Nikolaus und Weihnachten in Deutschland
Lily (Year 8) has written a poem about the German tradition of Saint Nicolas and/or ‘Krampus’ visiting children on 6th December
Please do allow me to say
Something about St Nicholas Day,
Taking place on the 6th of December,
It’s a day for Germans to remember,
That day, stockings are filled,
And little children are extremely thrilled,
To find chocolates, oranges, and toys,
This is a happy day for girls and boys,
Although we don’t do this here,
It’s a fun and possible idea.
Now, according to tradition,
Krampus Nacht is a well-executed mission,
To scare children who have been bad,
And change the temper of many a lad,
But Heiliger Abend is the main day,
Where all trees are bright and gay,
The food will be prepared,
And no longer are children scared,
For on that day, presents are gifted,
And children’s spirits are bright and lifted,
When Christkind is done,
The bell is rung,
And all the children rush in,
To start the Bescherung and joyfully sing.
So that’s only a short overview
Of German traditions just for you,
Have an amazing Christmas,
And make sure to escape Krampus!
Glossary
St Nicholas Day: Typically, on St Nicholas Day, a Christmas shaped stocking is placed by children, just outside the door, which will be filled with oranges, chocolates, treats, little toys and more that night, ready to be discovered the next morning.
Krampus Nacht: Krampus Nacht (translated to Krampus Night) occurs the night before St Nicholas Day and consists of people dressing up and walking through the streets as devil-like, horned figure. The idea is that Krampus (a horned figure) scares naughty children. Another variant is Knecht Ruprecht, who is St Nicholas’ attendant. According to tradition, children who had not been well-behaved enough to receive little presents by St Nicholas, received coal from Knecht Ruprecht instead.
Heiliger Abend: HeiligerAbend is the big day when Christmas is properly celebrated. Germans celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, while most people in England celebrate on Christmas Day. Traditionally, people will spend the first half of the day decorating the tree, sprucing up the house, and preparing food for the family. As night draws in, households gather around the Christmas tree. Some families head to church services at some point in the day, whilst others stay at home and enjoy each other’s company. Also, they receive presents in a different way to how we do as you can learn from the poem.
Christkind: Christkind (translated to Christ Child) delivers the presents while the children are waiting outside the room. Then, a bell will be rung, and the children will step inside to sing carols with their family, before opening their presents.
Bescherung: Bescherung is the opening of gifts. This happens after Chriskind is done, and the bell is rung.
