Christmas is big in the German-speaking lands and here’s your cultural crash course in some wonderful Christmas traditions, many of which have spread throughout the world. Read on and you’ll also kit yourself out with the German Christmas words and phrases you need to throw yourself into the celebrations as a German learner. There’s a video lesson to go with this post too (down at the bottom).
How do you say Christmas in German?
The German word for Christmas is das Weihnachten. The verb weihen (to hallow) is related and Weihnachten means “the holy nights”. You’ll sometimes see Weihnachten used as a plural to mean “the Christmas period” (and sometimes it’s used to mean “Christmases”, e.g. the last two Christmases: die letzte zwei Weihnachten).
| Grab Dr P's free German Christmas Phrases Cheatsheet (and other super-useful German .pdfs) Click here to get the training |
Weihnachtsmarkt means Christmas market!
Der Advent (Advent) begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Like in the rest of Western Christendom, it’s the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ, the arrival of das Christkind (the baby Jesus).
Early in December, der Weihnachtsmarkt (the Christmas market) will be set up on the town square. The oldest known Weihnachtsmarkt ist der Striezelmarkt in Dresden.
At a Weihnachtsmarkt you’ll find quaint wooden kiosks and stalls where you can buy der Glühwein (mulled wine) in a festive mug. If you like the mug you can keep it (instead of returning it to reclaim your deposit (das Pfand). Ok, das Pfand isn’t a Christmas word. Recycling is taken seriously in the German-speaking lands and deposits on glass and plastic drink bottles are the norm throughout the year.
To eat there’ll be the usual grilled sausages (die Bratwurst) and das Sauerkraut (chopped, pickled cabbage).
You’ll also find sweet Christmas delicacies like der Lebkuchen (various types of soft cookies or flatish sponge flavoured with ginger, honey and other spices) and der Stollen (sweet bread with currents, spices and a layer or marzipan plus a generous dusting of icing sugar on top. Sometimes they have a domed side covered in chocolate and a flat side of rice paper.
German Christmas Decorations
The Weihnachtsmarkt is also a place to stock up on some of the beautiful wooden Christmas decorations for which central Europe is famous. For example die Weihnachtsengel (Christmas angels, plural, the singular is the same: der Weihnachtsengel).
You could also buy an advent wreath (der Adventskranz). Like the wreaths in the UK or the USA it’s made of pine leaves and cones but it’s not always a ring that hangs on your front door. Many Adventskränze lie flat on the table as a bed for four candles. Some families light one candle on each Sunday of Advent.
One beautiful decoration from Saxony is an arch of lit candles (real or electric) called der Swiboggen that stands in house windows to the delight of people looking from inside and out.
The German for Advent calendar is der Adventskalender. These days, just like in the UK or the US, the ones with a chocolate behind each door have become very popular.
How to say Merry Christmas in German
There are various ways to wish a Merry Christmas in German. The most common are Frohe Weihnachten! or Fröhliche Weihnachten! (Merry Christmas!). You could also say Fröhes Fest! (Happy Festival/Celebration) or Schöne Feiertage! (Happy Holidays)
The German for Christmas card is die Weihnachtskarte (pl: -karten). They’re easy to find in the shops as Christmas approaches but they aren’t as popular as in the English-speaking countries.
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6 December: der Nikolaustag in German
6 December is St Nicholas’ Day (der Nikolaustag).
On the evening of December 5th (6th in Switzerland) children leave der Nikolausstiefel (“Nicholas” boot or a shoe) outside the front door. During the night, der Nikolaus (St Nicholas) calls and fills the Stiefel with sweets or small presents. With his red robes and long white beard, he looks like Santa Clause, except for his staff and mitre.
Well, that’s what the children who’ve been good can hope for.
Naughty children might just end up with a bunch of birch twigs (eine Rute). Der Nikolaus might leave these himself but in some regions there are other, scary characters who are out to get naughty children on the night of 5 December.
In Alpine areas (especially of Austria) der Krampus has horns, fangs and a lolling tongue. Sometimes he has one cloven hoof and one human foot. He’ll leave eine Rute and coal for naughty children.
Some people send Krampuskarten. The cards feature the Krampus, maybe looming over some children with a basket on his back to carry them off. Other cards take a lighter line, with humorous (even raunchy) messages.
In some towns and villages, the young men dress as der Krampus and take part in der Krampuslauf (Krampus run). Der Schnapps (strong spirits) may be handed round.
In the non-catholic regions in the northern and mid Germany, another character who sometimes appears at this time is Knecht Ruprecht. He’s a bearded man in a black or brown gown. He too carries a Rute.
Both Knecht Ruprecht and der Krampus have their origins in the older goat-like demon, der Percht, who people thought roamed the land throughout the winter months is still in evidence in some localities on 5 December.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
It’s Christmas Eve. Time for more German traditions and more German Christmas words!
In German, Christmas Eve is der Heiligabend or der Weihnachtsabend and there’s more action then than on Christmas Day itself.
The German for Christmas tree is der Weihnachtsbaum. The tradition is for the Weihnachtsbaum to go up on the afternoon of 24 December. Some families still like to decorate the tree with traditional candles but many now prefer safer electric Christmas tree lights. Der Flitter or das Lametta (tinsel) and die Glöckchen (little bells; sing: das Glöckchen) might also hang on the tree.
Christmas Eve is a working day, so it won’t be till the early evening that some families go to church. In church, there may be an elaborate model nativity scene (die Krippe – also means manger and crèche). Round the manger you’ll see die Heilige Familie (the Holy Family), die Hirten (shepherds; sing: der Hirt), die Schafe (sheep; singular: das Schaf) and die Heiligen Drei Könige (the Three Holy Kings, singular of king: der König).
Das Krippenspiel (nativity play) could well be part of the service.
After Church comes the distribution of the presents (there’s a special word for this: die Bescherung) and a special Christmas Eve meal (the order of the two varies from region to region, family to family).
In one tradition, the children wait until a little bell sounds. This signals that the bringer of gifts has just left. Now the children can go into the living room to see the Weihnachtsbaum for the first time. The gifts (die Weihnachtsgeschenke; singular of gift: das Geschenk) are spread out under it.
In more Catholic regions, especially in southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland, it’s das Christkind himself who’s brought the presents.
In northern Germany, this merry work falls to der Weihnachtsmann (“the Christmasman”: Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus).
There’s an alternative tradition (stronger in the north) that der Weihnachtsman (often a relative or neighbour in disguise) arrives with the gifts at the front door. He might ask the children to sing him a Christmas carol (das Weihnachtslied; plural -lieder).
The food served as part of the Christmas Eve meal is quite light but delicious. When I was a guest with a German family one Christmas, we had der Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), der Karpfen (carp) and various patés and pickles.
Now it’s December 25th. Christmas Day in German is der erste Weihnachtstag (the first day of Christmas). An alternative name is der erste Feiertag (the first day of celebration/holiday).
Boxing Day in German is der zweite Weihnachtstag (or der zweite Feiertag). Both are public holidays in German, Austria and Switzerland.
On Christmas Day itself, roast goose is a favourite. Also common is raclette, fondue, duck and game.
26 December is also St Stephen’s Day, hence the alternative name for Boxing Day in German: der Stefanitag, also der Stefanstag. This is the main name used in Austria. Both are also sometimes spelt with -ph-: Stephanstag is the usual name in Switzerland.
In some Catholic areas, the men take part in a drinking ritual after Church: das Stephanus-Steinigen (the Stoning of Stephen). The drink is der Kornbranntwein (grain brandy).
| Grab Dr P's free German Christmas Phrases Cheatsheet (and other super-useful German .pdfs) Click here to get the training |
Celebrate New Year in German!
We’ve discovered a host of Christmas traditions and a wealth of German Christmas words and now it’s almost time for New Year!
Zwischen den Jahren is a lovely German expression for that quiet period between Christmas and New Year. For example: Zwischen den Jahren bleibe ich zu Hause (I’m staying at home between Christmas and New Year).
New Year’s Eve in German is (das) Silvester and it’s a normal working day. At midnight, fireworks are common. This tradition only started in the UK in 2000 and I was surprised to see fireworks at New Year when I lived In Heidelberg in the mid nineties. People stood on the bridges and watched a firework display up at the castle on the hill above the town.
New Year’s Day in German is der Neujahrstag and the German for New Year is das Neujahr. Der Neujahrstag is a public holiday in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
In some cantons of Switzerland (and in Liechtenstein) 2 January is Berchtold’s Day: der Berchtoldstag is also a public holiday. It’s origins are unclear. Some families celebrate with a meal out together or friends meet in a local pub. In the Zürich area a special sausage, die Bächtelswurst, will be on the menu. There are parades in some places. One very old tradition continues in Hallwil in the canton of Aargau: thirteen masked figures (single young men) progress noisily through the village in a ceremony called der Bärzeli.
How to wish a Happy New Year in German
Before the clock strikes midnight at the end of 31 December you could say, “[ich wünsche ihnen einen] Guten Rutsch [ins neue Jahr]” (literally, “[I wish you a] Good Slip into the New Year”. There is some debate about the origins of “Rutsch” in this expression but in modern German der Rutsch is a slip, slide. In more idiomatic English, how about “Tumble well into the New Year”?
One word of caution: like Gute Reise! (Have a good journey!) or Guten Appetit! (Enjoy your meal!), you can only say Guten Rutsch before the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve.
Once the New Year is a fact, the way to say Happy New Year in German is Frohes Neues Jahr or, informally, Frohes Neues. Other common greetings include Alles Gute zum neuen Jahr! (Best wishes for the New Year) and Ein glückliches neues Jahr! (a Happy New Year!).
Das Dreikönigsfest: Epiphany in German
It’s 6 January and we’re back with German Christmas words. Today is the twelve day of Christmas or Epiphany, in German: der Dreikönigsfest (the celebration/festival of the Three Kings). That’s when die Heiligen Drei Könige (three kings) or die Weisen (the wise man) came to visit Christ. Melchior brought das Gold, Balthasar – der Weihrauch, (frankincense) Caspar – die Myrrhe (myrrh).
More is made of this than in English-speaking countries. It’s a public holiday in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
In some German-speaking areas, children dress as the Three Kings and go from house to house singing carols. They are called die Sternsinger (star singers). When they’ve sung at your house, they’ll chalk a blessing above your front door in a traditional shorthand for example 20* C + M + B *21 for 2021. The letters represent the names of the kings.
Get ready to celebrate…with your German Christmas words
There you have it! You’ve had a great first view of some wonderful traditions and a wealth of new vocabulary.
If you get the chance to experience Christmas and New Year in the German-speaking lands, take it!
Keen to make sure your German Christmas and New Year vocabulary sticks?
Then check out these other posts for some top tips on how to remember words in German:
Six German vocabulary keys to unlock your word power
How to remember German noun gender: the ultimate guide
More about the German New Year:
Happy New Year in three languages…and more
| Grab Dr P's free German Christmas Phrases Cheatsheet (and other super-useful German .pdfs) Click here to get the training |
Are you already a fan of a German-style Christmas and New Year? Have you experienced them “on the ground”? Have I missed some of your fave German Christmas words? Let me know in the comments below!
New: video lesson “German Christmas Phrases” will help consolidate a lot of the vocab in this post, with the help of illustrative “fluency phrases”:
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