A Foreigner's Guide To Christmas In Berlin

Did you wake up on December 6th and wonder why bars of chocolate smooshed between your toes as you tried to put on your boots to go to work?

Does the image of the German Christkind confuse you and make you wonder why Jesus is bringing you presents on his birthday?

For those new to Germany and German traditions, Christmas in Berlin and all around the country can be as confusing as it is exciting.

Those of us who have grown up writing letters to Santa Claus, straining to hear the sound of his reindeer on the rooftops on Christmas Eve, leaving out a plate of cookies, and hanging stockings by the chimney, may find Christmas in Germany, at first glance, to be a little... well... disappointing.

Why? Because in many German households, Santa isn't the one who comes to visit.

Instead, Germany celebrates Christmas not with a one gift giver and general joy-bringer, but with two: St. Nikolaus and the Christkind, or Christ child.

The story of St. Nikolaus dates back to the third century A.D. in Southern Turkey. Nikolaus is said to have been the son of wealthy parents who died in an epidemic. After their deaths, he dedicated his life to the church, became Bishop of Myra, and used all his money to secretly help the poor.

He would throw coins in open windows, put gold in shoes, and when no other method was available, throw treats down the chimney. Today, many people continue the tradition of St. Nikolaus by leaving shoes outside the door on the eve of December 6th (commemorating the day Nikolaus died), and eagerly anticipating the next morning when their boots overflow with chocolate and small treats.

The Christkind is, however, a little more confusing. The day of St. Nikolaus was celebrated throughout Germany for centuries, but with the Reformation led by Martin Luther (1483-1546), the figure of St. Nikolaus was suddenly frowned upon.

Luther did not want his followers to idolize a Catholic saint, but at the same time recognized the goodness that accompanied the holiday. He moved the traditional day of gift-giving to December 24th and replaced St. Nikolaus with the Christkind, a child-like image of the baby Jesus.

However, recent incarnations of the Christkind represent the figure not as a newborn boy, but instead as a young girl with golden curls.

The Christkind Market in Nuremberg, which elects a teenage girl from the city to play the Christkind, describes the figure "not so much an embodiment of the Christ child in the manger, but a grown-up figure which also took on some traits of the Angel of the Annunciation and some elements of the Virgin Mary."

The Christkind of Nuremburg, decorated in a large golden crown and golden robes, is responsible for officially opening the Christmas Market, hosting various "fairy-tale hours," conversing with the press, visiting the homes of the young, elderly and disabled, and bringing Christmas presents to children in the hospital.

In German homes, the Christkind traditionally brings presents to children on Christmas Eve. The departure is announced with the ringing of a small bell, followed by the stampeding feet of children as they rush to see what presents were left for them.

Despite Germany's wealth of traditions, the magic of North America's Santa Claus has started to creep into German culture over the last few years despite arguments that Santa Claus represents nothing but rampant consumerism, and to some, Coca Cola.

In fact, Santa Claus, the Christkind, and St. Nikolaus are sometimes all rolled up into one fun-loving Christmas package. A Spiegel article from last year states that children in Germany "have been sending letters to Santa Claus for decades," but also acknowledges that many of these letters are for the Christkind.

So take your pick. Celebrate the season with St. Nikolaus, the Christkind, Santa Claus, or all three. However you enjoy the holiday season, make it a great one.