German Advent Calendar: Fact of the Day

12. Dezember – Exchanging Gifts

In German-speaking Europe, there is no Santa Claus coming down the chimney (and usually no chimney!) on Christmas Eve. As we mentioned before, Sankt Nikolaus brings his gifts on December 6th, as a prelude to Christmas. German children don’t have to spend a sleepless night waiting to open Santa’s presents on Christmas morning. To celebrate Weihnachten, most Germans, Austrians, and Swiss gather around the Christmas tree on the night of December 24th, am Heiligen Abend, to exchange gifts. That custom is known as die Bescherung or the exchanging of gifts.

The Thomas-Nast-Nikolausmarkt (Thomas Nast Christmas Market) in Landau (Pfalz), Germany is named for the German-American cartoonist and creator of the Santa Claus image, Thomas Nast. PHOTO: www.landau-tourismus.de

In Austrian and southern German Catholic tradition it is the Christkindl (the German word for “Christ Child” that also became “Kris Kringle” in the US) who brings gifts on Christmas Eve. In Protestant regions of Germany the Weihnachtsmann (“Father Christmas”) is the bearer of gifts, although in recent years the Weihnachtsmann is becoming even more widespread. Ironically, it was the Protestant reformer Martin Luther who created the Christkind to replace the Catholic Saint Nicholas. Somehow over the years the more secular Santa Claus became the Protestant gift bringer, while Catholic regions adopted the Christkind. Many Christmas markets in Austria and Germany’s Catholic and southern regions are named “Christkindlmarkt.”

Watch for more about die Bescherung and a typical German Christmas Eve in our Advent calendar in coming days.

THE GERMAN VERB bescheren:
jdn bescheren (v.t.) to present a Christmas gift to sb, give sb a Christmas present
jdm etw bescheren (v.i.) to bestow sth upon sb

GERMAN EXPRESSIONS with die Bescherung (all negative):
die Bescherung – (iron.) an unpleasant surprise; a mess
die ganze Bescherung – the whole mess
So eine schöne Bescherung! – This is a fine kettle of fish! What a disaster!
Da haben wir die Bescherung! – That’s done it. I told you so! – That’s a fine how do you do.
Nun guck dir die Bescherung an! – Just look at this mess!

CAROL > “Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann” (“Tomorrow Santa’s Coming”) – Lyrics in German and English

Back | Advent Calendar with Christmas Facts

Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY

• Christmas from A to Z – German Christmas traditions and terms
• Advent – The Latin word means “arrival.” This custom begins on the first Advent Sunday around December 1.
• Krampus, the Christmas Devil of Alpine Europe – The good bishop-like St. Nicholas has a demonic, nasty companion known as Krampus.
• Photo Gallery: Christmas in Germany – Berlin – A visual tour of Christmas markets and other December sights in Berlin
• Christmas in the USA and Germany– A comparison chart
• German Christmas Carols – Popular carols with lyrics in German and English
• Barbarazweig – The legend and the Christmas custom
• Epiphany and the Sternsinger – January 6 in the Germanic Christmas tradition
• Erntedank (“harvest thanksgiving”) or Erntedankfest in Germany and Austria is different from the American Thanksgiving tradition.
• St. Nicholas – The many German St. Nicks
• Thomas Nast created the modern Santa image.
• The Christmas Pickle Ornament – Fact or fiction?
• Silent Night (Stille Nacht) – Our “Silent Night” page has the true story and related links.
• Holidays and Celebrations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
• Glass Ornaments – a history

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