Advent in Germany

Every German child knows the rhyme that begins "Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt…" (Advent, Advent, a light is burning). It's about the Advent wreath, typically fashioned out of pine branches and featuring four candles. On each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, an additional candle is lit, until all four are aglow. They symbolize the light brought into the world by the birth of Jesus Christ.

It's a classic part of the Advent season that many see as very old and traditional, but in fact, the tradition of the Advent wreath only dates back to 1838, according to tour guide Angelika Mark-Zobel, who leads people on Advent tours in the western German city of Cologne.

"There was a Protestant pastor who, on the evenings during Advent, would read the Bibel with groups of craftspeople in northern Germany, and he would light a candle for each of these evenings until he had 25 candles lit," Mark-Zobel explained. "But this became very expensive."

According to the story, the following year he only lit a candle to mark each Sunday evening.

Mixture of Protestant and Catholic customs

The custom swiftly caught on in the Protestant Church. The wreath of candles spread first to parishes, then orphanages and schools, and later, private homes. After World War II, this Protestant custom also became popular among Catholics. Typically, Protestant and Catholic Christians borrowed from each others' Advent and Christmas traditions, and over time, even developed common rituals, Mark-Zobel said.

"Through this fusion, where Catholics and Protestants were living together in cities and in the country, the customs also started to mix," she said. "Now you see the Advent lights in every office, in every shop."

Just as the Catholics took on the Protestants' Advent wreath, so have Protestants warmed to the Catholic custom of setting up a Christmas creche. Using figures to create a scene of Jesus' birth has been a tradition since the 13th century. Until the 19th century, the creche was the centerpiece of the familial Christmas celebration, until it was somewhat pushed aside by the Christmas tree -- originally a Protestant custom.

Christmas trees for the rich

At first, Christmas trees appeared mainly in the homes of wealthy families and nobility. In the 19th century, however, they became a common sight in the homes of well-to-do middle class families.

"Perhaps the Christmas tree first had 33 candles because Christ lived for 33 years," Mark-Zobel said. "Eventually, baubles were added, because they reflect the light. But first and foremost, it is a Protestant symbol of the Resurrection, for eternal life, for holiness."

The German "Nikolaus" tradition, though, where children wake on Dec. 6 to find stockings or shoes filled with gifts and sweets left by St. Nicholas, is a Catholic custom. Parents can buy the stocking stuffers anywhere nowadays, but the most appropriate place is still one of the traditional Christmas markets that spring up in most German towns during Advent.

Markets supply seasonal treasures

"Christmas markets have a long history, one that bears little resemblance with the Christmas markets of today," Mark-Zobel said. "The market was a place to buy all the expensive items that you needed to prepare for the festivities -- certain spices, for example. For the cold winter season, you could also find knitted items, or special forms for baking seasonal treats. That's the actual background for the Christmas market."

In the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, many Germans bake Christmas cookies in holiday-inspired shapes such as stars, trees, snowmen or wreaths. But perhaps the most famous Christmas treat is stollen. Christians have been baking stollen since the 14th century, Mark-Zobel said.

"Stollen is a very traditional baked good that has its origins in eastern Germany," she said. "The form resembles a swaddled newborn -- it has a long shape roughly the size of a new baby, around 50 centimeters, with thick layers interspersed with icing sugar and melted butter."

In order to offer guests and family members something special that was usually only to be had at Christmas time, large amounts of expensive candied fruit were added to the batter.

Countdown to Christmas

Advent is a time of expectation and anticipation, as well as a time for contemplation and peacefulness. It's a time for cozy evenings with family members and friends, for candlelight and special foods, to listen to Christmas music or read texts associated with Advent. And for children, there's an especially fun activity to mark the season -- the daily opening of a door in their Advent calendar to find a hidden piece of chocolate.

Ideas for this special "countdown" calendar with little doors to open first began circulating at the start of the 20th century. It used to be that opening a door would reveal a little picture that was slightly transparent. That way, you could put your calendar in a window or in front of a candle, Mark-Zobel said. "And when there were no more doors left to open, then you knew 'Thank goodness, tonight is Christmas Mass, and afterwards we get our presents!'"