Traditions

Granted, the magic of Christmas markets has spread to many other countries and continents, but the origins of Christmas markets can be traced back to the German-speaking part of Europe in the Middle Ages. A few thousand Christmas markets are held all over Germany each year. Christkindlmarkt is the German name for the traditional Christmas or winter market, literally translated as “Christ child market.” These markets feature a delightful blend of holiday food, drinks, gifts, and decorations. Various regions of Germany became well-known for their hand-crafted Christmas decorations, wood-working, artwork, and textiles. Today, millions of people enjoy Germany’s Christmas markets each year.

St. Nicholas Day is a favorite holiday with Bavarian and Austrian children. On the night of December 5, children clean and polish their boots and leave them outside before going to sleep. The next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy, and small gifts from St. Nicholas. He also makes an appearance in shopping malls and children’s clubs. Though Santa Claus has also become popular in Germany, St. Nicholas is much more important than his American counterpart. St. Nicholas Day is also observed in a few other Western Christian countries, though the mode of celebration varies from country to country. At the Herndon WinterMarkt, we have special appearances by both the traditional American Santa Claus and European St. Nicholas.

Stollen is a traditional German Christmas bread and it’s delicious! It is made of flour with fruits (chopped, candied or dried), nuts, and spices added to it. Stollen is sprinkled with powdered sugar and sometimes zest is added to it. Natives of Dresden celebrate a huge festival centering on Christmas stollen. You will find at least one vendor at the Herndon WinterMarkt selling stollen.

Christmas season in Germany is not complete without mugs of steaming hot Glühwein. This quintessential Christmas beverage is sold in small ceramic mugs at Christmas markets throughout Germany and is considered vital in beating the winter chill and spreading festive cheer. The Herndon WinterMarkt has continued this tradition, complete with a collectible mug that is uniquely designed each year so you may take the merriment and memories of WinterMarkt home with you to enjoy all year long.

Lebkuchen is another special German Christmas treat. These baked delights contain honey, a number of spices and nuts, and can be soft or hard, sweet or spicy, and with or without icing. Though it is traditionally a Christmas delicacy, Lebkuchen is often sold at fairs, festivals and souvenir shops across Germany. Many of them have messages written on them in German. You will find at least one vendor at the Herndon WinterMarkt selling traditional Lebkuchen each holiday season.

Krampus, the Christmas devil, is sort of a sidekick of St. Nicholas. He is believed to accompany St. Nicholas to teach naughty children a hard lesson. In Southern Bavaria, men in hideous Krampus costumes patrol the streets on St. Nicholas Night, and are sometimes invited in by parents of particularly naughty children. Occasionally Krampus costumed men appear at Christkindlmarkts in Austria and Germany. While Krampus has not yet made any personal visits to the Herndon WinterMarkt, you may find some art and other crafts related to Krampus available for purchase.