In Germany, preparations for Christmas begin in the second half of November with visits to the Christmas markets, making or buying of Advent calendars and the creative work in making home-made Advent wreaths.
But the 'real' Christmas celebrations in Germany do not start until 6th December, St. Nicholas Day, known in German as 'Nikolaustag'.
On the night of 5th December (St. Nicholas Eve) children put a shoe outside the door. According to a German legend, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, visits children that evening carrying a book containing the bad and good things each child has done during the year.
In accordance with the tradition, St. Nicholas fills the shoes of all good chidren with delicious treats and puts twigs and branches from trees in the shoes of all naughty children. This is a ritual disapproved by many and does not often happen for fear of spoiling Christmas which is so holy to the Germans.
During the four weeks preceding Christmas, Advent wreaths with four candles are placed on the living room table. One candles is lit on each Advent Sunday before Christmas, until all four are lit on the 4th Sunday in Advent. Home-made wreaths made of fir branches and evergreens are often preferred to the plastic supermarket-style wreath.
Advent calendars, usually mainly made of thick colourful cardboard, are also popular and contain a picture for each day in December up to 24 December. Underneath each window is a surprise, normally a chocolate sweet or small useless toy.
From mid November booths and stalls are set up on the market-places in all German cities offering a wide selection of Christmas goodies from decorations for the tree and candles to crib figures and Christmas trees in all shapes adn sizes.
The so-called Christmas markets have their orignins in the Middle Ages and nowadays have a lovely smell roasted almonds intermingle with German traditonal foods, like sausages and mulled wine. The lights from the stalls are multi-coloured and a favourite attraction, especially among foreign guests to the city. Performances of Christmas songs and plays at the markets are common at the weekends.
The most famous Christmas market called 'Christkindlmarkt' takes place in the old German city of Nuremberg. Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin and Aachen also have spectacular Christmas markets.
Some smaller Christmas markets, e.g. in Andernach (Rhine) have regular performaces of the nativity play with live animals. The Christmas market in Siegburg is set up in the style of the Middle Ages. The currency used at the market is the old 'taler' equivalent to one euro.
This market offers a wide selection of old-fashioned drinks and food and enjoys enormous popularity.
