blog post #2
April 16,2015
by:Sophie Lynch
Christmas is very big part of German culture. Through the
whole month of December most of Germany is transformed into a beautiful winter
wonderland filled with busy markets and joyful children. But there is so much
more to the holiday than pretty lights and decorations. In fact many people
over look that a lot of our traditions originate in Germany. The very idea of
Santa clause came from the tradition of Sankt Nikolaus or as we would call it
St. Nick’s day. On the night of December 5th children would put a
pair of boots outside their door and if they had been good the next morning
they would fin small presents left by the saint waiting for them. However as
time goes by the worshiping of saints became less popular so the tradition
changed and the presents now are delivered by Christkind ( Christ child). Thus
moving the opening of gifts from the 6th to the 24th of
December, putting the importance of Christ in Christmas. Like with many
holidays, food never seems to miss a spot in the celebrations. Although many
foods are involved in a traditional German Christmas dinner such as duck, red
cabbage, and potato dumplings; one of the most famous holiday treats actually
came from Germany. What is it…? Fruitcake! Dresdner Stollen is a cake filled
with fruit and nuts and is shaped to represent baby Jesus wrapped in his
swaddling cloth. This dissert is very special because it not only is very delicious
but it also reminds many of the main purpose of Christmas aside from the
festivities.
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