Looking for Christmas around the world activities? How about a
global hop to Christmas in Germany? Here are German holiday activities. First a
little history: Ancient Germans were druids that worshiped nature.
They celebrated Winter Solstice or Saturnalia from which come many Christmas
traditions.Then warring Saxon, Hunnic and Teutonic tribes brought their gods of
Valhalla. From them come week day names--Thursday (Thor), Friday from his
vengeful wife Freya and Wednesday from brother Woden (also known as Loki the
trickster). They worshiped the sacred oak, which became a deity because it was
so large.
Then in the 800s, St. Boniface (also called St. Winfred) brought
Christianity from Ireland. Ireland was a world educational center in the 8th
century, since the Roman bishop Patricus (St. Patrick) Christianized it in the
4th century. Boniface, a Benedictine monk went as a missionary to pagan
Germany. At the Hessian village of Fritzlar, St. Boniface confronted pagan
worshipers at a sacred oak dedicated to Thor. They planned to sacrifice a child
and its mother pleaded with St. Boniface to save her child. Boniface took an
axe to the oak and dared Thor to strike him dead if he could. As St. Boniface
chopped, a mighty wind knocked the tree over. From its roots sprang an evergreen
tree, the symbol of Christ and everlasting life. Awed by the miracle, many
converted to Christianity.
Celebrate Christmas around the world with German
holiday activities. Make Christmas tree ornaments from green felt. Stitch two
pieces together and stuff. Decorate with sequins, ribbon, glitter, silk
flowers, buttons and beads. Make Christmas tree shaped sugar cookies. Or mix
marshmallows, butter, Corn Flakes and green food coloring. Shape like evergreen
trees. Or buy Christmas tree Little Debbie cakes.
Gift-givers differ in traditions of Christmas around the world. In
German holiday activities, St. Boniface isn't the Christmas gift giver. That
task belongs to the more whimsical Kris Kringle with his assistant Black Pieter
(also called Krampus or Ruprecht). He's a chimney sweep and an imp--good children get
gifts, bad kids get coal or a switch for chastisement. Kris Kringle is good
Christmas cop, Krampus is the bad cop. Kris Kringle appears fierce at first,
but ends with a jolly laugh. Celebrate Krampus and make "coal
cookies" Blend chocolate syrup, cream cheese, crushed chocolate-filled
Oreos and chocolate chips. Form into lumpy balls. Leave them out for Krampus to
sweeten his mood. Or wrap and give as gifts from Krampus!
Elsewhere in Germany, the Christkindl (Christmas angel) brings
gifts. Children write to Christkindl for gifts and decorate their cards with
sugar to make them sparkle. Have children make Christmas cards by folding blue
construction paper and decorating with glue and glitter. Add sparkly colored
sugar to Christmas cookies and leave out for the Christkindl.
Another Christmas around the world tradition says Martin Luther, a
German monk. saw that snow and moonlight made evergreen tree glow. Luther was
reminded of the light of God's love. He cut down a small tree and decorated it
with candles. Martin Luther also wrote the Christmas carol, Away in the Manger.
Have children thank God for his love as they decorate the Christmas tree.
Gather and sing carols around it. Make chart of activities to practice loving
kindness. Make cut paper snowflakes. Fold white paper in fourths then thirds,
like an ice cream cone. Trim off excess to make a square. Cut designs using
printable patterns. Cut part way through along the fold. Decorate with glitter.
Learn "Silent Night' in German "Stille Nacht." Legend says Father Joseph Mohr, of Oberndorff, Germany who
was dismayed to find that mice had eaten through the organ bellows one
Christmas Eve. There would be no music for midnight mass. Father Mohr went to
baptize a newborn baby, and was moved by the sight of mother and child. He
hurried home and penned this best-loved Christmas hymn. Kappelmaster Franz
Gruber wrote the melody for guitar and it was sung Christmas mass. Make
connections between English and German words--Stille (still) Nacht (night),
Schlaf (sleep) Gottes (God) Sohn (son) Bruder (brother).
Make a gingerbread house. Read the Grimm Brothers' "Hansel and
Gretel" print gingerbread house patterns and decorate your homes like the witch's cottage. Make you own
gingerbread or glue graham crackers to a box. Decorate with candy. Make
gingerbread men also. Make the stable in Bethlehem and decorate with animal
crackers. For holiday greetings of Christmas around the world, learn to say
"Froehliche Weihnachten' (froy-leek vine nahkten) meaning of course, Happy
Christmas to all!
