German Customs Through the Year
Although the title speaks of "German" customs, this page will be dedicated to traditional customs as
they are celebrated in various German-speaking countries throughout the year.
January 6: Dreikönigstag—Three Kings Day
“Three Kings Day” does not conjure up a warm and fuzzy feeling for most Americans as it is not a
holiday commonly celebrated in the United States. In Europe, however, January 6, which in English is
generally referred to as “Epiphany,” is honored in various forms as a part of the Christian Christmas
calendar. It is the twelfth day after the birth of Christ and the day on which the Magi arrived at the
manger in Bethlehem. As a Christian holiday, “Dreikönigstag” is an amalgam of various elements
adopted at different times in Christian history. In the Bible, Matthew is the only apostle to report on
the Magi’s visit to Bethlehem. Interestingly, he never mentions a specific number of kings, but simply
refers to them as “Magi from the east” (Matthew 2:1). The fact that there were three of them is
conjecture based on the number of gifts they brought: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Some time
between the 6th and 9th century, the three Wise Men, rather randomly, received names: Caspar,
Melchior, and Balthasar. About five centuries later,
during the Spanish Crusades, the idea was born that
Caspar was a Moor and thus nativity scenes in Europe,
to this day, depict him as a black king. The story of the
three Magi is of particular significance to Germany
because a magnificent golden shrine purportedly
containing the remains of the three kings has been
housed in the cathedral of Cologne since 1164. The story
of how they got there is rather convoluted and unproven,
but interesting nonetheless
(http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heilige_Drei_K%C3%B6nige,
in German). At some point, the three Wise Men became intermingled with the ancient pagan custom of
writing protective spells onto the door frames of houses. In the 16th century, “Sternsinger” became a
popular Catholic tradition. Reenacting the Magi’s journey towards the star that shone in the east,
they carried crowns, frankincense, and a star from door to door, singing songs or reciting poems or
prayers at each house. They also wrote the letters C + M + B, followed by the year, with consecrated
chalk
onto the door frame of each house to protect it and its inhabitants from evil. In return, the
“star singers” received gifts from the home owners. Some sources claim that the letters have always stood for Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, but others assert that the letters originally stood for the Latin “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” (Christ Bless This House). Either way, in the public perception, the custom became firmly associated with the three Wise Men Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. For a while, the “star singer” custom disappeared into obscurity, but it was resurrected by the Catholic church about 50 years ago with a slightly different purpose. Nowadays, the “star singers” perform the same “services,” singing and blessing the houses
with chalk, but they do so for charitable donations rather than for their own benefit.
“Dreikönigstag” is an official holiday in a few German states and in Austria, but observance and
traditions vary considerably by region. In Switzerland, in parts of Austria, as well as in France and Spain,
the three Wise Men are commemorated with a special type of bread. In Switzerland, it is a sweet yeast
bread that consists of a large round loaf surrounded by six smaller round loaves. Originally, families
baked their own “three kings bread”, but in modern times, people
prefer to purchase the bread, complete with paper crown, from a
bakery. One of the small loaves hides a tiny plastic figure of a king
and whoever is fortunate enough to find the plastic king in his or her
piece of bread gets to be “king” or “queen” for the day. In most cases,
the “royal” powers entail not having to do one’s chores for the day and
being able to delegate them to one’s siblings instead. As a result,
Swiss children, unlike their American counterparts, do get a warm and
fuzzy feeling when they think about “Dreikönigstag.”
Interesting site on religious customs in Germany: http://www.brauchtum.de/fruehjahr/dreikoenige_1.html.
Various videos of "Sternsinger" are available on youtube.
The Great Christmas Debate: Christkind vs. the Weihnachtsmann
Once upon a time there was a saint named Nicholas, who performed many good deeds and loved to
give gifts to the poor and needy. He seemed like a worthy individual to have a day named in his honor,
and so the day of his death, December 6, was chosen to remember his life. Dressed in the regalia of a
bishop, complete with tall hat and staff, he was the bearer of gifts and beloved by all children. But alo
ng
came history and Martin Luther, who did not want a Catholic saint bringing
gifts to the Protestant children of Germany. He devised the story of the
“Christkind”, an angel who magically, without ever being seen, delivers
presents to the children of the German-speaking world on Christmas Eve.
The Dutch, however, remained loyal to their “Sinterklaas”, so much so that
they took their version of St. Nicholas with them when they emigrated to the
United States. The legend goes that Coca Cola needed a way to sell more soda
pop in the wintertime, traditionally a slow sales period for the soft drink
industry, and hence adopted the Dutch “Sinterklaas” for it own purposes,
turning him into “Santa Claus.” (Check out the truth or fiction factor on this
myth at snopes.com.) In any case, Santa Claus became immensely popular and soon made his way back
across the Atlantic to reconquer the hearts of European children. In Germany, he became the
“Weihnachtsmann”, the “Christmas Man,” p
articularly in the northern part of the country. Fairly quickly, however, he became associated with the commercial exploitation of the Christmas holiday, and a Christian backlash ensued, which has now evolved into a philosophical and theological battle between the sweet, angel-faced “Christkind” with gossamer hair and the jolly, red-clad old fellow with the flowing beard. Some places in Germany have declared themselves a “weihnachstmannfreie Zone” and refuse to display any images associated with Santa Claus while simultaneously promoting old St. Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, with chocolate “Nikoläuse.” The small town of Fluorn-Winzeln in Southern Germany has outlawed the “Weihnachtsmann” and garnered national attention for its actions. The Bonifatiuswerk, an organization of German Catholics, maintains a
website to encourage the banning of Santa Claus from German homes and businesses. In Austria, the
Pro Christkind organization has dedicated itself to the same pursuit. Clearly, the battle lines are drawn,
but fortunately the battle has not degraded into a smear campaign so far. The Bonifatiuswerk explicitly
calls for a fair fight, but I still feel for the German children of today, who may be caught up in this epic
battle if their parents choose to take sides, and I get the uneasy feeling that the “Great Christmas
Debate” detracts as much from the purpose of Christmas as the commercialism that is its major bone
of contention. It also makes me yearn for those less-complicated times half a century ago when the living
room door was locked on Christmas Eve and the Christkind magically deposited gifts for the good little
boys and girls. The details didn’t really matter, but the spirit of love and giving did and should still be
the overriding purpose of Christmas, no matter which side we take in the “Great Christmas Debate.”
News report about Fluorn-Winzeln's "weihnachtsmannfreie Zone" (in German):
D
ownload Reinhard Mey's song "Die Zwölf Weihnachtstage". It is a light-hearted German alternative to the popular "Twelve Days of Christmas" in English.
Mp3 download from Amazon.de available here:
December 6: St. Nikolaus Day 
The season of advent has already started and most German children
are eager to open a new window on their advent calendar each morning,
as they have done since the first day of December, counting down to the
most beloved day of the year: Christmas. But it’s difficult to wait that
long when you are five years old, and lo and behold there happens to be
another “intermediate” holiday that makes the wait a little easier:
December 6 is St. Nikolaus Day. The customs surrounding this celebration
vary greatly in different parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Originally, the custom of St. Nikolaus was based on Saint Nicholas of
Myra, a 4th century bishop in what is now Turkey, who apparently was
fond of giving gifts to many people in need. Over the centuries, many
different traditions grew out of his story, and his special day was set for
December 6 because he died on this day in 346. In Germany, many
children set out their shoes in front of their door on the night before
St. Nikolaus Day, expecting to find them filled with sweets and fruit in
the morning. But in many areas, St. Nikolaus still goes from house to
house as well on December 6 to see if children have been good or bad. He carries with him a big
golden book in which each child’s deeds and misdeeds are recorded. The children often perform a song
or a poem for St. Nikolaus and then are rewarded with small gifts, nuts, chocolate, or fruit. But
St. Nikolaus Day is not just a day of unbridled joy; it is often accompanied by a good measure of
trepidation because the children who were “naughty” may get beaten with a bundle of
twigs—a
“Rute”--, or if they were really bad, may get carried off in St. Nikolaus’ big
bag to the Black Forest. At least, that’s what they are told. Sometimes,
St. Nikolaus is accompanied by a helper: Knecht Ruprecht in Germany,
Krampus in Austria or Schmutzli in Switzerland. Krampus, in particular,
is a scary-looking fellow, with a mask, horns, chains and bells, and smaller
children may be quite intimidated by his appearance. Growing up in the
northern part of Switzerland, I remember this mixture of anticipation
and trepidation on St. Nikolaus Day quite well. And I distinctly remember
peering between the huge dark fir trees of the Black Forest every time we
drove through the area, looking for all of the children who had been
hauled off to the Black Forest by St. Nikolaus. Of course, I never saw any
of them, and the trepidation was well worth it when I got my chocolate
in return.
creative commons license
November 11: St. Martinstag--Halloween, German-style
Thanks to profit-minded businesses, American Halloween customs are increasingly infringing on
German culture, but Halloween is not a traditional holiday celebrated in Germany. However, the
customs associated with Halloween are not unfamiliar in Europe. A similar holiday has been celebrated
in many European countries for centuries on November 11: St. Martin’s Day. In the traditional Catholic
calendar, the day signifies the beginning of the 40-day fast before Christmas, and therefore is often
accompanied by a special, last-hurrah feast of roast goose, the “Martinigans”. In some protestant areas,
however, the date was changed to November 10 to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther, rather than
the birthday of Saint Martin of Tours. It was also the day of the year on which temporary farmhands or
workers were dismissed for the winter, which for them and their families signaled the beginning of lean
times. So originally, the children went around at night with lanterns carved from turnips or sugar beets,
singing songs and collecting food to be stored for the winter. Later, the survival aspect became less
prominent and the sweet tooth took over. Today, the children, just as for Halloween, collect mostly
sweets and candy. In some areas, the traditional carved and candle-lit lanterns are still displayed in
parades, but in other areas paper lanterns with artificial lights are more popular, partly for safety
reasons. Various regions also have their own songs for the “Martinisingen”, but the most commonly
used song is “Ich geh mit meiner Laterne”.
Ich geh mit meiner Laterne
und meine Laterne mit mir.
Da oben leuchten die Sterne
und unten da leuchten wir.
rabimmel, rabammel, rabumm.
Just as the carving of pumpkins for Halloween is a hallowed part of an American childhood, the
carving of turnips or the fashioning of a paper lantern for St. Martin’s Day is a magical part of German
childhood and even many years later is remembered more fondly than the number of candy bars
collected.
German Embassy in Canada website about St. Martin's Day:
http://www.ottawa.diplo.de/Vertretung/ottawa/en/06/Lifestyle__culture/st__martin__seite.html
(historical background, but also links to sites that show you how to make paper lanterns, as well as
complete lyrics for the "Laterne" song above)
Lyrics and audio files for several St. Martin's Day songs:
http://www.martin-von-tours.de/lieder/laterne_laterne.html