Advice on hosting a "German" Christmas Eve

[kyra's mommy]

Hello All,

Our family likes to do a themed Christmas Eve every year. One year we did a Hawaiian Christmas Eve, one year was a Vegas Christmas Eve, one year was a Caribbean one, etc. This year the theme is a German Christmas Eve. So, does anyone have any advice? We have the food figured out but we could use ideas for games, or traditions, or anything you think would be fun or a good idea. Thanks!!!!

 

[Suz D]

No ideas, but I LOVE your tradition!

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

If you have children, the Chocolate Game might be fun. My aunt is German, and she used to play it with all of us when we went to the beach. Heck, my cousins and I still like to play it as teenagers She would buy a huge chocolate bar, for it, so that way everyone got to eat some.
Here's one version of the game, though it's not very descriptive.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6812408_german-holiday-games.html

Basically, you wrap a candy bar in several layers of wrapping paper or newspaper. You need a set of clothes (we usually used gloves, a scarf, and a hat), a die, and a fork and a knife.

One player starts by rolling the die. When they roll a six, they have to shout "SIX!" then pull on the clothes. Then, they take the fork and the knife, and cut through the wrapping paper to the chocolate. Some people use the fork and the knife to eat the chocolate right as they cut, but we always cut from the side, and we ate our pieces after our turn is done. While the first player is pulling on the clothes, the die is passed to the next player, who rolls until they get a six. As soon as they shout "SIX!" the first player has to take off the clothes and hand them to the next player, who then starts cutting the candy bar with the fork and knife. The game continues this way until the entire candy bar is gone.

 

[Suz D]

Weird that my post is now post #1. Wonder what happened?

 

[beansmom]

you MUST hide a pickle ornament on the tree. The person to find it gets a special gift. It's a German tradition.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Agree on the pickle ornament (we actually have two because I didn't want to deal with fighting between the kids Christmas morning. )

Not sure if you are looking for religious traditions- where we lived in Germany, it was the Christ Child who delivered gifts on Christmas Eve. (Christ Child= Christkindl, say it about 5 times fast and comes out as "Kris Kringle". Hmmm)

You don't see the Christkindl (he comes when people are at church on Christmas Eve) but depictions are more like an angel dressed in white than the infant Jesus carting around a sack. (My vision when I first heard this tradition!)

For the Christmas season- Lebkuchen and Pfeffernuesse are the traditional cookies. I also think of spiced nuts and mulled wine (Gluhwein).

Our favorite decoration we brought back from Germany is a 3 tiered "pyramid". Each level has scenes from the nativity. You light candles at the bottom and the heat from them rises to make fan blades on top, and then each nativity level, spin.

 

[McKelly]

My Great Aunt was German and all that I remember (MANY years later) is that she served these square cookies that had little pictures on them. They were really hard and tasted like anis. Loved those. I have looked for them around here, but alas, no success.

You could show the kids Hansel and Gretel and then have them decorate Gingerbread Men Cookies. Is my memory correct? There are gingerbread men in Hansel and Gretel, right?

 

[Cindy B]

For the Christmas season- Lebkuchen and Pfeffernuesse are the traditional cookies. I also think of spiced nuts and mulled wine (Gluhwein).

Our favorite decoration we brought back from Germany is a 3 tiered "pyramid". Each level has scenes from the nativity. You light candles at the bottom and the heat from them rises to make fan blades on top, and then each nativity level, spin.

Thank you so much for making me smile. My German grandmother used to make lebkuchen. My parents have about 3 different of those wooded nativities..

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Thank you so much for making me smile. My German grandmother used to make lebkuchen. My parents have about 3 different of those wooded nativities..

I was a teen when we lived in Germany. Buying my own Christmas decorations wasn't even anything I thought about. When my inlaws (who lived in Germany same time as us) divorced, neither wanted their decorations. Ackward situation, but we got all they had bought there. Good memories now for us.

 

[honeydiane1953]

Make name tags for all. Heidi is the name for all the women/girls and Hansel for all men/boys. lol i have an unusual sense of humor

 

[barbarabini]

how bout hide the pickle?

you put the pickle ornament in the tree and then the kids look for it

 

[rockiesfan]

My Great Aunt was German and all that I remember (MANY years later) is that she served these square cookies that had little pictures on them. They were really hard and tasted like anis. Loved those. I have looked for them around here, but alas, no success.

I had to respond: those are springerle cookies! My German grandmother made them every Christmas, then my mom, and this year Mom & I are making them together. They're very old-world German.

 

[Juliah]

My dad's family was German, and it was a tradition to buy chocolate mice every Christmas from a local candy maker. They looked something like this:

http://www.burdickchocolate.com/chocolate-mice.aspx

I know you said you'd figured out the food, but this might be a fun project your family could do together. These aren't exactly like what we had, but close enough:

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/chocolate-cherry-mice-800468/

 

[TinkPirateMom]

I was going to suggest hiding the pickle ornament as well. That is actually how DH proposed to me. My engagement ring was on the pickle ornament when I found it on the tree

 

[MineMail]

I wonder what part of Germany the "find the pickle ornament" tradition comes from. Both sides of my family and at least six of my friends are German - we never had a pickle ornament. I never heard of it until 10-12 years ago when I saw one for sale in the Oriental Trading catalog. I'm inclined to believe they sort of started the whole "German Tradition" rumor.

Although, German Christmas as a theme is perfect. Germany owns Christmas - many traditions come from Germany, including the tree.

I know you said the menu was set, but for good luck, Germans have pickled or creamed herring. I always hated both kinds, but it's comparable to having "Hoppin' John" on New Year's in the South.

We put candy canes and wrapped candies on the tree for people to enjoy.
We always opened our gifts on Christmas Eve. Of course you have to have stockings to hang and fill with treats: an orange, some candies, a few coins, small toys, and a stuffed doll/animal sitting on top.

We make small paper crafts, like ornaments or decorations (think of paper snowflakes) on Christmas Eve. It's mostly to keep the kids from shaking presents and getting underfoot.

You replace the Advent candles with a single white pillar among greenery to symbolize the light of Christmas. The infant Jesus is not put in the nativity until after Midnight Mass. (How many people still put up a creche, I wonder?)

Singing carols as a group isn't a regular occurence, but it is nice.

springerle cookies

I remember those! A friend's mother makes them for me every year as a gift. She knows I like them. I agree - old world German.

 

[ah1126]

It is so good to hear from others that open presents on Christmas Eve! Pretty much everyone I know looks at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them we opened presents on Christmas Eve!. I will have to ask my Dad if they did the pickle thing growing up. I don't remember doing it, but I have one on my tree now.

Your party sounds like fun! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

 

[VirataMama4]

You might be surprised how many German Christmas traditions your family already do every Christmas, like the Christmas tree, advent calendar and gingerbread houses!

Sounds like a great Christmas eve tradition. Have fun!

 

[Kies99]

I agree on the Pickle. Both sides of my family are German and we lived in Germany for a number of years when I was in college. Never heard of the pickle "tradition" except here in the U.S.

What you should have instead is a big marzipan pig or give everyone a small marzipan pig.

 

[Daisy'sMama]

The pickle ornament is NOT German. It is something an American made up and now the German ornament companies and souvenier shops capitalize on it. We were in the Black Forest a couple years ago for Christmas and I did some research on it.

Many german families have a tradition that to get your gift, you have to recite a poem or sing a Christmas song. Some children spend a long time prepping for this so they can get all their gifts! It is a cute tradition and beats all the kids just ripping into a pile of gifts.

Also, where we lived (north of Berlin about an hour) they didn't put the Christmas Tree up until Christmas Eve.

Have a Froelich Weihnachten!

 

[got2sammies]

If you are familiar to the German language, print out Christmas Carols in German..
http://german.about.com/library/blotannenb.htm

http://german.about.com/od/christmas/a/StilleNacht.htm