It was most likely the medieval German tradition of Christmas plays, with an Angel of the Annunciation as the main character, which gave the Christmas Angel its earthly appearance. As angels of all sorts began to be depicted as female and not only male, the Christkind also took on a feminine appearance.
Instead, the Christkind or Christkindl, an angel-like creature with blond hair and wings, brings gifts to families on the eve of Christmas. Depicted as a blond female angel, the Christkind opens the Christmas season at the Nuremberg Christmas market every year.
The Christkindlmarket, which literally means Christ Child Market in Deutch, was inspired by the 16th-century Christkindelmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany. It was a pre-Christmas celebration to usher in Advent.
The Christkind (German for 'Christ-child'; pronounced [ˈkʁɪstkɪnt]), also called Christkindl, is the traditional Christmas gift-bringer in Austria, Switzerland, southern and western Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the eastern part of Belgium, Portugal, Slovakia, Hungary, parts of ...
Christkind, is a German Christmas figure adorned with golden hair, angel wings, and a crown. She is the traditional Christmas gift-bringer in multiple European countries. Christkind was created in the 16th century by Protestant Martin Luther.
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What do Germans call Santa?
Santa Claus - Der Weihnachtsmann
The term Weihnachtsmann is a very generic German term for Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus. The German Weihnachtsmann is a fairly recent Christmas tradition having little if any religious or folkloric background.
Krampus, in central European popular legend, a half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime. He is the devilish companion of St. Nicholas. Krampus is believed to have originated in Germany, and his name derives from the German word Krampen, which means “claw.”
Frau Perchta isn't as well known as Krampus these days, which is a shame, because this Christmas-time goddess/witch/all-around-terrifying-gal deserves a lot more press. She's a staple in the Alpine regions of southern Germany and Austria, but relatively under-the-radar in North America.
The Christkind, a fairy-like being dressed in gold and white robes with a crown upon her golden locks, is the namesake of the Christkindlmarket. Christkind folklore dates back to the 1500s and stems from traditional customs: parades during the holiday season were guided by one “grand” angel, the Christkind.
Since 1969, the Nuremberg Christkind has been chosen every two years by an election process. Young Nuremberg women are invited to apply for this voluntary post. Young Nuremberg girls can apply if they fulfill the following conditions: - They should either have been born in Nuremberg or have lived here for a long time.
What does Christkind look like? In the German tradition, the Christkind (or Christkindel) has several characteristics - here are a few from the Alsace region in today's France: He takes the form of a young girl, like an angel or the Christianised image of a fairy.
Weihnachten (German: [ˈvaɪ̯naxtn̩]) is the observance of what is commonly known in English as Christmas in the German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Over time and through a blending of languages and cultures, “Christkindl” transformed into “Kris Kringle.” And despite its distinct origin, it ultimately became another name for Santa Claus, particularly in some parts of the United States.
Though Belmore referred to herself as Mrs. Santa Claus and said she was there to fill in for her busy husband, she represented a clear departure from the subservient Mrs. Clauses of the prewar years. Belmore was a solo act, with a throne of her own and all the magical gift-granting powers of her male peers.
The Christkindl (Christ Child) figure, as a gift giver, was introduced by Martin Luther in Germany during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Because the doctrine of the reformation believed that praying to Saints was idol worship, the gift giver, St. Nicholas was replaced with the Christkindl.
According to historical records, Santa is real. Santa is real in the sense that he was an actual person. Otherwise known as Saint Nicholas, his story goes all the way back to the 3rd century. He was a monk who was born in 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey.
Krampus is thought to come from either Bavarian: krampn, meaning "dead", "rotten", or from the German: kramp/krampen, meaning "claw". The Krampus is considered to be a half-goat, half-demon monster in some legends. Its role is to punish bad children or scare them into being good.
But 'Babushka' – which means 'grandmother' in Russian – is also a famous Christmas story in Russia about the story of an old woman who met the Three Wise men on their way to see Jesus. According to the story, a women called Babushka used to live in a small peasant town in Russia.
Krampusnacht is celebrated on December 5 every year across Germany, other European countries, and Australia. It occurs the night before the celebration of the Feast of St. Nicholas, a night when people dress up as the devil Krampus and chase naughty children through the streets.
German children call Santa Claus 'Weihnachtsmann' which translates to Christmas man. The Weihnachtsmann is a recent Christmas tradition which has little if any religious or folkloric background.
Krampus, and Krampusnacht, originated in Germany centuries ago. His name derives from the word “krampen”, which means claw. He is considered to be a cruel counterpart to the kind St Nicholas character. While St Nicholas would reward children for being good, Krampus would punish children for being bad.
Santa is known as 'Sheng dan Lao ren' in Mandarin, which translates as 'Christmas Old Man', and he is seen as a non-religious figure who lives in a fairytale Arctic Christmas Village in China's North Pole.
