All you need to know about Germany

Christmas in Germany

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas everywhere you go...

...also in Germany. I already brought a lot of confusion in my host family after I told my host sister that Santa Claus comes in Germany on December the 6th, so I decided to provide an explanation for this (really kinda confusing) fact.

In Germany christmas time begins really four sundays before the 24th, on the 1st Advent. It's the day when you enlight the first of four candles, traditionally on a ring of fir branches. After that every sunday until christmas one more candle will light on fire. It is one of two traditions to show how much time is left until the holy night.
The other tradition is an Advent calendar, a calendar that a child gets on December the 1st. It has 24 little doors, for every day one, and behind every day is a piece of chocolate or a little present. It reliefs a little of the tension a child faces before christmas.

And then comes December the 6th where Saint Nikolaus comes, he puts little presents, candy and oranges (don't ask me what the oranges are for) in the boots, that you put at the night of the 5th in front of your door. And yes, Santa Claus is based at Saint Nikolaus, but other than Santa Claus, Saint Nikolaus does look like a bishop (even if I assume that he was also made red and popular by Coca Cola).
After Saint Nikolaus day the hard times starts: Waiting for the 24th and shopping for presents!

And then, after you really waited enough, the 24th comes. In Germany you do not get your presents on the 25th, but the 24th (you probably noticed, that I never mentioned the 25th). Traditions vary between families, some have a huge meal, some meet their whole families. My familiy does not have a real tradition, because my parents are divorced and I always have two "Bescherungen" (when you get your presents on christmas).
We do have christmas trees in Germany, more often real ones than fake ones, and between 6 and 10 pm (depending of the age of the children and the endurance of the parents) the "Christkind" ("christ child", Jesus) or the "Weihnachtsmann" ("christmas man", looks like Santa, comes with reindeers... ok it's Santa) lays the presents under the tree. It's different from family to family if the "Christkind" or "Weihnachtsmann" brings the presents.
I do personally prefer the idea that Jesus brings the presents, and not a fat old man, who asks little kids if they were nice or naughty, comes at night through the chimney and was used by Coca Cola for commercialism... but that's only my (maybe a little radical) opinion...