Christkind
The Christkind is a figure in Germany that brings presents to the children on Christmas Eve, especially in southern parts of the country.
Until the reformation in the 16th century people in Germany did not give each other presents at Christmas, instead the children received their presents from St.Nicholas (Nikolaus) on 6th December. Martin Luther, however, opposed the catholic saints and apparently introduced the idea of giving presents on 24th December. These were brought by the Christkind, who is often depicted in white and similar to an angel.
It is said that it comes in through the window and leaves presents around the Christmas tree while the children are out of the room.
Even though the Weihnachtsmann is ever more present, especially in the media, people still ask children “what did the Christkind bring you?”
To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
(Press the “play” button to listen to the podcast)
Download the MP3 file | Comment in the forum
Subscribe to the podcast | Listen by telephone
Tags: Christkind, Heiligabend
