During Advent and at Christmas, there are many, many opportunities to follow old traditions and to discover new ones, which perhaps have only been forgotten.
December, 4th: St. Barbara's Day
This is the day to remember the patron saint of the miners. Freshly cut cherry or vistula branches are put into a vase, filled with hand-warm water. If they show flowers on Christmas Day, they are considered to be a sign of rememberance of the scion of Jesse's root (=Jesus). Apart from this meaning, many flowers mean a good next year with a rich harvest. Furthermore, it was usual to hang little wish notes on the branches. That wish would come true, which was on the first branch to blossom.
December, 6th: Nikolaus Day
This day goes back to a legend about the former bishop Nikolaus of Myra. He was the patron saint and friend of the children, and is said to have given three gold nuggets to a poor father as dowry for his marriageable daughters, by throwing the nuggets through the chimney into the house. Since the 17th century, it has been described how the dressed up Nikolaus is going from house to house and asking the children whether they have been good or bad. The good ones receive presents, the bad ones a stroke of the rod. Dependend on the region, Nikolaus is either appearing as a friendly old man or a dignified bishop with crozier and mitre. In order to remember Nikolaus, children still put their shoes outside the door or hang up socks, hoping to find them filled with little presents the next morning or evening.December, 8th: The Immaculate Conception
Beginning with this day, all who are fond of baking show their sweet side because it is the start of the general Christmas baking which is finished the week before Christmas.December, 13th: Lucia's Day
The first thoughts are sent towards the Christmas decorations. Both, Lucia wheat and Lucia lentils are sowed into flat and humid-kept clay dishes. They put out shoots and grow that much that they can be used on Holy Night for the nativity scenery and there remind of the nature, which starts growing again every year anew. Also, Christmas bouquets are now arranged so they can be given to others during the Advent to bring them some joy.December, 17th: Day of the Poor Lazarus
This is the day for pre-Christmassy visits. Mainly in Catholic areas it is common to be accompanied by the chiming bells of the nearby church towers, beginning at 3 p.m.December, 21th: Day of St. Thomas
This is also a preferred day for giving blessings. Those who miss this date could expose themselves to a friendly mockery as "Thomas Lazybones".
December, 24th: Holy Night
Legend has it that fairies celebrate their Christmas in the holly branches which are hung at the front door this day.
Christmas Cards:
To send cards with Christmas greetings is rather a young tradition. The first Christmas card is said to have been exposed in 1841 by a Scottish bookseller as window decoration. Not until two years later, the first cards were provably sent by post. Back then, the cards were about one shilling, a sum which could buy a delicious Christmas meal.Christmas Tree:
The tradition of the festively decorated Christmas tree supposedly goes back to the picture of the tree of life. It is supposed that the Christmas tree was first used in the Alsace and around Basle in the beginning of the 17th century. From there, it conquered step by step the Protestant communities in Northern Germany, and the big cities, and finally had its regular place in the churches of both denominations. This tradition came to England under Queen Victoria's regency. (Also see the page about the Christmas Tree)
Before there was a Christmas tree, people in middle Europe decorated their homes with branches of fir trees or bouquets from yew, holly, juniper, or boxtree to honour the Germanic goddess of the earth, Perchta. She and the god of war, Wotan, used to travel through the country together with their host of ghosts, especially on the days of December 25th and January 6th. (Also see information on Backgrounds)
Advent:
The Advent time begins with the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which is the beginning of the new church year. "Advent" means arrival, and is the time of preparing for the arrival of Christ. As a sign for the upcoming event, we have the Advent wreath with four candles, of which every Advent's Sunday one more is lighted.Advent Wreath:
Light is a symbol of hope and protection against the evil, and it takes away darkness. For Advent, a wreath of fir branches is bound and four candles are fixed on it. A well-known poem is telling about it: (it rhymes in German but this is only the content)
"Advent, Advent, a little light is burning. At first one, then two, then three, and four, and then the Christ child is on the door."
The Advent wreath is one of the youngest traditions. In Germany, it wasn't known until the first world war.Another version says that the Advent wreath originially had 24 candles, was made of wood, not fir branches, and hung in the "Rauhes Haus" (rough house) in Hamburg about 1850, an approved school for socially neglected young persons, founded by Johann Friedrich Wichern. About 1860 the tradition came to Berlin as well. Then, after WW I, it became our fir wreath with four candles. (source: jesus-online.de)
There is a heathen history as well: People hung up wreaths or single branches of evergreens above their doors and entrances to protect the house from witches.
Advent Calendar:
The earliest reference is found in a children's book by Elise Averdieck from 1851. Originally, every day a picture was hung up at the wall, beginning on the 1st of December. Or 24 chalk lines were drawn on the wall or the door, and the children were allowed to delete one each day.
Commercially has the Advent calendar in Germany been produced since 1903. It didn't have little doors then but colourful drawings which could be cut out and put on cardboard. Inventor of this calendar was the Munich editor Gerhard Lang. The first calendar with doors was put on the market in 1920.
During WW II, the calendars were prohibited because of paper shortage. But in 1946, editor Richard Sellmer already produced Advent calendars again to sell them. (source: Rhetoric-Newsletter of 20.11.02, KomMa-net.de)Crib, Crib Play:
The depiction of the crib scene and the use of the crib in Christmas plays supposedly goes back to Franz of Assisi. In 1223, he was shown in a scenic picture together with living oxen and donkeys. The tradition of performing crib plays most likely comes from the tradition to perform Christmas plays in Europe.Presents:
The tradition of giving presents for Christmas can be followed back to diverse origins. The presents might originally have been a symbol for the gifts of the Wise Men from the East. At Cesar's times, the civil servants were given presents by the people. The slaves as well received gifts from their masters. And in pre-Christian times, sacrifices were brought to the gods on the winter solstice feast, to make them protect the house from bad spirits and give fertility to the fields.
Candles:
Lighting candles for Christmas has its origin in the Germanic custom to welcome the dead. On the 25th of December, and the 6th of January, when also Perchta and Wotan were on their way, the souls of the dead used to come back to the houses of the living. The Teutons lit candles for the poor souls to warm them and cheer them up.
Biscuits (Cookies):
Also of Germanic origin is the tradition of preparing special biscuits for Christmas. People wanted to give offerings of food to Perchta. In Germany, the biscuits are nowadays most likely to be kept in a closed box for the nights, but in connection with Santa Claus there still is the habit of serving milk and biscuits in the night of the 25th of December, hoping that Santa will enjoy them during his long and tiresome journey.
Mistletoe:
X-mas:
In England and Scandinavia, the hanging up of mistletoe has been common for a long time. The branches were meant to protect the homes from evil spirits. And they were a symbol of peace. Foes were to kiss and reconcile under them. It still is a tradition to kiss under the mistletoe although it has a different meaning today.
X-mas is the English short form for Christmas. It's said it goes back to lazy monks. As the Greek X stand for Christ (Xristos), they simply wrote X-mas instead of Christ-mas.Santa Claus:
Where Santa Claus comes from is discussed on another page, here it is all about his taste in clothes. Why does he prefer red? That wasn't the idea of Coca Cola, as many claim, but of the New York Times which in 1927 wrote published the following: "Size, weight, and figure are as generalized as the red coat, the cap, and the white beard." Before that, Santa Claus was sometimes dressed in blue, grey, brown, or yellow also.(Quellen: Mannheim illustriert, report, 12/97; Lieder und Bräuche aus Europa - Beilage zur CD "Festliche Weihnacht"; Mein schöner Garten, Ausgabe Dezember 2001; tv14 Nr. 26/2005)
