Holidays Around the World: Germany

the Yuletide season in Germany is a magical time when friends & family celebrate together! many of the rich customs & traditions of the season have been adopted all over the world.

it was Germany who produced the first Tannenbaum (Christmas tree). according to the legend, Martin Luther was walking in the woods one snowy evening. he was overcome by the beauty of starlight sparking on the snow-covered fir trees. as the soft light from the sky shown all around him, he was reminded of the star that shone on the night the Christkindl (Christ child) was born. he wanted to share this magic with his children, so he brought home a fir tree from the forest. he even figured out a way to clip candles to the tree's branches to make them look like they were covered with the glistening snow.

on Heiligabend (Christmas Eve), German parents secretly decorate the Tannenbaum with candies, nuts, glass baubles & twinkling lights. a bell is rung, the Tannenbaum is revealed & the children race to open presents & grab the goodies from the tree, much like in the well-known story of "The Nutcracker."