From Advent to Christmas Eve: My Family's German Christmas Traditions

[@amythinks]

I married a German and I'm always asking him about German Christmas traditions so I can incorporate them into our home (we are in Northern California, not Germany) so our kids can have a piece of their heritage. But he's a guy, and not a very festive one, so I'm always searching for stuff. I have Maria von Trapp's book about her family's traditions but since that's Austria, it's not exactly right. This channel is like my Bible for German stuff. And since you live near me, I know if you can get for baking or decorating or whatever, I can get it too. So, no excuses! Thanks for videos like this. I love them.

[@doerthemanahan9912]

German traditions are now more filtered with American ones. Santa Claus and American Christmas music have long been introduced in Germany and American music plays on speakers in every department stores in the cities. Rural areas in Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland have stayed more with old traditions,because of the catholic faith in those parts. In Northern Germany, where I come from, the Lutheran faith is dominant and churches there are mostly empty on Sundays. So, to summarize, there are no old fashioned traditions as you know from Maria von Trapp’s book.

[@amythinks]

My husband's family is from the Catholic part of Germany and the Church has a lot of traditions I can draw upon. So, Maria's book is very helpful for that. I wish my kiddos could experience a German Christmas market. And I would absolutely kill for a pyramid like that. You just can't get good ones stateside. He's also half French and grew up in both countries, so I have my bread baking work cut out for me. He hates the bread in this country. Personally, all I want for Christmas is some good Doner. @@doerthemanahan9912

[@fabigrossi2976]

​@@doerthemanahan9912 I wouldn't say that. We in the North also have the typical traditions, like Christmas tree, advent wreath, advent calendar, einging Christmas Songs in German and English, Christmas markets...

[@OurGabledHome]

Aww ... I am so glad you're enjoying my German content! Good for you to connect to your husband's roots 😊 ~ Anja

[@shandellelitavish9855]

When I was a little girl I remember putting our wooden shoes outside the front door for St. Nicholas treats. Unbeknownst to us kids my father dressed as St. Nicholas and a neighbor dressed as an elf, we laughed and took pictures and had cookies when all of a sudden he and the elf ran out the door and we all chased his up the stairs and up to the ladder of the attic we grabbed his boot and he was gone🥰we loved that boot. We were in Muhswieler and Wiesbaden so many good memories.

[@donnasmith5697]

Everything was lovely! When my mom was growing up ( 9 children in the family), there was no tree on Christmas Eve when they went to bed BUT, on Christmas morning they woke up to a beautiful Christmas tree. She thought it was magical!

[@OurGabledHome]

Aww ... aren't those childhood memories the best? Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@JMCass-bp3sb]

An English lady whose mother was French & her father is Italian had the very same carousel with the candles, it was broken & she brought it to the experts on an English tv show called The Repair Shop. The fans were broken, the pieces weren't turning & the expert carpenter fixed all the damage & when she came with her father & her daughter to collect it, there were beautiful hand made bees wax candles made by the mechanical expert from his own bees wax. It was emotional to see their reaction & it brought back memories for them of her Mother lightning it at Christmas. Seeing the traditions being kept alive is so important & the atmosphere of expectation waiting for Baby Jesus to arrive...thank you for this heartwarming video.

[@OurGabledHome]

Aww ... what a lovely story! More often than not these pyramids (or carousels) were well-made and can be repaired. Thank you for sharing - and commenting 😊 ~ Anja

[@Pax6368]

Some beautiful Catholic traditions. God Bless you and your loved ones this Christmas . Pax Vobiscum

[@OurGabledHome]

Yes! Thank you so much and hope you had a very merry Christmas 😊 ~ Anja

[@wmf831]

Spot on German traditions. so nice!

[@OurGabledHome]

Thank you! 😊

[@charliebarrow7086]

Your tree is so beautiful. Elegant, classy. I don't know why people put flashing lights and tons of ornaments on their trees. This is a very traditional German style tree that will fill the home with Christmassy vibes.

[@carolblazevic6328]

Thank you for taking me down memory lane and the wonderful German traditions my mother kept alive after immigrating.

[@OurGabledHome]

Aww ... thank you so much for watching and commenting! Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@curban616]

I love your channel..those of us who have German heritage love seeing the things that are celebrated there. Thank you for sharing all of your traditions. Beautiful!

[@OurGabledHome]

Thank you so much for your sweet comment 💛 ~ Anja

[@valentinaleissler4212]

Thank you very much for reminding me of all the wonderful German traditions I grew up with! My mother was Italian and my father was German. I had the best of both worlds! On my own now but I'm still trying to do what I can to continue all the lovely traditions that celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones🌲🌲🌲🌲

[@OurGabledHome]

Nice! Sounds like a nice way to grow up ... Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@irisjakob5221]

Wunderbar, dass du so viele Weihnachtstraditionen aus Deutschland mitgebracht hast. Ich hab gleich mein Räuchermännchen (ein Pilzsucher) an gemacht.

[@OurGabledHome]

Danke Dir! Ich habe ja immer leichte Sehnsucht nach Hause und da helfen deutsche Traditionen. Viel Spaß mit dem Räuchermännchen 🎄 ~ Anja

[@irisjakob5221]

@@OurGabledHome Ich schau deine Videos wirklich gerne. Vor allem bin ich ganz stolz, wenn ich mit meinem Schulenglisch (bin immerhin fast 52) alles verstehe... 😁 Frohes Weihnachtsfest dir und deiner Familie 🎄🎁

[@judyhenry6276]

Thanks for a wonderful video. I love my advent wreath and I remember my German grandparents lighting their candles on the tree on Christmas Eve. My grandfather always went to the barn on Christmas Eve to talk to the animals and give them extra food.

[@OurGabledHome]

Aww ... I love that! Wish I had a barn and animals at home ... Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@doerthemanahan9912]

I’m from Hamburg, Germany, but have lived in Michigan for over 50 years. German Christmas traditions are upheld more in the US than Germany. The American Santa-clause has long ago been introduced in Germany, American Christmas songs are played in every department store in German cities and tree decorations are no longer the simple ones as in this tree. I still have many relatives in Germany who have only truly held on to the Advent season, even though I don’t know anyone still having any connection with religion. Many churches are empty on Sundays and often are used for secular events.

[@fabigrossi2976]

No, as I mentioned before, that's not quite the case. We still have the typical traditions. In the North we have "Weihnachtsmann", Santa Claus in English, in the middle and south of Germany it's still the "Christkind", Christ child, who brings the presents. On Dec. 6 we have "Nikolaus", who puts candy in our shoes, we have German Christmas songs (of course English songs as well), advent calendars, advent wreaths, nativity plays in church on Christmas eve, we have Christmas markets, Stollen, self baked cookies, Bunte Teller and what have you. Traditions. 😊

[@OurGabledHome]

That may be true for many. In my family, we are still cultivating these kinds of traditions 😊 ~ Anja

[@OurGabledHome]

Sounds like the traditions I grew up with and still cultivate today 😊 ~ Anja

[@donnarouse9432]

A little tip from navy bootcamp, spit shining and adding a little water to the flat can og polish and use a circular motion!

[@roszcutler9724]

I really enjoyed your video on German traditions. I’m Italian and born and raised here but both of my parents came straight from Italy 🇮🇹. I try to follow some traditions of Italy.

[@OurGabledHome]

Yes, keep those traditions alive 👍 🇮🇹 !

[@sylviaweber4144]

Vielen Dank! My parents came from Salzburg, Austria and we kept all their traditions. SO fun to see your video! Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

[@OurGabledHome]

Ich freue mich, dass sie dir gefallen haben! Euch allen auch frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr!

[@christian5707]

We do almost all these except for the polishing of the boots. There is nothing like Christmas in Germany. Thank you for sharing!

[@OurGabledHome]

That is so nice to hear! Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@tsilbaugh5314]

May I ask how you met your husband and have come to live in CA? Do you miss living in Germany? Such lovely traditions you’ve shared!

[@OurGabledHome]

I miss Germany all the time and cultivating these traditions is one way to deal with homesickness 😌 ~ Anja

[@carmens5541]

This took me back to my early childhood in Germany, thank you for sharing!

[@OurGabledHome]

Oh, nice, that's lovely to hear! Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@Diane57429]

Very lovely video! I’m German/Irish and truly appreciated your presentation of your holiday traditions. Merry Christmas to you and your family! 😊

[@OurGabledHome]

Happy holidays!

[@karenr2404]

Thanks for sharing. I love Germany and learning more about my family history. My family came to the a long time ago. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[@OurGabledHome]

I am so glad you enjoyed this video - and are connecting to your roots! Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@michellebridges2604]

Merry Christmas to you and your family 🎄 thank you for sharing your traditions and baking expertise ❤

[@OurGabledHome]

Thank YOU so much and Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@carolforest6369]

My great grandparents were from the Bavarian region of Germany. I remember my grandmother polishing the silver. Also, she had a medal decoration that had the candles lit an moved angels around. Dad always waited to cut th😢e tree down a couple of days beforehand. We would start counting the 12 days of Christmas from that point. Oh, my grandmother told of the tradition of charcoal in your stoking if you were bad anytime between Christmases. She got some one year. Merry Christmas to you and your family .

[@OurGabledHome]

Yes, the coal for the "bad children". Love that you have all those memories! Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@sis9622]

Thank you for sharing

[@OurGabledHome]

My pleasure

[@joniangelsrreal6262]

of German decent many of yr traditions mirrored ours… I too enjoy vintage-antique kitchen wares .. I just finished polishing MOP handled silverware pieces from 1900 … For our Christmas Day dinner …table is set and already … Merry Christmas to all who Celebrate 🎄🥂🎶🌟

[@OurGabledHome]

Wonderful! Merry Christmas too!

[@johnberryhill8106]

You have an absolutely Beautiful home ! Great Christmas traditions! Love the brotchen recipe.......Howdy from Branson Missouri !

[@OurGabledHome]

Aww ... thank you so much for your sweet comment! Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@donnawest866]

Thanks for sharing your lovely German Christmas traditions. I really enjoy your channel!

[@OurGabledHome]

Glad you like them!

[@susiet2150]

What lovely traditions. Thanks for sharing.

[@belieftransformation]

My father’s family was from Germany & I love your videos for the traditions! My mother learned a few of the traditions, like doing sauerkraut, baking the plum dough with sour cream topping, I think it’s called Coohga? Blessings to all🤗💗🇨🇦

[@OurGabledHome]

That is awesome! Thank you for sharing :)

[@fabigrossi2976]

Plum cake? Pflaumenkuchen? With whipping cream? Delicious!

[@944gemma]

Love all your videos. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year

[@OurGabledHome]

Thank you! You too!

[@southbug27]

Saint Nicolas was a Christian Bishop in the Catholic Church in the late 3rd & 4th centuries in what is now Turkey. He was known to be generous to all, & it’s alleged that he saved a poor man from having to sell all his daughters into prostitution by throwing a bag with gold coins for their dowries anonymously through the window at night. The legend says that one of the bags landed inside a wet sock that was hanging on the mantle overnight to dry. His gifts were much better than any toy. He gave those girls freedom from a life of sexual slavery, abuse, & degradation. With slavery being at a high now & pornography causing more sec slavery & abuse, we should look to Saint Nicolas for inspiration to stop those evils.

[@OurGabledHome]

Thank you so much for sharing!

[@celesteortins5250]

so special. thank you for sharing! Merry Christmas to you and yours. 🎄

[@OurGabledHome]

So glad to hear you enjoyed this video! Happy Holidays 🕯⭐🎄 ~ Anja

[@fritzieschomaker1476]

Had to share your channel with my husband, he loved your video! May I ask where you got your Lotuskerzen from (if they are indeed Lotuskerzen)? Frohe Weihnachten 🎄!

[@OurGabledHome]

That makes me so happy to hear that you both enjoyed this video! I can't remember where I got the "Pyramidenkerzen" but it is highly likely that I stocked up on a recent visit to Germany 😊 ~ Anja

[@themamma341]

Very, very beautiful... Would you mind sometime sharing you honemade tallow cream? Many blessings to your family✨💛

[@OurGabledHome]

Certainly! Here's my full guide on how to make tallow balm for healthy skin: ourgabledhome.com/how-to-make-tallow-balm-for-healthy-skin-step-by-step-guide/ 😊 ~ Anja

[@themamma341]

Oh my goodness, thank you so much!!💛

[@corey3151]

That is a beautiful table runner. Did you make that or purchase from a store?

[@OurGabledHome]

Thank you! It is an heirloom piece from my family ~ Anja