In Germany they call Christmas Weihnachten! Germans call Santa Claus St. Nicholas. On December 6,is when St. Nicholas day begins.On December 6 children place a shoe or boot by fireplace.St. Nicholas either leaves candy in their shoes if they are good. If they are bad St. Nicholas leaves twigs in their shoes.

An Advent wreath is made of bound fir twigs with candles are attached.One candle is lit for each of the Advent Sundays. In large houses,shops and churches the Advent wreaths hang from the ceiling.Around the wreath are four fat red or yellow candles.It has red or violet ribbon on it.No one knows when the wreath came to Germany or where it originated. Before the first Sunday in Advent,you will see a lot of Advent wreath in flower shops and nurseries,or red and yellow ribbons are attached to the green wreath.

In Germany the Christmas magic starts in December of the Advent calender.The Advent calender starts the Sunday after November 26. The Advent calender with bright Christmas pictures is hung alongside children's bed sides. If you look a lot closer you will see small numbers in the picture of 1-24.There are windows.When you open the windows there are pictures of a candle,a ball,a snowman,and whatever else children like. The children open a new window each morning.

The Christmas thee is the Christmas period. A German family with out a Christmas tree is simply in conceivable.The Germans put up their tree up on December 23 (not a day before)! The tree is also seen in churches and public squares.The trees are used in shops as decoration or in offices to please the staff and visitors.

The trees are often up to 25 metres tall. Germans use many different decorations on their tree.

There is constant mention on Christmas of mysterious sounds of bells and other musical instruments,present in all the Germans house hold. It starts with the first Advent and reaches its peak on Christmas Eve. The most popular song is Stille nacht!(Silent Night Holy Night!) It was first heard on Christmas in 1818 at the small church of St.Nicholas in the month of Oberndor (Austria).the writer of the song is Joseph Mohr,a priest from 1817 to 1819.

In Germany,the Christmas markets have a lot of cool stuff like pewter ornaments, hand-blown glass ornaments, candles, nativity figures, records Christmas music, fresh green, ginger bread sausages, and hot spiced wine. In Germany they open gifts and read stories on Christmas Day.

In Germany,Christmas Eve brings plumb roast goose,Christollen, long loaves of bred with nuts,raisins, citron or dried fruit, Lebkuchen, ginger spice bars, marzian, Dresden Stollem, a moist,or heavy bread filled with fruit. This is some of Germany's Christmas Eve dinners.They have a lot of cookies and cakes,and other sweets like that.They have vegtables, meats,and little pink pig with chocolate coins stuck in their snouts. Duck and ham is also popular.

Written by

TIFFANY