Advent & Christmas: the following words form part of the festivities

Christmas comes around every year. There are some words in our German vocabulary that simply belong to the festive season. It’s good to know them.

Christmas is the season when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s considered to be the highest festival of the year in Christian-influenced Germany. But many non-religious or non-Christian Germans also celebrate Christmas or adapt some Christmas customs. It's the time to come home. The weeks before the turn of the year are determined by customs and rituals, such as baking biscuits together or buying a Christmas tree.

There are many terms surrounding the festival that directly evoke the Christmas spirit in us. These are words in the German vocabulary such as Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Adventskranz (Advent wreath), Plätzchen (biscuits), Glühwein (mulled wine), Christkind (Christ Child), Nikolaus (Saint Nicholas), Tannenbaum (Christmas tree) and Bescherung (the distribution of presents). The actual day of celebration is 25 December, but the distribution of presents is already celebrated the evening before, so-called Heiligabend (Christmas Eve). Children and adults receive their presents – usually after dark. Incidentally: we wish one another ‘Merry Christmas’ during the Christmas holidays.

What is your favourite German word at Christmas?

Please share it in the comments.