Archive for December, 2014
Der Nikolaus Kommt Posted by Larissa on Dec 22, 2014
At the beginning of December, I was informed that on the 5th of December Nikolaus (St Nicholas) would come in the night and fill children’s shoes with presents. This tradition is carried out in parts of Germany, Holland, Austria, Italy and Switzerland amongst others. To me this sounded a lot like Christmas, and it is…
The Advent Calender and December 24th in Germany Posted by Constanze on Dec 21, 2014
Servus! Only 4 more days ’til Christmas, so here’s another German Christmas post! Did you know that the Advent calendar chocolate you’re happily chomping away on is a German invention? Yes, along with the Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas tree), the Adventskalender is something else you can thank the Germans for. As the big day draws nearer, today…
Guten Tag von München! Posted by Larissa on Dec 19, 2014
Hello there, I’m Larissa Arnold and I’m very excited to say that I will be posting a couple of articles every month all the way from Munich, Germany. If you haven’t already guessed from my name, I’m sisters with another blogger here on Blog Transparent – Constanze Arnold. Here’s a little bit about myself: I am half…
German Christmas Song: O Tannenbaum Posted by Constanze on Dec 14, 2014
Recently I wrote a post about Der Weihnachtsbaum and its origins in German history. This post was originally a part of it, but it became so large that I thought it only fitting to give it its own post. So, to continue on the Weihnachtsbaum theme, here’s a popular song you might know as ‘O…
Der Weihnachtsbaum: The Christmas Tree in German History Posted by Constanze on Dec 12, 2014
Every December we put up Christmas trees in our homes because it’s a tradition. But how many people know where this tradition comes from? There are many stories about the origin of the Christmas tree – some of them dating back as far as ancient Rome and ancient Egypt, and some associated with Paganism. But…
Forget Santa – Meet the Christkind! Posted by Constanze on Dec 7, 2014
Today I’m going to tell you about a German Christmas tradition that I remember very fondly from my childhood. It’s not something celebrated in the UK, but it’s popular in Germany, and I think it makes Christmas really magical for children (even moreso than Santa does). I’m going to tell you about the Christkind. The…
Festive Germany: Munich’s Marienplatz in December Posted by Constanze on Dec 5, 2014
Happy December! December is the month that Germany comes alive with Weihnachtsmarkten, Glühwein, and festive spirit. Exactly one year ago, I took my husband to see München for the first time. I thought this would be the perfect time to show you the cosy, Christmassy atmosphere that you can find in Marienplatz – the centre…