Celebrate special holiday traditions that are rooted in Germanic culture.
By Mary Beth Strickler
It was the Christmas I was in 5th grade that I discovered the truth about the Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas). One of my wish list items included an Etch A Sketch (remember that magic mechanical drawing toy with its two small knobs used to draw images then erase them by shaking the frame?) and my dear aunt broke the news that although she and my mother had searched far and wide for one, there wasn’t one to be found. Of course, there had been rumblings amongst my elementary school friends, yet I refused to believe their message and even today, I celebrate the joy, the hope, the faith, and the patience of the holiday season. Its days are filled with special traditions—ones that are rooted in Germanic culture—and cherished memories.
Gift Givers
I was not the kind of child who warmed easily to strangers, so visiting Santa and sitting on his lap was not an experience I welcomed. He seemed jolly and pleasant, but there was something about him I did not quite trust. In German tradition, the triumvirate of gift-bringing figures—St. Nikolaus, the Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas) and the Christkind (Christ Child) have a complex history.
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