children sing:"Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt,erst eins, dann zwei,dann drei, dann vier; dann steht das
Christkind vor der Tür.

"Nicholas come to our house...
EOn the 6th of December one celebrates in Germany the St Nicholas' Day, the anniversary for the bishop Nicholas von Myra who lived in the 4th century and has taken care particularly of the children. Already in the previous evening the girls and boys place their boots and shoes in front of the door. They would like that Nicholas fills them with sweets and fruit.Then in the evening comes also sometimes Nicholas, drawn with a long coat and a mitre,to the house, or he goes by the city.He always has a rod for the bad children with himself and a sack of full small presents for the dear children. He reads from a big book to them what they have done for good and bad things, and he distributes small presents. Usually, however, each receives something. Nicholas is sometimes also accompanied by a helper, the servant Ruprecht.

Only last century arose the tradition of the "Santa Claus" who brings the Christmas presents.This comes originally from America where he is named " Santa Claus ". In a lot of regions of Germany, particularly in the south, the presents are brought in Christmas, however, by the "infant Jesus".

Christmas: Jesus is born
The infant Jesus and distributing the presents, the so-called "distribution of presents", belong to
Christmas. Since the 16th century there is this custom. At that time the infant Jesus sent a bag with five things in the house: toys, sweets, to a coin, a garment and things for the school. Only when the Christmas presents were much more numerous, one put them(her) on the so-called "table on which presents are laid out".

Today in the center of the table on which presents are laid out stands a firtree with shining candles and multicoloured balls. No other German custom has found such a spreading in the world. Some people also place a Christmas crib under the firtree.
The event of Bethlehem becomes here with different,often artistically to formed figures adjusted. In astable stand a donkey and an ox, as well as Maria and Josef. Sometimes one can also see the herdsmen with their sheep or three ways from the East. In the middle stands a trough, a crib. In it lies a small doll which should represent Jesus as a child.

The evening before the Christmas Day is he Christmas Eve (24.12). Many people go in this evening to the service to the church. There one sings songs and hears the Christmas history from the Bible. The children play sometimes also a
"nativity play" in which the Christmas history is represented how she stands in the Lukasevangelium.Sometimes they step also show men from the Orient from which the evangelist Mattew tells.

After the service it is a time for the presents which have been put before under the Christmas tree. On it all have been glad, mostly, however, the children. Some children have written before also already a "Christmas list" and have given him to the parents. Whether they find now also the things under the Christmas tree which they have wished

There is concluded the Christmas Eve often with common dinner, but in the Christmas Day (25.12). If the celebrations go on then. The housewives do something particularly of property to have dinner, frequently carp, goose or a nice roast and even baked cake. Then to this party each also comes from the family which lives outwards and which just can come. A Christmas is a family celebration.

The Advent season and Christmas is a time of the hope. In this time we think of the fact that God has shown to us his big love. So largely is his love that his single son came as a small child in a stable to the world. This was a God's present to us! We only need to accept it. And that's way we can celebrate Christmas. Also then if the exterior circumstances are not good and we do not want to celebrate actually at all. Jesus wants to give to every hope and help.