German Advent Calendar: Fact of the Day

15. Dezember – The Christmas Rose

Weihnachtsrose

Helleborus niger | Christmas roses (Schneerosen) on the Wilder Kaiser mountain in Tirol, Austria. PHOTO: Robert Hundsdorfer, Wikimedia Commons

Although they look nothing alike, the “Christmas rose” (Helleborus niger) is the Germanic equivalent of the poinsettia (Weihnachtsstern). In German the central European plant goes by the name Christrose, Schneerose, or Weihnachtsrose, and gets its name from the fact that it blooms in the winter from December to March. Although beautiful, this hardy evergreen perennial with white or pale pink blossoms also happens to be poisonous. Helleborus niger is not a true rose but is a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It gets its “black” (niger) designation from the fact that its roots are dark-colored.

The Christmas rose has long been a symbol of the yuletide season in German lands, inspiring poems and songs in its honor. One of the best known German Christmas carols, “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” (“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”), is about the Christmas rose. The carol dates back to 1599. (See the video below.) Later, the German poet Eduard Mörike (1804-1875) wrote “Auf eine Christblume” in praise of the flower, and Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) later set Mörike’s poem to music.

VIDEO > “Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen” – The King’s Singers

See the lyrics for this carol (German/English).

MORE > German Christmas Carols – Popular carols with lyrics in German and English

Christrose information in German from a Swiss site (thus no ß):
Wenn sich ein Grossteil der Natur im Winterschlaf befindet, haben die Nieswurzen (Helleborus) ihren grossen Auftritt. Je nach Blütezeit werden sie auch Christrose (Helleborus niger) oder Lenzrose genannt. Christrosen blühen ab Dezember (sie heissen deshalb auch Weihnachtsrose oder Weihnachtsblume) bis in den Februar hinein. Die „Rose des Winters“ wird 25 bis 30 cm hoch und hat hübsche weisse Blüten. Bei manchen Sorten sind sie auch von einem Hauch Rosa überzogen. Je nach Sorte lockern die hellen Blüten schattige Ecken im Garten bis in den März hinein auf. (blumenboersen.ch)

WEB > Schneerose – Christrose (Wikipedia, Deutsch)

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