Global Holiday Hop: Germany

Travel with me to the Black Forest of Germany for a look at holiday celebrations. Germany was for a good part of it's history, a mix of warring nomadic Saxon, Hunnic and Teutonic tribes, who worshiped the pantheon of gods from Valhalla. They celebrated a winter solstice or Saturnalia. From their gods we get the names of our week days: From mighty Thor with his thunderbolt we get Thursday. From his vengeful wife Freya we get Friday. From Woden,brother of Thor, we get Wednesday. The druids an ancient race of animists or worshipers of nature, left their mark as well. For them, their most important deity was embodied in the oak as it grew so large and seemed so powerful.

Germany's patron saint is Boniface or Winfred. Boniface is said to be either of English or Irish descent and was born in 775. Ireland was a great center of education and worship of the Christian God, since Patricus introduced Him in the 4th century. Boniface was well-educated and became a Benedictine monk. Boniface felt called to missions and traveled to Germany.

According to legend, in the Hessian village of Fritzlar, Boniface confronted the pagan worshipers as they were gathered in ritual worship around a huge oak dedicated to Thor. Child sacrifice was a part of the worship. A mother pleaded with Boniface to save the life of her child who was designated as the sacrifice. Boniface took an axe and called upon Thor to strike him dead if could as Boniface was going to chop down the oak. As Boniface chopped, a mighty wind knocked the entire tree over. From it's roots sprang up a little evergreen tree, the symbol of Christ and everlasting life. Awed by the miracle and the end of bondage to Thor, many of the people converted to Christianity.

In Germany, Boniface is not the gift giver of Germany, but rather more whimsical Kris Kringle with his assistant Black Pieter, a chimney sweep who arrives covered with (hence the chimney legend?). If you have good, well for you, you will receive a gift. but if you have been bad, Black Piet will leave you a piece of coal or worse a switch for your parents to chastise you. Kris Kringle appears at first fierce and stern, but usually ends with a jolly laugh.

In other parts of Germany, the gift giver is the Christkind (Christ Child) or Christkindl a Christmas angel. She is winged and dressed in white and is haloed by a wreath of light. Children write to Christkind to say how they have been good and perhaps to ask for a special gift. They decorate their cards with sugar to make them sparkle.

Another tradition tells of Martin Luther, a Cistercian monk who was walking home one evening and saw the snow lying upon the branches of an evergreen tree. The moon shining down made the tree appear aglow with light. Luther was reminded of the light of God's love. He cut down a small tree, took it home and placed candles upon the tree to show the light of Christ. He also wrote for us the lovely lullaby carol, Away in the Manger.

Here are some activities for you to share with the classroom or with children to explore Germany further.

Child can write letters to the Christkind, telling what they have done to be kind and help others.

Make a week long chart of activities to practice at home to practice kindness.

Fold blue paper in half to make a card. Using a line of glue or Glue Lines design a snowflake. Sprinkle glitter or sugar on the glue and shake off the excess.

For a great lessons in fractions, patterns and geometry, cut paper snowflakes. Fold white paper in fourths and then in thirds, like an ice cream cone. Trim off the excess if the snowflake is cut from 81/2 x 11 paper. Or trim the paper square ahead of time. Make any shape of cut to decorate, but don't cut all the way through or cut off the entire fold.

Learn 'Silent Night' in the original German: Stille Nacht. A lovely legend tells of parish priest father Joseph Mohr, in Oberndorff, Germany who was dismayed to find that mice had eaten through the bellows of the organ and there was no time to repair before the midnight mass service. But duty called and he had to hurry away to baptize newly born infant in one of the local farmer's home. In the quiet moonlight of the humble home, the priest was so moved by the sight of this mother holding her infant that he hurried home and penned the words to this best loved Christmas hymn. He asked the choirmaster Franz Gruber to write a melody for this poem for guitar. It was sung at midnight mass that Christmas eve long ago.

Make connections between the German words and the English or other translations. 'Stille' - still, Nacht - night, Schlaf - sleep, Gottes - God, Sohn - son, Bruder - brother.

Make a gingerbread house. Read Hansel and Gretel and decorate your homes like the witches' cottage. Make you own gingerbread or for very young children, glue graham crackers to a box. Decorate with candy. Make gingerbread men also.

Make Lebkuchen (Life cake or cookies). Cooking always provides good math and science activities.

Check the links included for free printable recipes, games, and puzzles from Christmas in Germany.

And learn to say "Froehliche Weihnachten' (froy-leek vine nokten) meaning of course, Happy Christmas to all!