{"id":12480,"date":"2020-12-24T16:26:08","date_gmt":"2020-12-24T16:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=12480"},"modified":"2020-12-24T16:36:08","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T16:36:08","slug":"german-christmas-4-questions-answered-about-german-rauchermannchen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/german-christmas-4-questions-answered-about-german-rauchermannchen\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Questions On German R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again.<\/a> German Christmas! The Kamin <\/em>(fireplace) is crackling joyfully and the warm and sweet Gl\u00fchwein<\/em> (mulled wine)<\/a> relaxes the soul and the\u00a0R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen\u00a0<\/em>disperse their wonderful Christmas scent. Perhaps I lost you on that last one. What are R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen<\/em>? Little smoke men? Actually, kind of!<\/p>\n

1. What is a R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen<\/em>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen

Different R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen<\/em> – this is my parents’ collection! And yes, the second one in black is Martin Luther (Image by author)<\/p><\/div>\n

Invented in the\u00a0 early 19th century by a toy company, the R\u00e4uchermann <\/em>is a little incense smoker. It originates in the\u00a0Erzgebirge\u00a0<\/em>(Ore Mountains), the same area that came up with the Schwibbogen<\/em><\/a>, another piece of traditional German Christmas decoration.\u00a0R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen\u00a0<\/em>sometimes even feature on some Schwibb\u00f6gen<\/em>!<\/p>\n

The\u00a0R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen\u00a0<\/em>is now unmissable from\u00a0Weihnachten\u00a0<\/em>in the\u00a0Erzgebirge<\/em>. They have also gained popularity in other parts of Germany and elsewhere in the world. It makes sense – they’re super cute, right?<\/p>\n

R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen\u00a0<\/em>are customarily made in the\u00a0Erzgebirge<\/em> by hand. That’s why they can be pretty expensive and certain designs might be hard to find due to limited quantities. There are knock-offs on the market, but if you want one, try to ensure you find a real one!<\/p>\n

2. What’s the story behind the R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen<\/em>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"German<\/a>

The St\u00fcrmer, one of the highest mountains in the Erzgebirge (Image by \u00dcberraschungsbilder at Commons.wikimedia.org under license CC BY SA 3.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

So how did they come up with this\u00a0R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen<\/em>? As you can imagine, the\u00a0Erzgebirge\u00a0<\/em>got its name from all the\u00a0Erz\u00a0<\/em>(ore) that could be mined there. However, at the beginning of the 18th century, the\u00a0Bergbau\u00a0<\/em>(mining) began declining. This pushed people to pursue other interest, and one that caught on was the production of\u00a0Holzspielzeug\u00a0<\/em>(wood toys) and other wooden objects. About a hundred years later, this had grown out into a flourishing industry. It was already around this time that the first figures were modeled that could hold incense and burn it.<\/p>\n

3. How does it work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"German<\/a>

A Durchschnitt<\/em> (intersection) of a R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen<\/em>. Notice how it is hollow on the inside, with the conical R\u00e4ucherkerze<\/em> placed on the base (Image by Markscheider at Commons.wikimedia.org under license CC BY 3.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

The\u00a0R\u00e4uchermann\u00a0<\/em>is a clever and simple design. The figurine is hollow to fit a R\u00e4ucherkerze\u00a0<\/em>(“incense candle”) It consists of two parts: the base (the lower body) and the top (the upper body). You can simply pull off the top to reveal the holder for the\u00a0R\u00e4ucherkerze<\/em>. These are small cones that have a wonderful, often piny smell. Then place the cone in the base and now light it. When you hold a lighter to the tip of the cone, it will begin to glow and start smoking! Now simply put the top back on – and now your R\u00e4ucherm\u00e4nnchen <\/em>will disperse its wonderful smell through its mouth!<\/p>\n