Dossiers

Christmas in Germany

Discover the many different Christmas traditions in Germany in our Christmas dossier: articles, picture galleries, virtual exhibitions and games on the theme of Christmas and Christmas cultural heritage will hopefully bring you joy.

Image galleries

Santa Clauses and Knecht Ruprechts

Animal Cultural Heritage: Reindeer

Articles

The Christmas Market: Nostalgia, Nationalism and Roasted Nuts

Alongside ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ and the Christmas tree, the Christmas market is one of those Christmas customs that are also very popular outside of Germany and have a lasting influence on the image of German Christmas traditions. But are the markets of the Middle Ages really the ancestors of today's Christmas markets? What role does nostalgia play in these traditions, and what does Christmas have to do with nationalism? Join us on a stroll through the history of Christmas markets.

Stollen: Of bread, privileges and Christmas magic

With sultanas, candied orange and lemon peel... or without them ; sometimes with poppy seeds or marzipan, always with lots of butter and sugar - in many German households, Stollen is as much a part of Christmas as mulled wine in a cup and tinsel on the tree. The history of this rich pastry is an eventful one - it tells stories of bakery craftsmanship, wealth and regional pride.

The History Of The Christmas Tree: From Frost-Plagued Northmen And Gilded Potatoes

By far the most popular Christmas tree in German living rooms is the Nordmann-Fir. Soft needles, dark green and beautifully grown, these are the features why the Fir is sold million of times for the festive season. The name also fits well: Nordmann-Fir is associated with deeply snow-covered forests in the North of Europe...

Chirstmas-Cultural Heritage: Historical Christmas Cookies

Ordinary krumkakes, ordinary almond buns, ordinary gingerbread - but these Christmas cookies are anything but ordinary! They are historical recipes, the oldest dating back to 1791 - the year in which Olympe de Gouges wrote the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Citizen’ in Paris. We recreated four historical Christmas cookie recipes for you. The (not so) oridinairy krumkakes even come with video instructions. So put on your apron, put on Rolf Zuckowski and off you go!

Lebkuchen – Of Festivities, Honey Harvesting and Trade Routes

In our Christmas blog post, we investigate the Christmas classic that is gingerbread, rediscover medieval professions (keyword: "Zeidlerei"), take a closer look at the spice trade and find out why some gingerbread is baked with beet syrup.

Virtual exhibitions

„Es blüht eine Rose zur Weihnachtszeit ...“ - Die sagenumwobene Christrose in historischen

Dieses Weihnachten orakelt es an der Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg: Erfahren Sie Botanisches, Pharmazeutisches, Historisches, Kurioses, Sagenhaftes, Literarisches, Musikalisches und Religiöses rund um die Christrose.

Als Weihnachten ins Wasser fiel. Remshochwasser 1919

Es kam alles zusammen: Temperaturen über 0 °C, tagelanger Dauerregen und eine ungewöhnlich früh einsetzende Schneeschmelze in den Höhenlagen des Remstals. Zwei Tage vor Weihnachten schließlich setzte Starkregen ein, flussabwärts nahm die Katastrophe ihren Lauf.

Games

Quiz: Die Geschichte der Weihnachtsbäume - Eine deutsche Lieblingstradition

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