Cactus Language Blog

Weinachten - essential German words and phrases for Christmas

Posted by simonager under German, Learning a language

Christmas (Weinachten) in Germany is the most important annual celebration. The festivities begin on the forth Sunday before Christmas, or the first day of Advent. Families set up Advent wreathes (Adventskranze) and Christmas / Advent markets (Christkindlmärkte) traditionally start. Shops stay open later during this period as well.

On 6th December, St Nicholas’ Day (Nikolaus), on the eve of which children put a shoe or boot (Nikolaus-Stiefel) by the fireplace or outside their bedroom door. If they have been good, their Nikolaus-Stiefel will be full of edible presents in the morning, but if they’ve been bad they will only receive a tree branch (rute).

On Christmas Eve (Heiligabend/Dickbauch), the Christmas tree (Weinachtsbaum / Christbaum / Tannenbaum) is revealed. Children eagerly look forward to seeing it as they are not allowed to do so before then. German Christmas trees are decorated in a similar way to those in the UK and USA with tinsel (Lemetta), lights (Lichter), candles (Kerzen), and edible decorations such as nuts, apples and sweets. Presents (Geschenke) are put under the trees and plates piled with fruit (Frucht), nuts (Nüsse), marzipan, chocolate (Schokolade) and biscuits (Kekse) and laid out. When the children hear a bell, the can go in to see the tree.

Families sing Christmas carols (Weinachtslieder) and read the story Christmas (Weinachtsgeschichte), presents are opened, and everyone wishes one another Merry Christmas (Fröhliche Weihnachten / Frohe Weinachten / Frohes Fest). Some people go to midnight Mass (Christmette) as well.

The name Dickbauch (fat belly) for Christmas Eve originates in the tradition that people who don’t eat their fill during that day will be visited by demons during the night. Therefore Christmas Eve is a time for feasting on suckling pig (Spanferkel), white sausage (Weißwurst), and many other special dishes.

The traditional dish eaten on Christmas day is roast goose (Gänsebraten) stuffed with apples (Äpfel) and prunes (Backpflaumen) or chestnuts (Esskastanien) with dumplings (Knödel) and red cabbage (Rotkohl). Also popular are carp (Karpfen), fondue and lamb (Lammfleisch). For dessert there often various kinds of bread, such as Christstollen (long loaves of bread with nuts, raisins and dried fruit), Lebkuchen (spice bars), marzipan, and Dresden Stollen (a type of moist bread filled with fruit).
On 26th December (der zweite Weihnachtstag), which is a holiday in Germany, people generally visit family and friends.
More German Christmas vocabulary can be found at:
http://german.about.com/library/blcmasvoc.htm

About the author
Simon Ager runs a company that provides information and advice about languages mainly via the website www.omniglot.com.

Tags:christmas, christmas eve, christmas markets, culture, December, food, German, Germany, tradition