In Germany and worldwide, you can Numerous Christmas customs to Discover who are not known everywhere and often based on religions or old superstitions. Many Christmas traditions such as the South German Klopferstag, the Christmas wheat seed or the South Tyrolean demon expulsions take place in the pre-Christmas season. On Christmas holidays, hidden brooms in Norway, the Christmas swimming in the United Kingdom or the Christmas cucumber in the United States provide highlights.
Klopferstag: South German Christmas customs with similarities to Halloween
Only in southern Germany, you may have met Christmas customs, today memories Halloween wake up. Especially in Swabian villages is the so-called Klopferstag in Germany often Important part of Christmas traditions And usually takes place at the beginning of the pre-Christmas time on a Thursday. The emergence of Christmas consumption is due to the Catholic Rorate fairs. Because this Eucharistic celebration typically takes place at 6 o'clock in the morning, believers woke other local residents earlier through the knock on the doors.
In the 21st century, however, you do not have to fear that you are loudly asked to church visit because of the Southern German Christmas customs during the morning. Because now at the Klopferstag normally pull only children around the houses and are traveling at later times. Long before the Irish Halloween custom in Germany has been known, young people have As part of the Christmas traditions in front of the house doors saying sayings and poems. The children get traditionally fruits, sweets or other gifts. Often, the little guests dress up as shepherds. In Bavaria, the Klörferstag is partly known as a pottery night.
Christmas wheat: cereal sowing for internationally widespread Christmas traditions
If you are interested in extraordinary Christmas customs worldwide, the Christmas wheat tradition remarkable. In this custom, Catholics on certain days in the pre-Christmas season with cereals attach a plate seed. The goal of such Christmas traditions is to get a seeded seed with a dense bush up to the holidays. Originally, the plate seed Custom is due to the worship of God Adonis from Greek mythology. The Christian church took over this tradition and replaced the acclaimed protagonists through their own saints.
This finally developed Christmas customs, which are to remind of a plate seed of Jesus Christ or the Christian Trinity. It depends on different regions from the climate when the sowing of Christmas wheat takes place. Usually, it is the Barbara day on 4 December or the Lucia Day, which in the context of the Christmas takes place on 13 December.
Decisive is whether the respective sowing date Christmas leads to the hoped-for result. Because of the chosen tag, Christmas wheat is also known as Barbara wheat or Lucia wheat. In the sowing, believers sprinkle cereals for these Christmas traditions in bowls, flat dishes or comparable vessels. If you Test Christmas customs yourself want, you have to keep the seed wet on a warm and wind-protected place. On the sacred evening is often a candle for Jesus or three wax candles for the trinity on the crop bush raised.
Christmas customs worldwide for demon expulsion before and after the Nicholas Day
While you get to know unusual Christmas customs worldwide, the Expulsion of demons in the pre-Christmas time in numerous countries a central role. As a special highlight, such Christmas traditions apply especially to South Tyrol. A prominent example of these Christmas customs is the so-called "Klosn" in the municipality of Stilfs. There, the inhabitants want to beat symbolic creatures from the underworld shortly before or after the Nicholas Day.
Originally this was Christmas abuse in the immediate runway of the Christmas Festival celebrated. At that time, many people with superstition had actually been afraid of demons, the villagers dancing in front of holy festivals in time. Later, this custom developed more and more to a party that should inspire primarily children. The parties are dressed by different costumes.
In the demon expulsion in the context of the Christmas customs South Tyrol, young adults often hatch in the role of the following figures:
- Demonic underworld figures such as devils or the Krampus
- Animal figures with similarities to donkeys
- Saint Nicholas
- Nicholas companion with white clothes
Hide budget before Christmas
In Scandinavia there are also Christmas customs, which are originally based on the fear of evil spirits and today as Typical Christmas fun are valid. Immediately before Christmas, you can experience a particularly exceptional Christmas tradition in Norway when families hide their budget brooms.
This custom is the result of superstition, according to the witches and demonic beings on the sacred evening steal the brooms and then fly away. Although almost no one seriously suffers from such fears in the 21st century, hiding the "aircraft" from the broom cupboard is an important part of the Norwegian Christmas customs remained. Often children get the task of securely hiding the broom until the end of the Christmas holidays.
Christmas swimming: Sporty Christmas touts in Ireland and Great Britain
At the point of view of the Christmas customs, traditions with a sporty background are remarkable worldwide. These Christmas traditions include, in particular, the so-called Christmas swimming, in which traditional athlete participate in many places in Ireland and Great Britain. Already in the middle of the 19th century, numerous British and Ireland rushed on the first Christmas holiday in cold waters. To date, these Christmas customs have been preserved on the islands and are often presented on television. The Participants of Christmas swimming Dress up frequently than Christmas men or wear other costumes.
Christmas cucumber in the USA with allegedly German origin
As soon as you examine extraordinary Christmas customs worldwide, the so-called Christmas cucumber (Christmas Pickle) is probably unknown for you, despite legends via a German origin initially unknown. Americans with one Enthusiasm for Christmas traditions Frequently hide a pickle at the Christmas tree. Those who find the cucumber gets an additional gift according to the custom. In the US, the Christmas cucumber is considered the cultural asset of German emigrants. Unconfirmed Christmas legends that the Soldier John Lower from Bavaria should invent the tradition in 1864.
Did you like the article? Then continue ours Mr Beam blog for the right inspiration and Tutorials to imitate. How about it, for example, with one Advent calendar boot made of felt?
