Germany celebrates Christmas with two public holidays, 25 and 26 December. For many people, 24 December, Christmas Eve, is divided into a hectic morning and a festive evening. Young people who have returned to their home towns for the holidays often set off again late at night to meet up with old friends.
The traditional Christmas meal features duck, goose, rabbit or a roast. This main dish is accompanied by German delicacies such as apple and sausage stuffing, red cabbage and potato dumplings. Dessert typically includes Christmas Stollen, considered one of the best Christmas pastries in the world!
Christmas in Germany is celebrated with many traditions that are unique to Germany. Christmas celebrates the birth of the Christ child, Baby Jesus. Christmas celebrations start in Germany on 24th December (Christmas Eve) when Christmas gifts are exchanged.
American-English: Kris KringleIn the US and Canada, some people call him Kris Kringle, which originates from the German word Christkind (Christ child).
Father Christmas first appeared during the ancient British mid-winter festivals; at the time he was not called Father Christmas, but was known as a pagan figure that was the bringer of spring. However, Americans have their own version of Father Christmas and they call him Santa Claus or Kris Kringle.
8 forgotten Christmas traditions of the UK
- Santa Claus in a green suit.
- Meat shows.
- The yule log & the ashen faggot.
- A 'princeps' of the festive season.
- The game of shoe the mare.
- The 12 days of Christmas involving mince pies.
- Wassailing.
- Drink a smoking bishop.
Yule LogsThrowing a yule log on the fire is another tradition that is said to predate Christianity. As part of winter solstice celebrations, Gaels and Celts burned logs decorated with holly, ivy, and pinecones to cleanse themselves of the past year and welcome the next one.
Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables such as carrots, turnip, parsnips, etc. Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham are also used. For dessert, pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are the staple.
Christmas did not start in Germany, but many of the holiday's traditions began there, including decorating trees. The celebration of Christmas started in Rome about 336, but it did not become a major Christian festival until the 9th century.
University of Warwick historian Professor Bernard Capp said the ban was put in place by the Puritan government in 1647 as they believed Christmas was used as an excuse for drunkenness, promiscuity, gambling and other forms of excess.
10 Simple Ways To Celebrate A Traditional Christmas
- Serve Home-Grown Food. A thoughtful way to make your holiday dinner table more traditional is to serve a few homegrown foods.
- Do Some Baking.
- Help Those In Need.
- Make Home-Crafted Gifts.
- Avoid The Rush.
- Schedule Relaxation.
- Decorate Like The Old Days.
- Go On Nature Walks.
