There are three common dates in Europe on which children receive christmas presents: 6th December, 25th December, and 6th January. But Germans do it their own way. So who brings the christmas presents in Germany, and when?
Please use these links if you would like to jump directly to christmas eve or to the present giving ceremony!
If you are looking for information on advent activities (e.g. christmas markets) in Germany, please follow the link to part two of this christmas series. In part one you can read about advent traditions, decorations and souvenirs.
Do German children receive presents on St. Nicholas´day?
Well, yes and no. German children do put out their boots – not stockings – on the evening of 5th December. During the night, Saint Nicholas is going to fill them. This used to be the day when children got christmas presents in Germany. Reformation changed that: The birth of Christ must be celebrated more than the dying day of an (in their view) random saint! But children just loved their patron saint too much, the tradition could not be deleted.
Instead, German children now get little presents like chocolate, fruit and nuts and perhaps a book or a little toy on St. Nicholas´ day. I don´t know why Saint Nicholas (=Santa Claus) comes to America on christmas night, though. Maybe that´s based on a misunderstanding – more on this see below.
Does the Christkind bring christmas presents in Germany?
You may have heard or read somewhere that the Christkind, literalls “Christ-child”, is the child Jesus. But – look at it, it is definitely a girl! The Christkind is the “Christmas Child”, a female figure whose real origin is unknown. Personally, I think it may represent the New Year in its pristine innocence. On the other hand, early Lutherans introduced as Christkind a girl dressed up as an angel who would examine childen´s knowledge of the catechism during advent. At the same time they moved the present giving day from December 6th to December 24th, and this may be the connection. Nobody knows, though, why nowadays the Christkind is popular in the catholic regions of Germany, while in protestant regions most people find the winged hermaphrodite weird and tacky and would not let anybody but Father Christmas bring their presents…
Father Christmas at last!
The Christkind, then, is not who gives children their presents in allover Germany. That´s a regional thing mainly in the south. Most German children will get their presents from Father Christmas (Weihnachtsmann, literally “Christmas Man” – sounds like a superhero, doesn´t it?):
Compared to Santa Claus, the German Father Christmas is less spectacular. He has no sleigh and no reindeer, he just walks. And he doesn´t have that far of a way, since he lives in the big forest that you see right outside your window (which, for adults, may not be that big. We are hardly ever far away from some kind of forest if we are generous with this term!). And that´s it. He has not become a quasi-religious figure. He´s just the guy who carries the presents.
Why Are There Presents For Christmas?
Many Germans don´t know the difference between Father Christmas and Saint Nicholas, though – both bring gifts, both come in December, both have a red coat. Before the famous Coca-Cola campaign, Father Christmas could wear any color – mostly, it was brown. Originally, he is a figure from pagan times who came at the time of winter solstice to bless people by beating them (lightly) with a green branch. 19th cetury songwriters tried to integrate that into the christian message: “Oh christmas tree, how green are your leaves! … (You teach me that) hope and perseverance will comfort and strengthen me always!”
But as I said, Father Christmas is not a quasi-religious or moral figure. Very few German parents say things like “don´t let father christmas see you do that!” Presents are gifts freely given, not rewards to those who have been good. They symbolize God´s undeserved gift to humankind. Not everybody may be aware of this, however.
By the way: If you don´t know whether it´s Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas standing before you, just look for the bishop´s hat and the staff. See them? Then it´s the saint. See a winter hat with fir trimming? It´s Father Christmas.
How To Give The Christmas Presents In Germany
German children receive their presents on the evening of 24th December, as the symbolic time for Christ´s birth right at midnight, between the longest night of the year and the first day of light coming back to the earth.
The morning before christmas night
December 24th, then, can start off busy. There is no school on this day, but most shops are opened and many parents have to go to work until noon. At 12a.m., everything closes down. Those who have not been at their workplace will often have spent the morning putting up the christmas tree and decorating it. My family does it this way, but the wiser will have done it on the evening of 23rd. Some still spend the morning cleaning and decorating or preparing food for the evening. And of course someone in the family has always forgotten to buy something and absolutely needs to get it on the morning of 24th December!
A typical German christmas lunch
Because of all this, lunch on 24th December is something quick and simple in most German families. The most popular dish on this occasion is potato salad with sausages. But it could be anything really simple like pasta with tomato sauce or just scrambled eggs with bread and pickles. After all, an evening flowing over with chocolate and cookies is still to come! Please follow the link to read more about German food on christmas evening.
If possible, young children will take a nap after lunch. Older children will wrap their presents (or even finish making them, I´m afraid). Parents can use that time to wrap gifts or decorate the tree if they still haven´t done that. Families are likely to have Kaffee und Kuchen in the afternoon, so they prepare the table for that.
How to spend christmas evening as a German family
When the children get out of their room, it´s time for coffee and cake. If the children are likely to get tired early in the evening, families will leave out that step and head for church straight away. Most churches offer several services during the afternoon, evening and night. Germany is a very secularised country, but even people who don´t see themselves as christians often go to church on christmas eve. It´s just part of the christmas traditions. And many enjoy christmas services because of the christmas carols.
And now: The presents!
After church, its time for Bescherung (that is the name for the ceromony of handing over the christmas presents in Germany). But – not right away.
In many families, the parents will hurry to the living room to make some final adjustments for the upcoming ceremony, like lighting the candles. Children are to wait in their bedroom. They are very likely to gather together closely, whispering, giggling and admonishing each other to be quiet. Nobody wants to miss the sound of the little bell ringing from the living room. When they hear its chime, they are allowed into the living room. Some just run in, but many are so impressed and awestruck that they prefer to walk in slowly and quietly. In some families the parents will come and fetch the children, walking into the living room together and singing a christmas song. Or christmas music will be playing – be it traditional christmas songs, the Nutcracker Suite or something more churchy. Of course, not all families do it this way, but this would be a traditional beginning of the Bescherung.
Celebrating christmas evening – patience is part of it
Many Germans value greatly the virtue of patience. Moreover, parents would often want the children to realise that christmas isn´t just about the presents. So while everybody sits gazing at the christmas tree, wondering what may be in the parcels lying under it, the family will sing a song or two, parents will perhaps read a story to the children, maybe children have even learnt christmas poems by heart, If so, now is the time to say them. Many children feel tantalized by seeing the presents, but not being allowed to open them. My family´s solution to this is that the presents do not lie beneath the christmas tree. Father Christmas has not been there yet – he will come when he hears us singing! ” So after some time, there will be a loud knock coming from… well, somewhere…no, really, it came from outside! Let´s go and see who it is! Oh – no-one there, but there is a big bag lying in front of the door that Father Christmas has left for us! So we get the bag in.
How To Open Christmas Presents In Germany
Now we don´t just rip the paper off. Someone gets out the first present, finds out who it is for and gives it to that person. He or she will open the present, everyone will watch and admire. And then it is this person´s turn to get out the next present for somebody else. You can imagine that with three children, this keeps us entertained until the candles on the christmas tree have burnt up and our youngest falls asleep on the rug. Before that happens, we have dinner – if anybody wants it.
Christmas Night Dinner
Quite often everybody is full with chocolate, cookies, fruit and nuts already so we just leave our christmas dinner for christmas day. But if we do have dinner, it is our family tradition to have Vegetarian Döner – at least that´s what we call it. Everybody fills their freshly baked bread roll with salad, tomato, paprika, onions etc. that I sliced up before and we eat them while continuing the unwrapping ceremony. There may well be families that have a more festive meal on christmas night, but we have found that this is what we enjoy the most. With young children, there just isn´t much time to do everything before they become sleepy. And on the other hand, our older children have certain expectations as to what must be done on christmas night. This is just our way of dealing with the fact that there is an age difference of ten years between our youngest and our oldest child.
Many people like to go to church again some time close to midnight, when there will be a quiet, candle-lit service in a meditative atmosphere.
How Do Germans Spend Christmas Day?
Christmas day, then, is not a day that children in general eagerly await. Often, adults are tired and sleep until noon while children run around in their pyjamas or just grab some electronic devices. But of course there are also families who will visit grandparents or other relatives on this day, or they spend the day similar to the way we do it.
How my family spends christmas day…
For our family Christmas Day is a day that we do look forward to very much because we will have so much time to spend together. We have a huge breakfast with fresh bread rolls, different sorts of jam, cheese, honey, raw vegetables and pickles. And there are still lots of christmas cookies around. The children are allowed to fill their plates and take them wherever they want, so they sit around the christmas tree playing with their presents or reading their new books or trying their new art supplies. My husband and I are there to help put toys together, to play and to appreciate whatever they want to show us. Some time in the afternoon we take a walk together, then it´s time for supper and maybe for lighting some new candles on the christmas tree. We may watch a movie together. And then it´s time for bed.
…and how others do it
That was how we personally spend the day. However, very many people in Germany have a festive lunch on Christmas Day. Grandparents, cousins etc. gather to have – traditionally – a roast goose with dumplings and red cabbage. Then a lot of talking at the table or maybe a walk outside together. Then coffee and cake before everybody goes home. Some will also spend the evening together, when Glühwein (mulled wine) or Sekt (champagne) or liqueur will be served.
The Second Day Of Christmas In Germany
The second day of christmas is a day when many young people who have moved away from their home town or village meet with their friends from school. Some see the morning service (that is often very festive with lots of music) as the perfect opportunity to find out who is there and to make plans for the evening. Of course, others just use social media for that purpose. Let me remind you that christians are a minority in Germany and that outside of the holiday season, hardly anyone ever goes to church. But during this time of the year, it is simply seen by many as part of the tradition.
Those who don´t have to go back to work spend a few quiet days with the family before on 31st December, New Year´s Eve comes around.
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That’s really interesting. We moved to Germany 2 years ago, and since then I’ve wondered how exactly they celebrate Christmas, especially since I don’t have any German friends to ask.