Christmas Traditions - German

Both Lancaster County and Western New York owe a great portion of their cultural history to those of German descent. In Lancaster County area, the German heritage is most readily observed in the Amish and Mennonite communities. In Western New York, the influence is less noticeable, but still present.

Throughout American culture, one item; one fundamental symbol of Christmas can trace its roots directly to the German-speaking immigrants who came to America: the Christmas tree.

Christmas Tree ... sort of

Some families debate the fake vs. real Christmas tree; my family utilizes both, when we find a real one that doesn't bother my mom, who happens to be allergic to certain types of firs. Take  note of the background of the photograph above (taken this afternoon): our eighteen inches of snow disappeared overnight due to mild temperatures and rain. Keep the families in flood-prone areas of Western New York in your prayers as many of them will have to deal with the flood waters only a few days before Christmas.

Other traditional Christmas elements from German culture: gingerbread houses and Silent Night. One thing we must bear in mind when talking about these traditions is the layout of Europe before the Twentieth Century. For one thing, Germany as the current country did not exist, but German-speaking areas did. These areas covered much of present-day Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and included some parts of France and Poland as well. Therefore, some traditions we hold came from regions, not a particular group. Santa Claus is one such personage. While his name, Klaus, is most directly related to German, the actual person, Saint Nicholas, was from Asia Minor.

Other elements such as stockings, Christmas wreaths and singing are all European traditions that seem to stem from ancient mid-winter rituals. Evergreens have long been a symbol of eternity and hope in Northern European climates since they remain green even into the winter time. Some of these traditions came into the Christian celebration of Christ's mass later in our history.

One tradition in Buffalo that is connected to Eastern Europe is Broadway Market's Christmas and Easter celebrations. While the Easter celebrations are larger, Broadway Market is opened during the Christmas season as well. We'll visit Broadway Market in the new year with for the Easter celebrations, but until then take a look at their website.

Christmas traditions primarily have a European bent to them, especially here in Western New York and Lancaster County area. The Germans bring us Christmas trees and gingerbread houses, and Silent Night (technically written by an Austrian, but written in German). Monday, we'll focus on another culture: French.