Tag Archives: Christmas
Germany-Specific Emojis Posted by Constanze on Dec 23, 2015
Guten Tag! Last month I came across an article about how Finland are set to release country-specific emojis for use on smartphones. They are, in fact, the first country in the world to launch their own emoji sticker set! The set has been gradually rolled out advent calendar-style, and tomorrow (December 24th – the Finnish…
The Difference between Nikolaus, Santa Claus and the Christkind Posted by Larissa on Dec 14, 2015
Sometimes it can get a bit confusing: St Nicholas comes on the night of 5th of December, Santa Claus comes on the night of the 24th, and the Christkind arrives in the evening of the 24th! But who are they all and what is the unterschied (difference) between them? Saint Nicholas St Nicholas comes from Greece…
9 German Christmas Bakes Posted by Constanze on Dec 9, 2015
Frohe Weihnachten! … Ok, so we’re not quite that far yet. But last year I wrote a series of posts on German Christmas traditions, including the Christkind, and the German history of the Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas tree). What is there to cover this year, I thought, that hasn’t been covered already? Well, my friends, there’s food!…
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…
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…