Time of Advent in Germany

 

    Today is the 4th to last Sunday before Christmas which means that the time of Advent is just starting.

    Usually, German families have so-called advent wreaths. They can either be hand-made or bought in a store and consist of an evergreen that is constructed to resemble a ring. Varying in decorations and colors, all of them have four candles. Every Sunday up to Christmas, one more candle is lighted on the advent wreath. So on the first of advent, you light one candle, on the second one more, etc. Usually, you don't change the candles, so you need to be careful not to let the first ones burn down before you can light the fourth one on Sunday before Christmas.  Many German families take some time, once a day, for example when they are having breakfast or dinner together, to light the candles for that time, sometimes blowing out the ones that have burnt down more than the others in order to save them for the last Sunday of Advent.

    There is a German rhyme going as follows: "Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt. Erst eins, dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier, dann steht das Christkind vor der Tür" translating to "Advent, Advent, a little light is burning. First one, then two, then three, then four (lights), and then the Christkind will be standing in front of the door."  

    Christkind? Well, traditionally, in Germany, as in many other countries, it didn't use to be Santa Claus who brings presents on Christmas, but the so-called Christkind, translating to Christ Child (Baby Jesus). With globalization (especially since the 1990s), nowadays there are families telling their children that on Christmas Eve the Weihnachtsmann (Santa Claus) is coming, but traditionally it has always been the Christkind.   

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